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 ...
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.
Ping.
Charen sounds like a few certain freepers.
Picking a real fiscal conservative is what I care about most.
So yeah, echoing the sentiment: Don’t pick Rick.
...isn't Mitt's Mona big on amnesty for illegal alien invaders?
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.
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??
Let's nominate Obama, that way we won't offend anyone, and they'll become suspicious of their own candidate.
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.
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.”
Everything from NRO needs a BARF alert. Everything.
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.
False, actually. McCain took himself out because he is a mental basket case.
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?
I disagree. There's still some good stuff mixed in with the RINO elitist garbage.
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.
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.
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..
What in the world has happened to Mona Charen?
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