Rick Santorum Quits Republican Nomination - World Gives a Collective Sigh of Relief

IT WAS an odd way to admit defeat. The setting was Gettysburg, site of a decisive battle in America's civil war. The sign on the podium read "join the fight". And the candidate himself talked of battling on. But today Rick Santorum suspended his presidential campaign, tacitly acknowledging the triumph of Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican nomination.

For nearly 12 minutes Mr Santorum stood in front of journalists and reminisced about his "improbable" campaign. It was certainly that. After getting turfed out of his Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2006, his name became a vulgar neologism with a stubbornly high Google ranking. His views on social issues were well outside the mainstream, he said odd things about sex and contraception, and he saw creeping "Islamofascism" around every corner. He appeared headed for an early exit from the presidential race, registering in single digits while the other Republican wannabes took turns leading. He found himself complaining about airtime as his rivals mixed it up in debates.

But then a funny thing happened—a miracle as Mr Santorum would have it. As the candidacies of Rick Perry and Herman Cain foundered, Mr Santorum's mix of moral indignation, constitution worship and populist preening caught on in conservative Iowa, where he was declared the winner (albeit a couple of weeks after the fact). Then, a month later, as Mr Romney looked the other way, he took three Midwestern states in one day. Suddenly he was a bona-fide contender, challenging Mr Romney in states once thought safe for the front-runner.

He'd end up winning 11 states in all, offering voters an awkward sincerity rather than polish. He was the only candidate who talked about poverty and rural America in more than an opportunistic way. But it was never quite clear how deep his appeal ran. Evangelicals loved him, as did rural voters and those with low levels of income and education. In their eyes he provided the perfect contrast to Mr Romney, the questionable conservative from Massachusetts with the large wallet and suspect religion. But most primary voters seemed to realise that Mr Santorum's core constituencies could not deliver victory in November, and opted instead for the more electable candidate.

What made Mr Santorum a popular choice in the primaries also leaves his future in doubt. His self-proclaimed "positive" campaign alienated many. Large numbers of immigrants, gays and women found fault with his views. His statements on science and the separation of church and state made moderates cringe. Though there is often talk of the Republican Party moving ever more rightward—ever more in Mr Santorum's direction—presidential primary voters have a history of selecting more reasonable pols. And though Republicans have a tendency to choose "next in line" candidates—Bush Sr, McCain, Romney—there is a deep bench of potential presidential aspirants on the right—Ryan, Rubio, McDonnell, Daniels, Christie, etc—who already have strong support. So this improbable campaign may be the closest Mr Santorum gets to his party's nomination. That will elicit a sigh of relief from many Americans.