Santorum Strikes Populist Tone Before Ohioans Vote MIAMISBURG, Ohio - Rick Santorum cranked up his image as a populist fighter on Monday as he pleaded for votes the day before the primary in Ohio, considered a must-win state if he is to maintain his political viability. Mr. Santorum cast himself as David going up against Goliath, a k a Mitt Romney, his chief rival for the Republican presidential nomination, who has piles of money, a cash-flush "super PAC" behind him and numerous endorsements from establishment figures. "Money is not going to buy this election," Mr. Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, declared to several hundred people, including many students, crowded into the cafeteria of the Dayton Christian School here. The best ideas and believing in the people is going to win the election. Mr. Santorum's 42-minute speech was laced with more personal references than usual. He dispensed with the theme of economic freedom that he usually hammers away at and steered clear of the cultural issues that have recently landed him in hot water. He also took a new tact of trying to convert what Mr. Romney, a former private equity executive and former governor of Massachusetts, portrays as his strength - business acumen - into a weakness. Mr. Santorum essentially called Mr. Romney a Johnny-one-note for his focus on the economy, a potentially risky assertion in a state still climbing out of the recession. But, Mr. Santorum said, a president should be able to address the wide range of problems confronting the country, "not just how we're going to manage the economy better," he said rather dismissively. "This country is more than just the economy," Mr. Santorum added, going on to mention his own credentials as someone who, having served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has national security experience and who understands "the importance of communities and families." As if to demonstrate his national security bona fides, Mr. Santorum spent some time discussing the Middle East. And he took President Obama to task for failing to acknowledge what is obvious to Mr. Santorum - that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. "I think we need a president who can grasp reality a little better," he declared to applause. But his chief message Monday morning was an appeal to those who believe in the underdog, including, apparently, those who are not making any money. "I walked away from all of the jobs I had and all the money I had," Mr. Santorum told the crowd. We're living basically, we're spending down our savings. He said last week that his house in Virginia had lost much of its value since the recession. But, he said, the future of the country was worth fighting for. He urged his listeners: "Look into the eyes of the candidates. Look into what the candidates overcome and what they offer to this country, not just what money they have. Where's their soul? Where's their conviction? Where's the fight?