By historic measures, Rick Santorum should be the Republican nominee this time. He was the last man to stand against Romney in 2012 and historically the GOP gives that man the nomination the next time out. But Santorum did nothing to capitalize on that.

Now, Mike Huckabee and [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ] have taken the Kim Davis battle as their own. Huckabee, as I write this, is on a stage with Kim Davis offering to go to jail for her. [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ] also is making a pilgrimage to Kentucky to be seen with and see Kim Davis.

On the opposite side, Donald Trump says the law is the law and so Kim Davis had to go to jail. Carly Fiorina says Kim Davis should have resigned.

Rick Santorum is no where to be seen. He is crowded off the stage. He is overshadowed by others. His campaign was always a long shot, but now it is a longer shot still. Mike Huckabee is owning this issue as is [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ]. They, along with Bobby Jindal and Trump, are making inroads into a base of support that was once Rick Santorum’s.

Now he has no base, not that he ever had much of a shot. Still, he exists. Because there’s nothing better for him to do right now and no place to land. So he campaigns despite what the rest of us can see as the end game: an exit and the end to his aspirations.