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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRick Santorum is not trying to win the presidency
by Scottie Thomaston
Does anyone here believe that a man is going to win the presidency in 2012 by telling the electorate that he wants the Supreme Court to overrule Griswold and Eisenstadt and leave birth control up to hostile anti-women states? Does anyone believe a candidate is going to win the presidency by avoiding discussions of foreign and domestic policy and instead simply saying that the president's "theology" is bad and that Protestants are a dying breed and overtaken with satanism? Do you think his public persona that has been carefully built over his long political career is one that specifically invokes anti-LGBT sentiment that is the same type of terrorism leveled against our community by the worst horrific zealots on accident? Do you think his focus on philosophical issues relating to his version of morality instead of concrete policy initiatives is because he's just too stupid to come up with policies, or can you see that it is part of his strategy?
Rick Santorum is not going to be President of the United States and he was never trying to be. If he were he would be lying like Romney is and desperately attempting to appear more sane for the cameras. He is saying and doing these things because he's trying to send a message. These aren't dog whistles; they are screams.
Here's what's happening: the culture war is pretty much over. Our side won. Proposition 8 was a pyrrhic victory for these people, showing the entire country the utter foolishness of anti-LGBT legislation and the inhumanity of taking away marriage from a group of people who have done everything we could have possibly done to earn the right to be viewed as humans just like anyone else. Once Proposition 8 was passed into law and people began to witness the fallout and once our sadness and desperation and humanity were shown to the country, there was nothing to keep the culture war alive. What could they say? "Well yeah, we're pretty terrible and inhumane and probably killing people, and we've just taken marriage away from people who have previously had it for no good reason, but we really really do have the only moral position in this argument"?
No.
As soon as lack of marriage rights for gay Americans was equated with hate (or "H8" as the "No H8" campaign says) we won. It does matter that we've lost battles along the way and that amendments and anti-LGBT bills have been passed; that's important, but that's part of the last bit of scrambling the radical right is trying to do to appear relevant.
This is where Rick Santorum's strategy enters the picture. He's very upset. Frantic, even. He knows everything is over and he knows fairly soon our side will see nothing but victories, increasing poll favorability numbers and he knows we will be able to stop fighting. He's in panic mode. The far right is in panic mode. They wanted to win so badly and now it's just over and the people they were trying to keep down feel all empowered.
So they're doing scorched-earth.
- more -
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/21/1066877/-Rick-Santorum-is-not-trying-to-win-the-presidency
I agree completely with the premise. Romney wants to win. That's all Romney wants. He wants to win at any cost. The rest of the candidates and the entire right wing are throwing a Hail Mary pass. From Komen's attack on Planned Parenthood to the Catholic Church's assault on women's rights, from the attacks on government to the push for austerity and from the attacks on safety net programs to the assault on the working poor, the right wing is doing a "scream" because dogwhistles aren't enough these days.
Oh yeah, Republican hypocrisy is biting them in the ass every step of the way:
Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu Says He Supports Gay Marriage
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002333539
LisaL
(44,973 posts)"Since those views are normal to him I certainly do believe he is trying to win."
...separate issues. No doubt each of them would love to win, but just as Ron Paul is using the platform to promote his agenda, he claims that amassing delegates is more important than winning, Santorum is using his platform to push his extreme views. He's offering very little in the way of policy. He's simply preaching lunacy.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)We haven't seen republican voters running away screaming, so they must like what he is saying.
"We haven't seen republican voters running away screaming, so they must like what he is saying."
...he has an audience. A lot of Republicans are attracted to lunacy.
PRETZEL
(3,245 posts)mainly because they don't really have to. The underlying premises of the R's are pretty standard so I'm not so sure anyone would stand out based on policy at this point.
They're all preaching to the choir. It's just a matter of who's preaching louder and which core constituencies are coming out to vote.
"None of them are really pushing policy at this point"
...is actually trying. He's the only one who is attempting to engage the President on the economy.
The only thing Flip-Flopper has "offered" is "let's have another do-over of the policies that almost bankrupted the 99% from 2001 to 2009".
"Really? The only thing Flip-Flopper has "offered" is 'let's have another do-over of the policies that almost bankrupted the 99% from 2001 to 2009'."
I didn't say his ideas were valid, just that he has offered them.
PRETZEL
(3,245 posts)I think he's supposed to make an economic speech later this week.
RZM
(8,556 posts)First of all, a hail mary pass is intended to win the game. That's the point of it. If you didn't want to win, you would go with a run play.
Second, he's offering plenty in the way of policy. It's not good policy, but it's still policy.
Second, he's offering plenty in the way of policy. It's not good policy, but it's still policy.
...a contradiction. A Hail Mary pass is the result of realizing that you're on the losing end and have to go long to try to win. It's rarely successful.
I think he was originally trying to get put on a ticket as VP. Now -- and absolutely due to his ideas -- he believes he is destined to win the nomination and presidency.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)He is part of that bunch of the GOP that believe all failures recently, especially to win elections, is because the GOP hasn't been conservative enough. Since all the rational people in the GOP are on the run, the only candidates left are the ones that believe this crap, as well as the people voting for them. He actually believes that the more conservative he gets, the better his chance to win.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"He is part of that bunch of the GOP that believe all failures recently, especially to win elections, is because the GOP hasn't been conservative enough."
