MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum looked to tap into conservative support at the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention in Myrtle Beach, Sunday; as his poll numbers languish in the single digits.
The Tea Party played a crucial role in bringing republicans to power in 2010 and building on that majority two years later.
Since then national support for the group seems to have waned. Gallup says Americans who identified themselves as supporters dropped from a high of 32% in 2010, down to 17% in 2015.
A look at the polls paints another picture, as outsider candidates remain firmly in the lead. The Tea Party’s expression of anger at the establishment seems to have grown into the main stream.
“I understand the passion, I understand the anger,” said Santorum who acknowledged the distrust in the establishment.
“I’ve been around. I know that’s a negative, but this is a serious time,” he said.
Santorum stressed the presidency is not an entry level position and voters shouldn’t be swayed by anger at lawmakers.
“All I would say is channel that into something positive for your country,” said Santorum.
The convention’s organizer Joe Dugan says the event lets ordinary Americans, frustrated with the direction of the country, get an unfiltered look at candidates.
“There’s nobody inbetween to slant, pick out words and take things out of context. That’s left up to voters,” said Dugan.
It’s exactly what navy veteran Mark Ledger was looking for when attending his first Tea Party convention.
“See what they look like in the room, how they sound, how they come across without the filter of television,” he said.
Ledger says the anger at lawmaker’s broken promises continues to grow and he’s looking for politicians who will follow their oath to the constitution.
“I think that the intensity and the significance of what the Tea Party is trying to do is more important now, it has more urgency now,” said Ledger.
It’s a sentiment attendee Becky Brault agreed with, “people are getting more angry at Washington about what’s going on and selling us out to our enemies.”
With three Tea Party speakers sitting atop the 2016 presidential race, those views could shape the republican mainstream.
“Only the republican party doesn’t want to know that,” said Dugan with a chuckle.
The last day for this year’s Tea Party convention is Monday, Dr. Ben Carson will be among the speakers.
South Carolina hosts the first southern presidential primary in 2016, coming up on Saturday, February 20.
Count on News13 to keep you covered.