Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Don't Pick Rick
NRO ^ | 2/24/2012 | Mona Charen

Posted on 02/25/2012 1:20:13 PM PST by WPaCon

Wish I had a nickel for every conservative who confidently predicted that the Arizona debate would, of course, feature obnoxious questions about birth control and the devil aimed at Rick Santorum. As it turned out, CNN’s John King did not ask “gotcha” questions and, for the most part, conducted a fair and informative debate.

The debate moderated by King, along with other events of the past week, has resolved a question that has been swirling since the Missouri, Colorado, and Minnesota primaries: Why not Santorum?

There is much to like and admire about Rick Santorum. He did fine work enacting welfare reform in the 1990s. He was an eloquent and thoughtful advocate for the unborn. He has kept a weather eye on Iran for many years. He’s a dedicated family man. He was the first candidate to raise the issue of family structure in the context of discussions of poverty. And he had a solid, conservative voting record in Congress (with some exceptions — there are always exceptions).

But Santorum would make a poor Republican nominee.

Because he has phrased his socially conservative views in vivid terms, he is precisely the sort of candidate who will evoke a Pavlovian response from the press. Just as they were driven mad by Sarah Palin, they will be outraged by Rick Santorum. The campaign will be cluttered by the continual discovery of “controversial” Santorum quotes from the past three decades, and precious time will be lost as he explains, justifies, or withdraws his comments on women in the workforce, contraception, gay unions, Obama’s “theology” (by which he did not mean to question the president’s faith, something he’ll have to explain over and over), and so forth.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012gopprimary; monacharen; santorum2012
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last
This about sums up the article:

In fact, Santorum’s sanctimonious style might put off even many religious voters. His intense 2008 warning about “the Father of Lies, Satan” having his “sights on the United States of America . . . attacking the great institutions of America — using those great vices of pride, vanity and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that [have] so deeply rooted in the American tradition” is not the sort of language most preachers, to say nothing of political figures, employ today. American religion these days is heavy on forgiveness and light on sin. We’ve long since left Jonathan Edwards behind. Anything other than comic references to Satan are likely to give people the creeps.

1 posted on 02/25/2012 1:20:14 PM PST by WPaCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Lazlo in PA

Ping.

Charen sounds like a few certain freepers.


2 posted on 02/25/2012 1:21:40 PM PST by WPaCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon
Just as they were driven mad by Sarah Palin, they will be outraged by Rick Santorum.

Because picking moderates who won't upset liberals is a goal we should all strive for. LOL
3 posted on 02/25/2012 1:24:12 PM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

Picking a real fiscal conservative is what I care about most.

So yeah, echoing the sentiment: Don’t pick Rick.


4 posted on 02/25/2012 1:25:58 PM PST by Utmost Certainty (Our Enemy, the State | Gingrich 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon
RINO pundit alert...

...isn't Mitt's Mona big on amnesty for illegal alien invaders?

5 posted on 02/25/2012 1:29:17 PM PST by Happy Rain ("Better add another wing to The White House cause the Santorum clan is coming.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

So Mona thinks that the msm, ie, Commander Zero’s reelection committee, should select the Republican nominee. Well Mona, better to do right and lose than do wrong and win.


6 posted on 02/25/2012 1:30:01 PM PST by Eagles6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon
...he is precisely the sort of candidate who will evoke a Pavlovian response from the press. Just as they were driven mad by Sarah Palin, they will be outraged by Rick Santorum.

Of course any TRUE conservative with compassion running for office would NEVER dare go against what the fourth branch wants them to be! /MS

Only the MSM can decide who will be the greatest world leader!

What the hell is wrong with these so called "Conservatives" these days??

7 posted on 02/25/2012 1:30:24 PM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
"Just as they were driven mad by Sarah Palin, they will be outraged by Rick Santorum."

Let's nominate Obama, that way we won't offend anyone, and they'll become suspicious of their own candidate.

