Santorum Skips Super Bowl to Stump at Minnesota Winery

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks at the First National Bank Exhibition Hall in Loveland, Colo., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (Chris Schneider/AP Photo)

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(Image Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Chris Schneider/AP Photo

Republican presidential candidate former... View Full Size

Chris Schneider/AP Photo

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks at the First National Bank Exhibition Hall in Loveland, Colo., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

LAKE WACONIA, Minn. - It might have been Super Bowl Sunday, but a boisterous crowd packed into a winery here to listen to Rick Santorum, without a television set in sight.

The event Sunday evening during the face-off between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants was billed as a campaign event with a Super Bowl theme, but the crowd of about 250 didn't seem to be missing the big game, instead cheering for the former Pennsylvania senator.
The presidential candidate, standing in between vats of wine, gave his pitch to the Minnesotans gathered at Lake Waconia's Sovereign Estate Winery asking for each supporter to bring 10 people to Tuesday's caucuses, stressing that they can "change the course of the presidential race."
Despite coming in last place Saturday in Nevada, Santorum is hoping to "reset the race" on Tuesday with victories not only in Minnesota, but in Colorado and Missouri as well.
Missouri's primary on Feb. 7 is a "beauty contest" that awards no delegates - they instead will hold a caucus March 17 where delegates will be awarded - but Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot in that state, so Santorum is hoping a win in a head to head match-up with Mitt Romney will change the narrative of the race.
"Minnesota could be a state that could stop the streak. It's not a very long streak, it's two in a row, but to the national media you'd think it's 20 in a row," Santorum said referring to Romney's back-to-back victories in Florida and Nevada. "Minnesota can speak loudly, your voice here. I won Iowa by 34 votes, 34 votes … if you don't think your vote matters let me assure you, it matters. In a caucus it's everything. If you don't think going out and getting us 10 additional votes matters, it matters. This room could change the course of this election. "
Santorum consistently talks about his love of football, but without his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers playing in the Super Bowl he said earlier Sunday "I really don't care" about who wins - although he added he couldn't root for the Patriots' Tom Brady.