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Posted on 01/05/2012 10:21:11 PM PST by Libloather
Santorum booed for his positions on same-sex marriage, legal pot
By Alicia M. Cohn - 01/05/12 06:21 PM ET
Amid boos and occasional cheers, Rick Santorum defended his views on same-sex marriage and legalized marijuana, as he was peppered with questions by a crowd of college students in New Hampshire on Thursday.
The conservative candidate did not sidestep a challenge issued by several members of the crowd on the subject, but instead asked students to break down their argument so he could reply at length.
“Don’t you have to make the positive argument why the law should be changed?” he asked.
Santorum was speaking at the College Convention 2012, an event in Concord, New Hampshire planned ahead of Santorum’s recent surprise jump in the polls.
The initial question posed to Santorum was to explain how same-sex marriage “personally” affected him. Santorum has expressed his support of a federal ban on same-sex marriage.
Santorum noted that he was not surprised to take a question on same-sex marriage from a college-aged audience, and said he was “happy to engage in a discussion” but emphasized that it would be “civil” even as he faced interruptions from various members of the audience.
Santorum grilled one female audience member who chimed in on the subject, challenging her to defend her argument in favor of same-sex marriage by answering questions about whether the definition of marriage should be changed to reflect whatever makes various people happy.
"Are we saying everybody has the right to marry," Santorum asked.
"Yes, yes," a significant segment of the crowd responded.
"What about three men?" Santorum challenged. “If she reflects the values that marriage can be for anybody or any group of people, as many as is necessary, any two people or any three or four, marriage really means whatever you want it to mean.”
The student fired back a qualification that people should be allowed what makes them happy so long as it didn’t harm anyone else.
“Who decides that, though?” Santorum said.
Santorum concluded with a passionate defense of traditional marriage that included his argument in favor of a “birthright” of every child to know and be loved by a man and a woman. His argument earned applause.
Asked about laws to legalize marijuana, Santorum admitted he is not familiar with the nuances of medical marijuana laws. Marijuana use by prescription has been legalized in several states, with various restrictions. Santorum pushed back against rumbling in the already testy crowd, joking he knows he’s “supposed to know everything.”
But he said he believes marijuana use is dangerous, based on his personal experience of seeing it used. "I went to college, too,” he told the crowd.
Santorum hit the campaign trial in New Hampshire after a near-win in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday, where Mitt Romney beat him by just 8 votes. Santorum is enjoying a slight bump in the most recent polls in New Hampshire as a result, hitting 11 percent and 8 percent in the most recent polls from Washington Times-JZ Analytics and Suffolk University, respectively. Santorum's win in Iowa was credited in part to the large evangelical voting population and Santorum's credibility with social conservatives.
Give them 20 years to grow up and let them vote at age 40. Hehehehehe
Same sex marriage personally affected me with the death of my gay brother from AIDS 5 years ago.
I went to college too. Lots of recreational dope smoking, and some futures fell apart because of it.
Anything goes! Casual sex and lots of dope!
God help us.
These Ron Paul numbskulls vote, when they remember.
Those ill-mannered little fornicators love their gods and sacrifices.
“Give them 20 years to grow up and let them vote at age 40. Hehehehehe”
That sounds about right with 20 being the new 12 and all...
Leftists think anyone can marry, including pedophiles. Well, except for Mormon polygamists because they’re right wing. Right-wing Mormon polygamists marrying doesn’t make liberals happy, so they can’t marry.
This is a huge reason why I think that the voting age should be raised to at least 21 at a minimum. College kids are pathetic mush-heads. I went to college too
Rick is a classy guy. He was actually forcing students who have been taught to be mindless liberals to THINK!
I need to find out more about what he thinks about the bailouts and the crooked part of wall street.
But this guy seems great so far.
What the heck was Santorum doing wasting time talking to college kids? That is Ron Paul territory right now. Santorum isnt going to change the minds of any of them. These probably the most devoted and loyal voters out there right now. They love Ron Paul.
Two routes: service or productivity.
Talk with them, engage them, make them think, change their minds...
Makes sense to me.
Or you can alienate them and turn them into little Democrats in the long run.
I like how he handled this situation. This could get interesting.
The headline says he was booed, and no doubt he was, but the article says he was also cheered and applauded and that he pretty much whooped the sorry behinds of the cretins blabbering this drivel.
Hey, it helps him hone his arguments and his talk got reported for you and I to read and be encouraged that he is not going to sidestep these issues.
It’s all good!
In any confrontation with Paulbots, they lose.
I like him, he goes into the den of lions and defends his position.
Harping on social conservatism plays well with me and my fellow Cotton state peckerwoods
but up in libertarian leaning eccentric yankee land...best to stick with the plan for money
guns too at least in NH...they like guns
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