Santorum brings strong anti-Obama message to Fargo campaign stop

• Rick Santorum

Republican Presidential Hopeful

Talk about it

It has been a huge night for North Dakota politics and the state's Republican Party. Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum just wrapped up his rally at the Holiday Inn in Fargo.

A few hundred were expected, but I would say easily more than a thousand packed Mr. Santorum's rally tonight here in Fargo. It's no surprise he presented a very anti-Obama message.

Rick Santorum – (R) Presidential Candidate: “Once a country has socialized medicine, you cut the heart and soul out of America. We cannot let that happen and the only way we can do that is to defeat Barack Obama in this election.”

Claps and cheers greeted Rick Santorum after almost every other sentence as most at the Holiday Inn hung onto the surging GOP nominee's every word.

Rick Santorum: “That’s what they refer to this area as, flyover country. Well we're out here in fly over country and it's pretty darn nice I might add.”

The very conservative Santorum spoke at length about the problems with entitlement programs and giving power back to the states.

Rick Santorum: “Give it back to the states, let the states run these programs, put a time limit on the programs and put a work requirement on the program, we do those three things.”

For the people we talked to after the meeting, Santorum's words only reaffirmed their choice to vote for him as the next President of the United Sates.

Kelly Baker - Fargo: “He stands for what America was founded on, he stands for pro-life. That's number one in my book and a lot of other people’s book.”

Brandon Stone - West Fargo: “I like his conservative fiscal responsibility, that stance is what I appreciate the most about him as a candidate.”

Keila Baker - Fargo: “I think just his idea of making it a smaller government, sending government back to the states and communities.”

Santorum told me earlier his next stops include Michigan and Ohio, but that stopping in this state and earning as many North Dakota delegates as possible was vital to his campaign. The North Dakota Caucus will be held in three weeks on Super Tuesday. That date is March 6th.

Governor Jack Dalrymple was among several state elected officials on hand for tonight's rally. The governor didn't endorse the candidate yet, he was pleased he made the stop in Fargo. Dalrymple is himself seeking reelection this fall and hopes North Dakota can serve as a reminder for how the rest of the nation should operate.

Governor Jack Dalrymple – (R) North Dakota: “We are the blueprint for America, if they will just do what we do which is mind our business, keep our state budget in mind and reduce taxes.”

The Governor has invited all four candidates seeking the presidency to come to North Dakota.

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