JOHNSTON- Former Pennsylvania US Senator Rick Santorum has emerged as the favorite of social conservatives disenchanted with the flailing candidacies of Texas Governor Rick Perry and Minnesota US Representative Michele Bachmann.
Financially limited and organizationally dwarfed by all of the other candidates, Santorum has relentlessly beat the bushes, cornfields and Christian Right community hoping his Iowa gamble will pay big dividends.
So far it appears it has making a late surge that even has former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney taking jabs at him.
Santorum distinguished himself as a leader for social conservative issues during his two terms in the US Senate and is parlaying that record against a field of better known candidates with questionable track records in this area while looking more electable than better financed contenders with similar cred o social issues.
Perhaps the ultimate endorsement of Santorum's strength as a social conservative came on Friday night in Johnston.
After making campaign stops across Iowa that day, Santorum went to close his day out with an Insight Bowl viewing party at a restaurant just north of Des Moines. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes were facing the Oklahoma Sooners.
Santorum entered the restaurant bedecked in UI black and yellow when a young man sporting a Santorum sticker dressed as if he were a Sunday school teacher hurled a cup of glitter at Santorum and shrieked "Stop the hate, taste the rainbow!" before running out of the eatery and absconding to his vehicle parked a few lots over.
Santorum didn't flinch, ignored the Rip Tayloresque assault on him and proceeded to his table to watch the game with friends, family and supporters.
If you can judge someone partially by the enemies he or she has, then it is little wonder why evangelical Christians and social conservative Roman Catholics are creating a surge of support for Santorum.
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