I've been thinking about this since 2008 when my friend, Bob Casey with a little help from Obama's coattails defeated Santorum easily. Almost immediately after his defeat pundits were excitedly touting him as presidential timber. He seemed a little misplaced in Pennsylvania where our Republican senators tend to be moderates like Specter and Heinz.

In the early 90s when I was working in a law office in Harrisburg as a young attorney, our boss asked all the attorneys to go to the State Capitol in 15 minutes because a former office intern was going to announce his candidacy. I had never heard of Rick Santorum, but as a favor to my boss I accompanied him and several others to the Capitol. I was amazed that there were seats set up for about 125 people, but his audience consisted only of our small contingent and about a dozen of his family members. During his speech he would occasionally turn and face an empty arrangement of seats on his left. I was surprised when he won the nomination, and shocked when he won the election.

While I do not share his political beliefs, I should note that he has a remarkable memory for people's names. I have bumped into him maybe only 5-10 times since that announcement, but he remembers my name and the names of my wife and kids, whom he's never met.

While I will not vote for him because of differences on the issues, I believe he has real leadership qualities. I am not surprised that he is achieving some considerable measures of success in the GOP primaries. I have to say he is the best representative of the conservative voice in America, much more genuine and far less machiavellian than Gingrich. I'd have to say that he has more conviction than Romney. But I just can't vote for him.

By the way, I too feel Trump is a blowhard, who's trying to turn the election into his own personal circus. I can't see how he is viewed as credible after his attack on Obama's birth certificate and school grades.