Daily Santorum: Donning the dark horse silks

The National Review is the latest to ponder Rick Santorum's dark horse status in Iowa:

“The beautiful thing about Iowa is that you can’t buy Iowa,” Santorum says. “We’ve seen some other candidates spend millions of dollars on ads and then not move in the polls. In other states, it’s different — you’re not going to be able to do the kind of grassroots campaign that we’ve done in Iowa.” Of course, Santorum, who has few dollars to spend and a wisp of a national organization, wants to contend in New Hampshire and South Carolina. But he admits that in order to do that with any seriousness, he needs to win or place highly in the Iowa caucuses. And should he do so, money and volunteers will be only part of what’s required. He would need national attention, enough buzz to fuel a battle against the better-financed frontrunners.

On the completely opposite side of the political spectrum, so does E.J. Dionne at the WashPost:

Mr. Santorum has going for him what's been going against him until now: Having never emerged as a top candidate, he has avoided attacks from his opponents and is the only conservative left unscathed. He has kept his focus on the very religious voters who have played a central role in Iowa Republican caucuses since Rev. Pat Robertson's 1988 presidential campaign.

Speaking before a banner touting his "Faith, Family and Freedom" tour, Mr. Santorum combined detailed proposals -- including tax policies aimed at reviving American manufacturing -- with harsh attacks on President Barack Obama. But he tries to close the deal with frankly theological reflections. "I approach every problem in my life through faith and reason," he said. "If your reason is right and your faith is true, you'll end up in the same place."