At least in public, Rick Santorum has been modest about his goals since closing the curtain on his presidential campaign.
"I'd like to get some sleep," he said late Tuesday at Lancaster Bible College, during a forum that had been designed to fire up his base in advance of the April 24 Pennsylvania GOP primary but instead became a valedictory.
His rest is well-earned: Though he fell short, Santorum's self-labeled "improbable" run as a presidential candidate revived a political career that had seemed over when he left a Pittsburgh stage in 2006 after a crushing loss in his bid for a third term in the U.S. Senate.
But the question is, what happens to Santorum now? And what of 2016?
Speculation has been bouncing around that Santorum might get a cabinet position in a Mitt Romney administration or even be chosen as a vice-presidential running mate, though most strategists say that is a longshot.
Santorum, who is only 53, and his close advisers have been fairly open in admitting that he is considering running for president again, either in 2016, if Romney loses to President Obama, or in 2020 after a second term.
"Rick's in a great position for another run if he wants to do it," said Michael Hudome, a GOP strategist. "He came in second, and we almost always nominate the guy who came in second the last time."
Santorum would start with a higher profile and invaluable experience should he run for president again. But four years is a long way off, of course, and nobody knows what the political landscape will be like.
For one thing, a younger generation of GOP stars is waiting in the wings. If the party's nomination is open in 2016, players such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Christie, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell might jump into the race.
Many of those same names are considered possible vice presidential picks for Romney this time.
"Things are fluid right now," said Michael Federici, professor of political science at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. He said Santorum makes sense as a running mate for Romney - in theory.
"What you're looking for most of all is somebody who has strengths where you are weak - Santorum has done well with rural voters and very conservative evangelical voters that Romney has had trouble with," Federici said. "If the name of the game is to secure the base of the party to win, Romney isn't there yet and Santorum could help."
On the other hand, he said, Santorum shares with Romney a "common weakness among women voters and Hispanics" in the polls. "Somebody like Marco Rubio would be a stronger pick," Federici said of the Cuban American senator, a rising star in the party.
In addition, Santorum's many barbed critiques of Romney as a false conservative would provide ammunition to the Obama campaign, said pollster Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College. He said Santorum would also be a big risk to go "off script" as a running mate, stressing the social issues that have always been dear to Santorum's heart but could drive away swing voters.
"Romney's challenge is going to be to deal with the social conservatives while keeping the moderates he needs to win," Madonna said.
Not long after he announced he was suspending his campaign Tuesday, Santorum held a conference call with his closest supporters during which he asked for advice on where he should aim next, participants said.
"I think Rick has a genuine sense of a calling to public service," said conservative leader Colin A. Hanna of Chester County, who was on the call. "That doesn't mean just serving in office, but how to serve the cause of the values he spoke of so eloquently in the campaign. He'll discern his path forward."
Some have suggested that Santorum could cash in on the lecture circuit, repair to a think tank, head for a commentator's job - perhaps with Fox News, where he was employed before his run - or even return to writing a column for The Inquirer.
"It hasn't been discussed or explored to my knowledge," said Harold Jackson, the paper's editorial page editor.
Santorum, hired as a conservative voice for the opinion pages by then-publisher Brian Tierney, wrote for the paper from 2007 to 2010.
Ralph Reed, leader of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, noted that Santorum's 11 primary and caucus wins were the most by a "grassroots conservative" since Ronald Reagan's failed challenge to President Gerald Ford in the 1976 GOP primaries.
"My guess is, we haven't heard the last from Rick Santorum," Reed said in a statement. "He has elevated his stature as an important leader for Republicans and conservatives in years to come."
