Rick Santorum: GOP Must Appeal To Working Class

Santorum Tells GOP What Idea 'We Need To Reject'
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Former US Republican Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum waves after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 15, 2013. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AMES, Iowa — The Republican Party must to do a better job reaching out to working class voters, former senator and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum said Saturday.

The Iowa caucus winner said that by focusing on business owners in the last presidential election, the GOP failed to connect with "job holders" and "marginalized" a group of voters.

"We need to reject this idea that if we build the economy, all boats will rise. We need to talk about people who have holes in their boats, because we all do," Santorum said at the Family Leadership Summit, a conference of conservative Christians.

After his remarks, Santorum said he was open to another presidential run in 2016 but has made no decision.

Other speakers at the summit include Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and reality show star Donald Trump. The daylong event will be one of many cattle calls for potential candidates in the grueling runup to the 2016 presidential election.

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