..won in 2010. It's true that he believes this, but again. I'm not sure he believes this is the way to win. His zealotry cost him in 2006. He could be delusional. I see someone determined to simply frame everything in religious terms, from the environment to women's rights. He's using the issues to push his religious views.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)To a great degree, who "won" in 2010 was the "tea bagger" crowd. By that I mean it wasn't really these social conservative types who dabble in hypocritical fiscal conservatism. It was more the Ron Paul crowd and some "throw the bums out" crowd as well. I called 'em the baggers, birthers, and birchers. And really, many of those folks didn't run ON conservatism as much as they ran AGAINST health care reform and stimulus.
The indications are that this time around the race is going to be run on economic results, and the vast majority of the independents in play are taking the stance that right about now, change ain't all that good. Better to stand pat and hope for a better future than to elect a bunch of firebrand radicals to make wholesale changes and screw up what little progress we have.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)He is under the delusion that a large enough percentage of americans share his warped ideas.
Swede
(33,257 posts)they are getting what they want.
bongbong
(5,436 posts)These 'pigs live in such a bubble world, EVEN the "leaders", and hear so much "yes, you're right!" from all their toady sheep, that they actually believe the lies they spew.
NNN0LHI
(67,190 posts)"Ronald Reagan: Medicare Will Bring A Socialist Dictatorship - He was elected to two terms"
...does a 1961 clip have to do with his 1980 and 1984 campaigns?
Yeah, Reagan sucked, but Rick Santorum is no Reagan.
NNN0LHI
(67,190 posts)"Rick Santorum is no Reagan."
Lot of the voters back then who voted for him are the same ones we have now.
And that is what counts.
Don
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"Rick Santorum is no Reagan."
Lot of the voters back then who voted for him are the same ones we have now.
And that is what counts.
...attracted a lot of Democrats. There is zero chance of Santorum doing that.
Ian62
(604 posts)The only difference between him and the mad mullah's in Teheran, is that he is purportedly a Catholic and they are purportedly Muslims. But neither follow the basic tenets of their faith. Just the dogma.
Frothy wants to impose Catholic dogma on America.
Of course he is unelectable and O would win by a landslide against him.
But nutjobs don't think straight.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)and that his words alone will change the world.
He not only expects a miracle, he is planning on one. It may look like a "Hail Mary pass" to the rest of us but to a man of blind faith it makes perfect sense.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"I think he thinks that God will open the eyes of all he preaches to and that his words alone will change the world."
...preaching:
Sahil Kapur
Climate change denial has become a litmus test for modern Republicans, but Rick Santorum, in his fondness for melding faith and government, has become one of the precious few to cite the Bible as evidence that the science-accepting crowd has it all wrong and apparently the first to bring that thinking to the presidential stage.
<...>
He went on to call climate change an absolute travesty of scientific research that was motivated by those who, in my opinion, saw this as an opportunity to create a panic and a crisis for government to be able to step in and even more greatly control your life.
The surging presidential hopeful fleshed out this argument further this Sunday on CBS Face The Nation, when asked to justify his recent controversial claim that President Obama has a phony theology thats not based on the Bible. He said the President sides with radical environmentalists who dont understand what God intended to be the relationship between humans and the planet.
When you have a worldview that elevates the Earth above man and says that we cant take those resources because were going to harm the Earth; by things that frankly are just not scientifically proven, for example, the politicization of the whole global warming debate this is all an attempt to, you know, to centralize power and to give more power to the government, Santorum said.
- more -
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/santorum-goes-biblical-with-climate-change-denial.php?ref=fpa
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)He honestly believes this crap.
Now Gingrich, I think he is just trying to cash in but I think Ricky has a messiah complex.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"Do you now agree that he is trying to win?"
...that's the reason for throwing a Hail Mary pass.
"Now Gingrich, I think he is just trying to cash in but I think Ricky has a messiah complex."
Yeah, Ricky has issues, but I really do think he knows that there aren't enough believers.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)LisaL
(44,973 posts)I am sure people in his circles share the same views, so what sounds crazy to us sounds perfectly fine to him.
"Oh come on. He is clearly trying to win.
I am sure people in his circles share the same views, so what sounds crazy to us sounds perfectly fine to him."
...course he's trying to win, but he's trying with a Hail Mary. You say it "sounds crazy to us," and "us" is a the majority of people who will reject his lunacy.
If winning was his only goal, he'd be trying to win over the masses. What he's trying to do is convert.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)that her views are in any way a marginal opinion or even a minority opinion. Everybody she knows and respects - as far as she is concerned, all sensible people - agree with her and agree with Rick Santorum. They are the real Americans - the legitimate heirs to the tradition of George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. They are certain in their own mind that those who claim America was not founded by godly men and that America was not established as a Christian nation and lead by men guided by the Holy Spirit - anyone who claims this is not so are evil subversives deceiving the young and the gullible. Only the fringe and the subversives think otherwise.
I'm afraid Mr. Thomaston has not been exposed to this particular social milieu that probably makes up no more than 25% of the American public - but are now dominating today's Republican Party.
Believe me. They are trying to win. Because they believe that America has been illegitimately usurped from its rightful sovereigns (them). They believe that the secular humanist (everyone but them) have no legitimate claim on America and no legitimate right to be making any decisions in any positions of power. They believe that they have been robbed of THEIR country and they are determined to get it back.
iemitsu
(3,888 posts)that may be what he is counting on to "win".
he sure does sound like someone from a different century.
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)LynneSin
(95,337 posts)And I'm sure a book deal will come too.
Rick Santorum, ex-Senator of Pennsylvania who lost by 18 points does not have much in regards to appeal. However Rick Santorum, former GOP candidate for president who actually was competitive and even won a few states - big money!