GREENVILLE, S.C. – Former Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum made three stops across South Carolina Wednesday to make stump speeches and gauge his support for a possible run for president.
“I’ve been very clear that that is something I’m considering,” Santorum told The Daily Caller. “I want to make sure that we elect a new president in 2012, and I want to be a part of that process, whether that is as a candidate or as someone talking about the real core issues that are at stake.”
Santorum appeared in Charleston to endorse a candidate for state House, in Columbia for a candidate for attorney general and in Greenville to voice his support for Trey Gowdy, who defeated incumbent Rep. Bob Inglis in the fourth congressional district’s GOP primary.
At the Greenville event, about 60 people, including business leaders and pro-life activists, came out to see Santorum and snacked on ham biscuits, fried pickles, lima beans and bruschetta bread. Santorum showed off his tie emblazoned with palmetto trees and crescent moons, the two features of the South Carolina state flag.
South Carolina, with New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada, has one of the earliest presidential primaries in the nation and is seen a key state in the nomination process, especially for Republican candidates.
“I want to play a role, and at this point, I haven’t made the decision as to what role that is. I’m trying to get a sense of what the people here in South Carolina think of the message and the messenger,” Santorum said.
He said “a lot of people” encouraged him to run Wednesday, but he acknowledged that the visit is “just a step in the process.”
“People have been very kind to me, but generally speaking, people are very kind to you here. It’s part of the gentility of South Carolina,” he said.
Santorum’s 20-minute speech focused on cultural issues as much as it did economic issues, breaking with Tea Party-backed candidates who tend to focus almost exclusively on economic issues like taxes and the federal deficit.
He was at his most passionate when he told the audience that “we are creatures of a divine God” and that “we are founded on the Judeo-Christian worldview.” During his 12 years in the Senate, Santorum authored legislation that outlawed partial birth abortion and has been an outspoken pro-life advocate.
Whether or not he could garner the energy and support of the Tea Party would likely be key to his potential campaign’s success.
Santorum predicted that Republicans will take back control of the Senate in November, but he cautioned the crowd not to become complacent even if the GOP makes significant gains in the midterm elections, stressing that the 2012 election will be just as important.
NEXT: Who is Santorum’s PAC supporting?
“There shouldn’t be a single bottle of champagne with the cork being popped,” Santorum said in his speech. “This should be, you won the first game of the playoffs, you feel good, but you don’t have the championship yet.”
America’s Foundation, Santorum’s political action committee, has also put itself on the political map, having contributed $26,500 to Republican candidates since Jan. 1, according to Federal Election Commission reports. The PAC has supported Carly Fiorina for California governor and Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Charles Grassley of Iowa. Sharron Angle in Nevada and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, both running for U.S. Senate, are among those who have received support from the PAC.