Rick Santorum's campaign comes up 8 signatures short in effort to get on Indiana ballot
After a string of successes elsewhere earlier in the week, the Rick Santorum campaign for the U.S. presidency has run into a snag in Indiana.
Santorum's backers came just short of the required number of signatures from registered voters in the 7th District, which could keep him off the statewide ballot in the May 8 Republican primary. Friday was the deadline to submit signatures. All other major Republican candidates -- Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney -- collected the required number.
Santorum supporters in Indiana say they will fight to keep their candidate on the ballot, but with a close race, the lapse could become critical if the nomination is still in play in May, a political analyst said.
"What does it say about a candidate that can't organize enough to get on the ballot?" asked Larry Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia. "Can he run a trillion-dollar government?"
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120211/NEWS0502/302110006/Santorum-comes-up-8-signatures-short-get-Ind-ballot?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com