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He is talking about freedom of religion. As any candidate would be, and as they are, when the President tries to force a Church to act contrary to their beliefs.
And it's actually the cultural problems we face that are leading to our current economic problems. Unless we fix our culture, our time as a dominant economic power is over.
What is wrong with our culture?
"How have Santorum's religious views become so dominant in political discourse lately? "
Because the NeoCon jerks can't talk about the economy. THey have no answers.
Your entire premise is that the GOP needs to play down the social issues to win.
Stating that religious people have a right to participate in the political process is challenging the First Amendment now? Since when? It specifically gives us the right to speak and exercise our religion freely.
As for the culture, it's not obvious?
Economic prosperity requires people who are willing to work, be honest, provide service for one another, think about others needs, eliminate corruption in our lives, personal accountability etc.
If you look at the economic problems we face, it's because of dishonesty, corruption, idleness, and a refusal of people to accept responsibility for their lives. If we fix those problems, our economy will boom. The government windowdressing may help a bit, but it's our cultural problems causing our economic problems.
Great points.I have been thinking about this a lot the last week or so. How have Santorum's religious views become so dominant in political discourse lately? The conservatives blame the press for asking the questions and attempting to focus the conversation, but on the other hand Santorum is stupid enough to get caught in the trap. If these social issues are truly "non-issues" then why bother to talk about them? Why not simply say "I have my own personal beliefs but let's discuss the economy"? I have concluded that a) he is as stupid as a post and can't keep his mouth shut or b) facing a critical primary tomorrow in Michigan (he can forget about Arizona, Romney has that one locked up) and with Super Tuesday a mere week away (a situation where he cannot possibly hope to contend financially with Romney) he is doubling down with the strategy that his comments will focus the national dialogue on him (thereby giving him free publicity in states where he doesn't have the money to campaign) and the religious right will bail him out. I personally think it's more B than A but......
Questions
1) If A and he is simply too stupid to avoid media traps shouldn't we be concerned about his intellectual capacity as POTUS?
The strategy may work in the micro sample size of the Republican primary in Michigan. In the Macro, the country is far left of the Republican base so he has no hope of becoming the nominee unless Romney has another unscripted moment in front of a camera.2) If B and he is engaging in a political strategy will it work?
3) If B and it does work will he be able to convincingly move back to center if he gets the nomination (which is vital in order to to gain support from moderates and Independents)?
Santorum is appealing to Christian fanatics who have a taste for authoritarianist societies based on a rather primative and ignorant form of Christianity.
That is who he is, and that is what he thinks this nation ought to be.
It's about that simple, really.
Your entire premise is that the GOP needs to play down the social issues to win.
No I am not necessarily saying that. But every election has the issues that are pivotal and on the minds of the American people and those issues depend on what is happening at the time. This election is going to be about the economy because that's the problem we are currently facing. I think that very few people are actually going to base their vote on issues like contraception and religious faith this time around. If the economy was rocking, unemployment was at around 4% then sure; those social issue gain more importance. But right now they are largely irrelevant to the voters.
So Santorum providing the liberal media with juicy sound bytes that they can use to paint him as a religious lunatic doesn't seem to be a very good idea. There's little to gain because voters are not concerned with those issues and a lot to lose because his positions on them are so extreme that he looks like a nut. This is the major point I am making. It may help him with the religious right but it will turn moderates and Independents away in droves. Indeed that seems to be exactly what's happening as Santorum's poll numbers are predictably beginning to slip.
Your entire premise is that the GOP needs to play down the social issues to win.
No I am not necessarily saying that. But every election has the issues that are pivotal and on the minds of the American people and those issues depend on what is happening at the time. This election is going to be about the economy because that's the problem we are currently facing. I think that very few people are actually going to base their vote on issues like contraception and religious faith this time around. If the economy was rocking, unemployment was at around 4% then sure; those social issue gain more importance. But right now they are largely irrelevant to the voters.
So Santorum providing the liberal media with juicy sound bytes that they can use to paint him as a religious lunatic doesn't seem to be a very good idea. There's little to gain because voters are not concerned with those issues and a lot to lose because his positions on them are so extreme that he looks like a nut. This is the major point I am making. It may help him with the religious right but it will turn moderates and Independents away in droves. Indeed that seems to be exactly what's happening as Santorum's poll numbers are predictably beginning to slip.
Santorum's numbers were in single digits only two months ago. Romney's been at this for five years and he's still at the same level he's always been at. YOu tell me who has the stronger message.
Already, Romney is trying to write off Michigan as "Democratic Mischeif".
Well, he might just be positioning himself as the best gop pick for veep. The gop won't win just on moderates and independents, it needs the nutroots invested as well. They win when they appeal to emotional wedge issues, a sense of shared (if contrived) values, and common resentments.
Your entire premise is that the GOP needs to play down the social issues to win.
No I am not necessarily saying that. But every election has the issues that are pivotal and on the minds of the American people and those issues depend on what is happening at the time. This election is going to be about the economy because that's the problem we are currently facing. I think that very few people are actually going to base their vote on issues like contraception and religious faith this time around. If the economy was rocking, unemployment was at around 4% then sure; those social issue gain more importance. But right now they are largely irrelevant to the voters.
So Santorum providing the liberal media with juicy sound bytes that they can use to paint him as a religious lunatic doesn't seem to be a very good idea. There's little to gain because voters are not concerned with those issues and a lot to lose because his positions on them are so extreme that he looks like a nut. This is the major point I am making. It may help him with the religious right but it will turn moderates and Independents away in droves. Indeed that seems to be exactly what's happening as Santorum's poll numbers are predictably beginning to slip.
Well, he might just be positioning himself as the best gop pick for veep. The gop won't win just on moderates and independents, it needs the nutroots invested as well. They win when they appeal to emotional wedge issues, a sense of shared (if contrived) values, and common resentments.
I would be shocked if he gets the VP pick. Aside from the baggage...he adds absolutely nothing to the ticket. Conservatives will go for whoever gets picked. What they need on the ticket is an appeal to Democrats and Independents..or someone who doesn't detract from Romney.
Look for Santorum to be the next "hot" new FOX pundit.
The Santorum Strategy: Say anything.
Stating that religious people have a right to participate in the political process is challenging the First Amendment now? Since when? It specifically gives us the right to speak and exercise our religion freely.
"But the most striking feature of Santorums double-header defeat Tuesday was his failure to win a majority of his fellow Catholic faithful, who went for the Mormon Romney by a 6-point margin in both Arizona and Michigan."
ADIOS, Ricky!!!!
It's absolutely perplexing that this man is gaining any speed at this point. He's a slime ball to the core when it comes to politics. He's also a religious pandering hack. He was pro-choice before he got into congress.
He literally will say anything to get the seat. ANYTHING.
He has no principles and his moral code lacks consistency.
Democrats are scrambling over the Santorum vote. Surely such a outspoken Christian would get very little support even from mainstream republicans. But he's proven to be quite popular. Democrats had no idea there were this many Christians left in the US. They thought it would be just a few, easily overcome When democrats look at Santorum, they don't see a political candidate, they see the numbers. It's proving to be a bit harder to drag the nation into secular socialism than they thought.
