Rick Santorum: 'Newsmaker of the Week' (VIDEO)

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, January 07, 2012

Rick Santorum served up a significant shock this week when he almost topped former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses; losing by only 8 votes Tuesday, but still finishing higher than Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachman and Jon Huntsman — making him CP's "Newsmaker of the Week."

Newsmaker of the Week - Rick Santorum

After his successful showing in Iowa, Santorum offered a public thanks to God and said that only by His daily grace does he survive the challenges that come his way. The former Pennsylvania senator has emerged as one the staunchest allies of the religious right with his conservative stance on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion.

There has also been talk that Santorum might be the man to unite the evangelical vote, with social conservative leaders set to meet over the weekend to discuss the best path forward, and to ensure that their vote is not divided -- and that Mitt Romney, who is said to be their least preferred candidate, fails to get the victory.

Santorum, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 and served two terms in office, received a significant spike in funding after his Iowa performance. The day after the Iowa vote, Santorum’s campaign raised over $1 million in donations.

In an interview with a Des Moines radio program in December, Santorum said he would drop out of the Republican race if he finished poorly in Iowa, but it is expected that his good performance will allow him to compete more fiercely against front-runner Romney, who has spent $17 million since January. In comparison, Santorum and former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have spent one-sixth of that total.

Santorum is now looking to test his momentum at the New Hampshire primary next week, which Romney is primed to win. According to a Suffolk University poll of GOP primary voters, Romney is way ahead of the pack at 43 percent, while Santorum comes in fifth with only a single digit percentage. In order to stand a chance of winning, the CP "Newsmaker of the Week" will have to attract votes in New Hampshire beyond the evangelical sphere.