Posted on 03/18/2012 7:42:17 PM PDT by Fred
Last week Rick Santorum vowed to end America’s “pandemic of pornography,” insisting that if he were president he would limit the rights of adults to show and view images of consenting adults having sex. No doubt there is too much pornography in this country, and anyone thinking of watching it should go read their Bible instead. But what I want in a president is a pragmatist, not a panderer.
It would have been one thing for Santorum to say that his real crusade is against pedophilia or against child trafficking. Those are real evils that must be stopped. But that’s not what he said.
Here’s why Santorum should stop talking about porn.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
What morality are they legislating? You can make rules that make certain things illegal. I don’t want to turn into a nation that stones people to death for being gay or watching porn, etc. America must not turn into a country like those that practice sharia. Morality must come from deep in one’s soul. It can be taught (especially by example from parents, teachers, etc.) but it can’t be forced.
Cindie
Santorum should, if asked about it, state that he opposes the spread of porn, but will leave it to the states. This is a huge loser of an issue that will resonate negatively with voters rightly worried about federal intrusion into their private lives. Santorum should ditch this issue in a hurry.
Voilà, the problem with "social conservatives." Hard to explain to people that was is needed is a "Constitutional" Conservative, fiscal and government restraint, and whatever else people are going to do, they are going to do unless it harms others and they need to be restrained.
I, so far in this "Republican Primary," have not heard 1 (one) candidate propose a coherent, concrete program, a plan to implement it, and an explanation of how he, specifically is going to do that step by step. I believe I have had enough apple pie, motherhood, and "The American Way" to last me the rest of my life. We are living through quite possibly the worst Presidency in the history of the Republic, so I don't actually have to be told how bad Obama is. What I need to know is the Program, The Plan, The Implementation, and who the leader is to correct it before it is actually too late.
Will Rogers: "The way to stop the NAZI submarine menace is to boil the ocean. How that is done is a minor problem I must leave to smaller minds."
That's the kind of thinking that got us into this mess to start with.
From George Washington's Farewell Address
"It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositaries, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern; some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit, which the use can at any time yield."
The media is playing with Rick Santorum like a pack of children kicking a puffball. They give him a little prodding and a most entertaining cloud of weirdness comes spewing out. If he were to be nominated they would kick him a little harder and “fun’s over.”
But for Rick Santorum, these proddings just enable him to let a little more mission emerge, and he thinks it’s a good thing.
You make no sense. Ever try reading the news?
Certain States already marry gays. They didnt need a federal law for that so they have no need to pass one in the future.
I don't need you or obama trying to rule all 50 states. I don't trust him and I dont trust you and I know that any new power created by Republicans will be used when thje Dems get in power.
Sickoflibs, you are right in principle but R2nd is also right. The reason is, America itself is now "completely confused." Not enough people today understand this distinction between federal powers and state powers. Indeed, I would say it'd take you all day to find anyone on a crowded street who knows the difference, or why the fedgov shouldn't touch "morality laws" and why the states may.
This is now a democracy and the demos is stupid. Probably irretrievably stupid.
The fedgov WILL take sides on sodomy, gay marriage, etc. Whether or not it should, is an issue lacking intelligent minds to examine and dispute it.
Our free republic exists only on the internet now.
Good luck with Santorum. He’s a nightmare along with the rest of the GOP field. Until Republicans learn how to get elected without focusing on secondary issues that make them look out of touch we’ll continue to have Marxists in the White House.
Personally, I could give a $#!+ if the guy in the White House gets his jollies looking at porn. I just don’t want him forcing me to buy Healthcare....
They want Republicans in charge to expand federal power and then when Dems take over they scream and whine about the constitution.
The problem with this issue is that technology (PC’s, internet) has pretty much destroyed the ‘for profit’ porn industry. Gone are the days of seedy Times Square, 8mm movies and the fight over glossy magazines at newsstands. Those are things for the history books that had visible figures to dislike that made lots of money.
Today a battle like some want would require much like the successfully killed anti-piracy bill giving the feds power to shut down internet domains. Or worse yet, to monitor our internet activity closely to come after us. Dems could have a field day with that power when they get in charge.
Because its easy to get Saint Rick to meltdown and go off into tangents and BS.
Its the F’NG economy stupid!
No one could ever accuse you of being Steve Schmidt. lol
As long as he keeps walking into their trap, they will keep asking.
If every time they asked "As President, what will you do about porn?", he responded as Newt would, by talking about what should be the Republican top issues ("I don't approve of porn, but the REAL issue we should be talking about is how to repair the enormous damage Obama has done to our economy and national security. Here's my plan to fix it ..."), then they would stop bringing it up.
A lot of which were created for the "O" and "Lifetime" crowd of women who like watching films involving men being mean to women so they can fill with righteous indignation. Meanwhile, the women ACTING in the films endured no actual suffering and were paid well.
I have less problems with women acting in movies like that, then I have with women having illegitimate babies that they then demand that taxpayers like ME pay for. For me, that is the truly obscene behavior.
Much of that is elected Republicans fault. You almost never see a Republican running for federal office make that case. Even Ron paul who seems to want to legalize almost everything fails to make that distinction most of the time.
When the federal partial birth abortion law was challenged in court based on a ‘right to abortion’ it was unsuccessful.
But Scalia and Thomas in a side opinion said that they would have considered a challenge to that federal law based on the law not being valid under the commerce clause, in fact the SCOTUS overturned a school district gun law on the same grounds.
Pushing for a big government powerful nanny state under a Republican SCOTUS and then whining when Michel Obama tells kids to eat healthy foods, or the feds fine/tax us to get us to buy Obama-care as a destruction of the constitution seems pretty hypocritical, not to mention a losing argument.
Want to oppose Obama?? Then be consistent.
All these Republicans running for POTUS like McCain talking about strict construction, are we all supposed to be wanting them to be lying to us? Are we supposed to all be as dishonest and as phony as Obama?
Very simple. Put justices on the courts to limit federal power.
Fight to defend DOMA publically. Make the case for traditional marriage. That is where RS should be focusing his efforts not stupid stuff like this.
Pushing for stuff like this is a great way to lose to Dems so they can repeal DOMA.
Eight years of GWB as POTUS hardly created a national climate to oppose DADT repeal, if anything the national climate changed dramatically in Democrats favor under Bush, and his was the perfect example of what RS is trying to sell/.
Look at how much trouble Clinton had trying to allow open gays in the military, and how easy obama had it after 8 years of GWB.
The problem with you is you have a ‘ The (your) end justifies ANY Means ’ frame of moral reference that cant comprehend what libs will do with those same precidents that YOU justify as necessary in the short term. When they use those same rules against you then you will just apply your rule above, which is the Democrats rule, 'any means'. You just condemn the powers you supported calling them evil. Then you wonder why Dems win every battle on this for the past many years.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
You dont even understand that states are marrying gays without a federal law, so I cant help you.
“””I just fail to believe that someone who has finished law school can be stupid. “””
Have you ever heard the term...educated beyond their intelligence? It is a real phenomena.
I would vote for him in lieu of Romney but would vote for niter Obama or Romney. To me they are two sides of the same coin.
Still doesn’t change that he is not mature enough to be presidential. When you intelligence exceeds your wisdom by such a large factor you just get a mess.
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