Rick Santorum's candidacy ...

MarcoD

Ah, well, we're just kids in a sandbox for grown-ups.



(I am the one most to the left.)

WhoWee

Does anyone want to discuss Santorum's voting record or comments about the economy (very pro-manufacturing) or foreign policy (very tough on Iran)?

ThomasT

I'd prefer to focus on his religious fanaticism. But if you have something to offer in favor of Santorum, then what is it?

WhoWee

Has he ever given a religious speech on the floor of the US Senate?

ThomasT

I don't know. I only watch C-Span intermittently. It would be cool, imho, but I don't think he's that stupid. Then again, I'm just waiting for some sort of quote like "God told me to ... " whatever. I just hope it doesn't happen while he's president. But I don't really think there's much chance of that happening.

WhoWee

I've watched Santorum for a long time - he's all business. This emphasis on social policy has been media driven - IMO.

ThomasT

So, you don't think he's a religious fanatic? What, just a good actor appealing to the religious right base?

Evo

Does anyone if this forum seriously think they'll vote for him?

Bolding mine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/op...cism.html?_r=1

ThomasT

He's a strange person ... to me. But, apparently, not so strange to, maybe, about half of America. Scary? Maybe. But then I remember the environement I grew up in. For example, African Americans were prohibited by law from being within the town limits after 6 pm. The evangelical Baptist church reigned supreme, even in a town which was predominantly Catholic.

As far as I can tell, it isn't a whole lot different today. I'm just glad I left. But the point is that a large part of America is in tune with Santorum and other Christian religious zealots. Better than fundamentalist Muslims I guess. At least I know what I'm dealing with. But sort of sad, imho, nonetheless.

WhoWee

Since Santorum's religious statements are the only topic of discussion - when he said (from the above posted New York Times Opinion Page) "“Satan has his sights on the United States of America,” " - wasn't he trying metaphorically to say the US is a "good place" - and if we're not careful - it will become a bad place?

ThomasT

It could be taken that way. But he, like other devout Christians I've known, seems to believe that there actually is a supernatural being, Satan, with extended human-like traits, and who is the precipitator of evil in the world.

I don't think he takes the mythological constructs of Christianity as metaphors. I think he's operating from a literalist understanding of the Christian bible.

I don't want to think he's that ... backward. But he did after all say it the way he said it.

WhoWee

From the link in post #193 - my bold - he's his own worst enemy. my color change

"PHOENIX--Rick Santorum on Tuesday stood by comments he made in 2008 about Satan attacking the United States, telling reporters here that he is going to “stay on message” and continue to talk about jobs, security, and “taking on forces around this world who want to do harm to America.”

The three-year-old speech is getting renewed scrutiny after several Web-based publications circulated audio and text of his remarks over the holiday weekend. Speaking to a group at Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla., Santorum said, “This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war at all. This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country: the United States of America.”

When reporters asked about the comments at a rally on Tuesday evening, Santorum said, “I believe in good and evil. I think if somehow or another, because you’re a person of faith, you believe in good and evil [and it’s] a disqualifier for president, we’re going to have a very small pool of candidates who can run for president.”
Asked whether he still thinks that Satan is attacking the United States, Santorum called the inquiry “not relevant to what’s being discussed in America today.”

“If they want to dig up old speeches of me talking to religious groups, they can go ahead and do so, but I’m going to stay on message and I’m going to talk about things that Americans want to talk about,” Santorum said, “which is creating jobs, making our country more secure, and, yeah, taking on the forces around his world who want to do harm to America, and you bet I will take them on.”

Earlier, he pledged to “defend everything I say” after noting that people might worry about his statements because he isn’t “robotic” like some of the more “commoditized candidates.”"

ThomasT

Only wrt people who don't believe as he does. The problem is that there are lots of people who do believe as he does.

mege

Isn't that the point of an election?

WhoWee

Isn't the whole point of campaigning to attract a larger base? If he stops commenting - it will go away. Let's not forget, there will be two people (along with their running mates) in the general election. If old comments are fair game for one candidate - they will be fair game for the other. IMO - everyone would prefer to focus on the present and future given the economy, the national debt, the Middle East, etc.

ThomasT

WhoWee suggested that Santorum is his own worst enemy. I suggested that, wrt about half of America, he isn't. Wrt the Christian Right we could say that Obama is his own worst enemy. And so on.

ThomasT

Of course. I just commented on your "he's his own worst enemy" comment. Wrt who is he his own worst enemy? Obviously, imo, not wrt extreme Christians.

His fundamental base? Yes, I agree. But you seemed to suggest that his comments were hurting him. And I agree that his comments hurt him wrt people outside his fundamental extremist Christian base.

When a candidate's opinions/policies are based on a belief in the canons of ancient mythology, then I think this affects his fitness wrt the responsibilities of the chief executive. That is, the single most important thing to consider about Santorum is, imo, the fact that he's a theistic religious fanatic. This apparent fact is, by itself, enough for me to exclude him from consideration. And, this apparent fact is, by itself, enough for many Americans, maybe about half eventually, to consider him the only acceptable candidate.