8 posted on 02/25/2012 1:30:41 PM PST by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon
he is precisely the sort of candidate who will evoke a Pavlovian response from the press. Just as they were driven mad by Sarah Palin, they will be outraged by Rick Santorum. The campaign will be cluttered by the continual discovery of “controversial” Santorum

What Mona and the DC crew don't get is that this will be true of anyone and everyone we ever run. They took McCain out of it quickly, when months before he was their favorite Republican. Bush was the most affable, likable, fair guy we've seen in that office, and they turned him into Dr. Evil through media manipulation. Santorum could win, Mitt could win, Newt probably has the hardest road of the three because he would have to change a lot of minds already made up. The media will be in seek and destroy mode on anyone we run for President, VP, or a future rising star like Rubio or Ryan. They hate Republicans. They especially hate conservatives, and they defend the big govenrment, central controlling status quo.

9 posted on 02/25/2012 1:31:53 PM PST by ilgipper (Everything you get from the government was taken from someone else)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

After Saint Ricky has lost, he will, and moved on with his life, he could make a killing as a real televangelist.

Don’t pick Rick!!!!

** President Newt Gingrich-”Our beloved republic deserves nothing less.”


10 posted on 02/25/2012 1:32:43 PM PST by Gator113 (** President Newt Gingrich-"Our beloved republic deserves nothing less." ~Just livin' life, my way~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

Everything from NRO needs a BARF alert. Everything.


11 posted on 02/25/2012 1:32:43 PM PST by vmivol00 (I won't be reconstructed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon
Depends on whether you want to win an election or score debating points. If you want both vote Newt. Now that Santorum's fundamental story about his betrayal of Pat Toomey has been exposed as a total lie, he is a goner.
12 posted on 02/25/2012 1:33:39 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

You don’t have to get off on “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to acknowledge the devil as a genuine malicious being, not a mere figure of speech. Evangelicals would largely agree with Santorum about that. It takes two to dance that tango of course: the devil to offer evil and mankind to accept the evil.


13 posted on 02/25/2012 1:33:44 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ilgipper
They took McCain out of it quickly

False, actually. McCain took himself out because he is a mental basket case.

14 posted on 02/25/2012 1:35:53 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Gator113
After Saint Ricky has lost, he will, and moved on with his life, he could make a killing as a real televangelist.

Don’t pick Rick!!!!

This "Saint Ricky" circular firing squad stuff has to stop.

Doesn't it give you pause that you are attacking a candidate from the left and agreeing with an inside-the-beltway rino?

15 posted on 02/25/2012 1:36:51 PM PST by WPaCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: vmivol00
Everything from NRO needs a BARF alert. Everything.

I disagree. There's still some good stuff mixed in with the RINO elitist garbage.

16 posted on 02/25/2012 1:38:35 PM PST by WPaCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

I subscribed to National Review for many years. I stopped renewing my subscription several years ago when I finally came to the conclusion that it had become a captive mouthpiece for the RNC. For similar reasons I didn’t renew my subscription to the Weekly Standard. While not as RINO-RNC friendly as National Review has become, the Weekly Standard still was annoying for its occasional “soft” attacks on some true conservatives.

For anybody who wants to stop Romney, I recommend a VOTE FOR RICK SANTORUM if you live in Michigan or Arizona.


17 posted on 02/25/2012 1:39:49 PM PST by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

Seems to me that the ones who scream the loudest about how nasty us Santorum supporters are always come running swinging the machete and it ain’t a defensive thing.


18 posted on 02/25/2012 1:42:01 PM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

Another so-called conservative writer that is in the tank for Romney. I’m listening to Larry Kudlow right now and he is all in for Romney. Uhg..


19 posted on 02/25/2012 1:43:09 PM PST by KeyLargo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: WPaCon

What in the world has happened to Mona Charen?


20 posted on 02/25/2012 1:44:16 PM PST by FroggyTheGremlim (Excommunicate heretics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson