Posted on 03/29/2005 6:40:35 AM PST by Conservative Goddess
Some very smart people believe that U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is poised to become ex- Senator Santorum, a casualty of his scheduled re-election contest next year with State Treasurer Bob Casey.
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In fact, a close look at the record suggests that his confrontational style and conservative rhetoric conceals more than it reveals. Too much attention has been spent on Santorum the cultural ideologue and not enough on his pragmatism and political opportunism; inside this raging bull of a conservative is a pragmatist for whom getting re-elected always trumps ideology, which may not make him any different than other politicians.
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The independent and much respected National Journal’s rating system cited here is probably the most highly regarded measure of its kind. What its analysis reveals is that Pennsylvania’s junior senator consistently shifts toward the center in those years just before his reelection. Santorum may continue to talk like a conservative, but he’s voting like a pragmatist. Last year, for example, according to the Journal, Santorum was actually narrowly left of the Republican center, with his votes placing him closer to Arlen Specter than to his more conservative colleagues.
Last year was not the only year he moved left. He did the same in the run up to his 2000 re-election. The year before the election, he supported a decidedly un-conservative sales tax hike in 11 western Pennsylvania counties to build new sport stadiums in Pittsburgh, campaigned for pro choice Christy Todd Whitman, and supported increasing the minimum wage. In 2000, he supported federal funding for several Pennsylvania projects, including money for aquatic habitat. He also fought to save the health care benefits of 560, 000 Pennsylvanians who participated in the Medicare+Choice program. Most revealing of all, he backed off his commitment for the 1997-balanced budget act.
Similarly, this election cycle, Santorum is showing renewed interest in transportation and other Pennsylvania pork barrel appropriations. Indeed, he has now become a key player in bringing the bacon back home. He has also held high profile press conferences with John Kerry promoting a measure that would accommodate workers’ religious practices and with Hillary Clinton for money to study the effects of TV viewing, Internet and other media on children. And he is now rethinking his position in favor of capital punishment.
Santorum even now supports Clinton’s Americorps program that he once ridiculed as a colossal waste of taxpayer’s money for kids to sit around campfires singing kum ba yah.
His conservative talk and moderate walk were on display recently in key congressional budget votes. Initially, the “conservative” Santorum voted against a variety of Senate initiatives to restore budget cuts by the House--from Medicaid to Homeland Security grants, to education, and even Amtrak funding. But then on cue, the “moderate” Santorum, voted with the majority, 51 to 49, on final passage to restore the cuts to education, Medicaid, and the other domestic programs he had previously not supported.
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But this focus on Santorum’s high profile rhetoric has been myopic, causing his adversaries to miss much that is important. In particular, insufficient attention has been paid to Santorum’s unflagging work at his party’s grass roots; how he’s established comprehensive constituency services; how he’s worked tirelessly for Republicans--ask Arlen Specter about this--and how he has joined Specter in the Pennsylvania pork brigade. And far too little notice has been given to how he has blended his conservative zealotry with political pragmatism.
Maybe Democrats will learn the lesson taught here. Maybe they will learn not to underestimate Santorum. Maybe they will learn to watch what he does more closely than what he says. Maybe they will learn to take him less seriously as an ideologue and more seriously as a politician. And maybe they will finally defeat him next year. Maybe!
It has been too much of a coincidence that we get all these people following Dean's reaching out to the South and conservatives! I do not believe in coincidences.
We need to keep pounding the message home -- Deaniacs have come to FR and trying to make it their home!
Gipper, My point exactly. Thanks for making it so clearly.
You seem to be operating under the illusion that the "base" vote is sufficient for deciding a man's election. This is false.
Both Democrats and Republicans need to garner support from a wider portion of the electorate than their hardcore base.
This is especially true in a state like PA, where social conservatism mixes with the old New Deal/blue collar/ethnic mindset. Rick Santorum can not get elected without considering those whose votes he needs to receive. It would be nice if he had a 50 per cent plus 1 electorate full of hard right FReepers.
But he doesn't. He must deal with reality. If you believe he will learn a lesson from being "punished" as you sugest, perhaps you have not thought this through. The lesson likely to be learned is that the hard right is not a reliable source of needed votes. This pushes the candidates to the left.
SD
I object to being quiet -- I am on your side! Santorum is one of the best and being from PA makes it even better. I was pointing out how hard of time Dr. Coburn had out here debunking the RAT claim he was conservative. Now we have someone in PA trying to undermine Santorum -- that's even worse because you guys have a harder time.
I think he was a bit rude. I wouldn't say those from outside need to STFU, but that they should understand that each state has its own individual peculiarities. For instance, I remember being shocked about how upfront politicians were in California about supporting abortion, even trumpeting it in their ads. Here in PA, even those who are "pro-choice" don't make much mention of it.
Different electorates, different tactics.
Most of the "get Santorum" effort is based on the "betrayal" of Toomey. This is, of course, nonsense. Political parties are about mutual support. You simple do not oppose the reelection of a fellow senator from your own party. Especially when your president is also on board.
Had Santorum done that, he would be exposed as a Bob Smith, non-team player. And there would go any hopes of his rising into leadership.
The other major complaint is about election year ploys like his support for raising the minimum wage. Anyone with a brain can tell this was a ploy to allow him to look "sympathetic" to the blue collar idiots in this state.
Yes, it's stupid and political gamesmanship. But that is how the game is played.
SD
That is how the game is played and shame people on here that claim to know politics have no clue.
It looks like you are being held accountable.
Exactly. Get rid of Santorum and be stuck with Dems and RINO's
Thanks for the ping; I'm not sure I have much more to say on the subject that would be productive though. It seems obvious that your position is not going to be changed, nor are you going to change the minds of most of the people around here who aren't willing to throw Santorum overboard for the sake of saint Toomey.
So he's more dangerous than Joe Lieberman, who is the only honest democrat (Zel Miller too).
I agree,but there are still GO PAT GO types that just hang around waiting to belly ache. It reminds me of a very immature spoiled brat that one minute he loves his Parents and then he asks for something unreasonable and they turn the brat down and then it's "I hate your guts",and I am running away from home.
Didn't take long to spot them either, did it! During the Dem primary I had the task of monitoring the Dean for American website for the campaign and reporting comments back that might be used in the general election. I could have written a book -- these people had the political savvy of a gnat! Couldn't believe it the night Dean was going to withdraw and his people were still running a fundraising scam to get him more money to stay in the race when they knew he was withdrawing. These people on here sound just like those Deaniacs -- just wait until they get out their "bats to swing." :)
You are right about that -- have run into the same ones I remember from early 1999 when I joined FR -- they can change their screen name but they cannot change the way they post!
Go Pat Go types were everywhere then!
Don't you love it when they said "I am no Troll" -- I loved your reply!
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