Rick Santorum in Iowa: The Term ‘Middle Class’ is ‘Marxism Talk’

Mediate ^ | August 13, 2013 | Matt Wilstein

[yongin]

Is there such thing as “class” in America? Not if you ask Rick Santorum. The once and possibly future GOP presidential candidate spoke to a Republican gathering in Lyon County, Iowa late last week and shared this piece of advice with his party: “Don’t use the term the other side uses.” That includes the “middle class.”

Santorum proceeded to tear into President Obama for constantly invoking the term “middle class” in his speeches about the economy. “Since when in America do we have classes?” Santorum asked. “Since when in America are people stuck in areas or defined places called a class? That’s Marxism talk.”

He said that every time Republicans used the term “middle class” they are “buying into” Democrats’ “rhetoric of dividing America.” Instead, Santorum insisted “there’s no class in America” and it’s a place where “everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”

[yongin]

Although pundits and polls don’t consider Santorum is be a strong contender for 2016 now, he does have the potential to be a Dark Horse candidate. If the GOPe continued its push to be gay friendly and push aside social conservatives, they may rally around Santorum once again to send a message.

[Viennacon]

As Mark Levin has pointed out.

Classes traditionally are binding. They shackle individuals via heredity into lifelong, unchanging economic standing. India has classes. Britain has classes.

The USA was specifically set up as a nation without classes. ANYONE can make it. That is what the Founders envisioned, but today it is perverted. Class Warfare to the max under the community organizer food stamp president.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Santorum proceeded to tear into President Obama for constantly invoking the term “middle class” in his speeches about the economy. "

Rick Santorum ? it's because it's a subliminal message to the brainwashed masses whether they realize it or not to pit the poor against the rich.

[ansel12]

Perhaps he wants to use “union class”, or the “right-wing fringe” as he used to label Reagan supporters.

[lonestar]

I don’t dislike him but I hope it never comes to having to choose between him and somebody else.

[Servant of the Cross]

“Sweater Vest” ping.

[noprogs]

Good job Rick on recognizing that rhetorical trick!

There are two classes in the USA; the makers and the takers. Regrettably, the takers have us outnumbered.

Another way of saying it is we all belong to a tea party; the TEA Party or the TIT-TEA Party.

[Cicero]

I thought that Santorum was the best of the candidates who were in the running last time around. And evidently Romney and the press thought so too, since they never ceased bashing him. He was ahead of Newt Gingrich, who steadily ran third, and only stayed in the race until Santorum was eliminated.

I think Sarah Palin is a much stronger candidate, but I’d settle for Rick. He is a conservative with genuine moral principles, which you can’t say about many of them.

[Pontiac]

Is there such thing as “class” in America?

Santorum proceeded to tear into President Obama for constantly invoking the term “middle class” in his speeches about the economy.

If there is a middle class in the United States Obama is working diligently to destroy it.

[SpaceBar]

Technically he’s right, the term was coined by the commies as a perjorative of the proles that lie somewhere in the middle of the statistical distribution of income, personal worth, education etc.

[a fool in paradise]

Why should I have to listen to million (and billion) dollar marxists (who already owe millions in unpaid back taxes) bitch about how the poor (lower class) shouldn’t have to pay ANY taxes, should get “tax refunds” when they don’t pay any taxes, and conveniently ignore that they want tax hikes on the middle class and significantly lower “upper class” who are nearing retirement and have no pension.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

So is "Capitalism." I wince when conservatives use it.

I prefer "free markets" or "free trade," although the former is incomprehensible to Democrats, and the latter connotes foreign trade.

So... I'd like to see us use "free exchange" or "fair exchange." With the latter, we get to steal a word from the Left.

[cripplecreek]

I didn’t much care for him in the beginning but really grew to like him. He really brought the right message to Michigan about direct job creation through elimination of the tax on manufacturing and regulatory cuts. Anyone who has ever spent time in a factory knew exactly what he was talking about.

[RginTN]

Santorum has said nothing I disagree with in this article.
But.
Where does he stand on immigration?
Where does he stand on Boehner/Mcconnell doing nothing while Obama legislates?
How about tax cuts for all taxpayers, does he support?
Punishing the IRS?? Yes/No?
Real cuts to govt agencies, does he support?

Those are questions I want any GOP presidential wannabe to answer... clear direct answers.

[lavaroise]

Sinclair Lewis once said there are those high class who buy book with their money no matter how little they have, and those who buy beer and icecream no matter how much they have. Guess where we see Obozo and Michelobs all the time around?

Clinton is white trash, Bozo is ghetto.

[Don Corleone]

“Don’t use the term the other side uses.” That includes the “middle class.”

In this he is correct. Never fall prey to the Progressives arguments by accepting ANY of their premises as a stating point.

[freedomfiter2]

It’s not just the leftist dems, the GOPe is waging class warfare on the working class.

[DoughtyOne]

Technically Rick may be right here, but is this the food fight we really want to be in?  Seriously?

We're at a level where over 40 million people who should have jobs don't.  Another way of looking at it is, we have approximately 22.8% unemployment right now.  And that doesn't even address the under-employment.

So instead of going intellectual on us, how about Santorum merely talk about the demise of the group he doesn't want to talk about.  I'm not sure how you do that if you're going to change the references we've all grown used to.  That's why I think addressing the term right now is a very poor choice of a way to go.

My fellow citizens, I would like to lament the demise of the middle-class, but I can't use that term any longer.  You know the group, the one that well... er a... mmmmm... ah.... oh well, I guess I didn't really have anything to say anyway.

Sorry I don't see this like others do.  Our middle class is under full frontal assalt, and we're quibling about wether we should use that term or not.

Can someone get some body bags.  Get the ones with the special sectional, that covers bleeding to death by foot wound.  You know, the self-inflicted ones.


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[freedomfiter2]

I’ll say! What with the bank bailouts, crony capitalism, and the fed propping up the markets the takers have pretty well robbed us blind.