Rick Santorum

[Erth]

Ok so this is intended as something like the general Rick Santorum thread on CF, not from this or that angle exclusively, not focused on just one event, but a place where you can post anything on Rick Santorum's views and history. Plus you can support, contest or debate it of course, whichever you like.

After listening a little to him I've become more interested in him. Yes, I do think he seems to be the odd good guy in politics. Not saying I totally support him because that would be untrue, but I'm interested in American politics.

People don't think he has a chance and so he actually doesn't, at least not this time around, but my interest in politics goes beyond trying to predict winners. I somehow doubt that this thread will get a lot of posts because he's not up there with Obama, Romney and Gingrich, but we'll see.

I'll get around to posting something more specific after this introduction but don't wait for me, just go on and post! Thanks in advance.

 

[Erth]

This is a reply to Romney's statement obviously, but there's somewhere else you can debate Romney if that's what you want:

http://www.christianforums.com/t7629612/#post59708602

Some people would probably say it's an impossibility, but Rick Santorum does seem to really care in a political way about the poor. I think that he cares way more than Obama does, actually. Obama appears to me to be a streamlined popularity politician who will say and do that which renders him the most support, a powerhungry pragmatic if you don't mind my saying so. Romney and Gingrich are both good matches for Obama in that regard I think. But Santorum sounds and most probably is a whole lot different, it's really what I think.

Here's some of what he has to say on the poor anyway:

Rick Santorum on Mitt Romney's gaffe - YouTube

 

[heymikey80]

I general people don't get elected by being the proper candidates. They get elected by electrifying some part of the electorate. That's a big problem for someone stable enough to do a good job as President.

Santorum needs to have something electrifying to talk about.

Reagan had the same problem, btw, and he was a veteran of Presidential campaigns by 1980. It was only when his sense of fair play and conservatism got to the point of being unusual, of inviting that electricity, that his campaign really took off.

Maybe when the populace starts realizing that Presidents who invite voyeuristic media attention don't get the job done they'll turn to this.

 

[SmellsLikeCurlyFries]

Santorum is irrelevant. He can't win the nomination because he's not on multiple state ballots to the tune of 500 delegates. Even if he won every state except those he's not on the ballot of, he wouldn't have enough delegates to win.

And thank G-d for that, because he'd have us stripped of the Constitution, our rights, and smacked into a theocracy in the first month and would be launching the next Crusades in the second month. He's practically rabid over the idea of war with Iran.

 

[zoink]

I'm guessing the same things I dislike about Santorum other people like.

Rick Santorum Hates Ron Paul's Libertarian Ideas - YouTube

Social Conservative: As per my signature I leave judgement of non-Christians to God. They don't need me telling them who they can have sex with or what they decide to smoke.

Foreign Policy: It's estimated that Iran has over 5 times the economy of North Korea and North Korea still got Nukes. If Iran wants them, they will get them. Israel as enough nukes to destroy Iran, so does the United States. If all the 12 Imam fears are true and Iranians are as militant as some suggest then how are sanctions and aggressive posturing going to sway them?

 

[variant]

I general people don't get elected by being the proper candidates. They get elected by electrifying some part of the electorate. That's a big problem for someone stable enough to do a good job as President.

How does one explain Mitt Romney then?

 

[heymikey80]

How does one explain Mitt Romney then?

He's very controversial.

Governor of a very liberal state, he's running as a conservative.
He attacks conservative candidates on odd grounds -- those that aren't easily sustained.
He uses the super-PAC concept in unprecedented ways to drag campaigns negative.
He's part of a controversial religious faith.
His positions don't seem to conform to one particular, regular interpretation, making his views either complicated or changing.
His support itself is controversial, it seems few conservatives admit they support him, though endorsements still pile in from Tea Party members as well as less than conservative Republicans.​

 

[variant]

He's very controversial.

Governor of a very liberal state, he's running as a conservative.
He attacks conservative candidates on odd grounds.
He's part of a controversial religious faith.
His positions don't seem to conform to one particular, regular interpretation, making his views either complicated or changing.​

I was responding to a very specific pont of yours that people don't win elections by being "the proper candidate", they must electrify some of the electorate.

In my experience your comment is incorrect, the most boring and inoffencive candidate often wins in the primaries. John McCain, John Kerry, Bob Dole, the current Mitt Romney.

You may have a point that these guys don't usually win "elections"

Whom does Mitt Romney electrify?

 

[heymikey80]

Whom does Mitt Romney electrify?

Primarily -- those disaffected with Obama.

 

[variant]

Primarily -- those disaffected with Obama.

Too bad he can't run as "Generic Republican" because that guy would get even more votes.

He's "electrifying".

 

[heymikey80]

Too bad he can't run as "Generic Republican" because that guy would get even more votes.

He's "electrifying".

Maybe that's what he's trying to do.

Stay tuned. I'm sure it'll be an uproarious election campaign.

 

[Chris81]

I'm guessing the same things I dislike about Santorum other people like.

Rick Santorum Hates Ron Paul's Libertarian Ideas - YouTube

Social Conservative: As per my signature I leave judgement of non-Christians to God. They don't need me telling them who they can have sex with or what they decide to smoke.

Foreign Policy: It's estimated that Iran has over 5 times the economy of North Korea and North Korea still got Nukes. If Iran wants them, they will get them. Israel as enough nukes to destroy Iran, so does the United States. If all the 12 Imam fears are true and Iranians are as militant as some suggest then how are sanctions and aggressive posturing going to sway them?

Wow, that just reinforced all of the reasons I can't stand the idea of him being President!

 

[variant]

Maybe that's what he's trying to do.

Stay tuned. I'm sure it'll be an uproarious election campaign.

I am going to take this as a concession on your original point.

 

[variant]

Wow, that just reinforced all of the reasons I can't stand the idea of him being President!

Yeah, everything I don't like about the Republican Party and absolutely none of the good things.

 

[Erth]

I'm guessing the same things I dislike about Santorum other people like.

Rick Santorum Hates Ron Paul's Libertarian Ideas - YouTube

Social Conservative: As per my signature I leave judgement of non-Christians to God. They don't need me telling them who they can have sex with or what they decide to smoke.

Foreign Policy: It's estimated that Iran has over 5 times the economy of North Korea and North Korea still got Nukes. If Iran wants them, they will get them. Israel as enough nukes to destroy Iran, so does the United States. If all the 12 Imam fears are true and Iranians are as militant as some suggest then how are sanctions and aggressive posturing going to sway them?

I meant it when I said that I had only been listening "a little" to Santorum and after seeing that video I'm a little shocked I have to say. I knew that I was torn about what I assumed to be his stance on gay marriage because the way I see it there are reasons to allow civil gay marriage. If you ask me about any sort of Christian gay marriage on the other hand, you have my emphatic no to it.

When it comes to foreign policy I do not agree with Santorum. I'd favour Ron Paul's stance, but his foreign policy and the less power to the banks thing are about all that I agree with Paul on. When it comes to taking care of Americans at home I think that Paul would be proud to let it slide completely.

And oh well, then we have the death penalty, and I'm totally against it.

Back to what I like about Santorum: I do think he cares about people who live in America. He does seem to have a lot of respect for fundamental human dignity. But the fact that he's in favour of the death penalty goes against that in my opinion.

Obviously I wouldn't be much of a supporter, but he's got another thing going for him: At least he's honest about his views. You don't get the impenetrable vague slogans and technical politician talk from him that you get from pretty much anyone else who's running.

 

[zoink]

He does seem to have a lot of respect for fundamental human dignity.

What do you mean by this?

 

[Erth]

What do you mean by this?

He doesn't think that people deserve less respect because they're poor, for example. It makes me glad because I'm so sick of something that's rather typical of American politics regardless of which party we're talking about: social darwinist dog eat dog logic, and even going so far as trying to make it seem like it's morally right. *puke*

 

[zoink]

Do you think all the current Republican candidates think that people deserve less respect because they're poor? Is this respect demonstrated through policies Santorum advocates?

 

[Erth]

Do you think all the current Republican candidates think that people deserve less respect because they're poor? Is this respect demonstrated through policies Santorum advocates?

Romney, Gingrich, Paul and Obama are all social darwinists in my opinion.

 

[zoink]

How does Santorum demonstrate that he is not a social Darwinist? Are their policies that he advocates that demonstrates that he is not a social Darwinist? Or if that's to specific what are some examples of not being a social Darwinist?