Posted on 02/27/2012 10:44:53 AM PST by RobinMasters
There’s a chance Rick Santorum may still scrape out a win in Michigan tomorrow. This morning’s Public Policy Polling survey has Mitt Romney leading him by just a few points, 39 percent to 37 percent. But the internal numbers look worse for Santorum, and his ongoing slide in the state seems to be due to his focus on social issues:
One place Santorum may have hurt himself in the last week is an overemphasis on social issues. 69 percent of voters say they’re generally more concerned with economic issues this year to only 17 percent who pick social issues. And with the overwhelming majority of voters more concerned about the economy, Romney leads Santorum 45-30. Santorum’s winning those more concerned about social issues 79-12 but it’s just not that big a piece of the pie.
Santorum’s net favorability has also taken a hit:
The last week of the campaign in Michigan has seen significant damage to Santorum’s image with GOP voters in the state. His net favorability has declined 29 points from +44 (67/23) to now only +15 (54/39). Negative attacks on Romney meanwhile have had no negative effect with his favorability steady at +20 (57/37). Two weeks ago Santorum’s net favorability in Michigan was 34 points better than Romney’s. Now Romney’s is 5 points better than Santorum’s. Those kinds of wild swings are the story of the GOP race.
(Excerpt) Read more at commentarymagazine.com ...
Yeah, I’m not sure I’m buying that Santorum’s social views are “killing” him.
I agree IF this is the case, it’s because of Mittens’ ever present attack ads.
Romney’s going to wrest this nomination even if most of the base really don’t like the guy.
He’s gonna win it cause it’s his, dammit, it’s HIS!
I think most people agree with what Santorum is saying when it comes to social issues. Most people are socially conservative.
LOL, same, to you, some people take themselves far too seriously.
As much as i would love to have a candidate i could want to support you’re 100% correct the issue is Obama. I know most here see him as evil but to me its more absolute ineptness,stupidity and a childish sense of he’s got to have it his way. He’s more a spoiled stupid child than anything else.
Wondered how long THAT would take! :)
Color him technicolor-ly gone! :)
and 100% of the mods disagree with you.
How long have we waited for someone who will address social issues? And here we are repeating the MSM’s view of this as if it were straight from the gods of Conservatism.
Simply amazing...
The MSM is the entity that can’t wrap it’s pea brain around social conservatism.
Abortion, homosexuality, did we really expect the media to weigh in on Santorum’s views favorable? No. But as Conservatives we shouldn’t lament what talking about these issues results in. We should instead be championing this, and encouraging others to join us.
Instead we lament Santorum’s “unfortunate” comments. Unfortunate to who? God, or someone else?
>> Note to Ricky:
>> It’s the economy, stupid.
That’s not entirely Rick’s fault. But it does epitomize the thrust of the political moment driving his campaign. Naturally, the radio-cons in their infinite wisdom are accelerating the myopic death spiral.
Go Newt!!!
Count me as a fiscal conservative that believes it is up to the families to teach their children morals. I don’t want the govt imposing their morals on me and yes, I am a christian and I know our very foundation is based on judeo christian principles which I adhere to...however, our economy is in dire straits and I prefer a president and congress that stops tossing our tax dollars to the wind and I do want to drill for oil, cut foreign aid, cut or get out of the UN which noone has even addressed and unlike Santorum...I support social security reform and like Newt’s idea which is based on the Galveston plan.
>> How long have we waited for someone who will address social issues?
You may be the first to articulate this need so candidly; at least it’s the first I’ve seen.
I’ve never looked to DC for moral guidance, but it’s not without my contempt for its depraved ways. I’m concerned, however, about the emphasis of single-sourcing morality through the Presidency.
It’s important we keep the issues on balance, and not to the detriment of any key concern. Rick’s got enough street cred on the social issues; he needs to focus hard on the economy and security possibly dismissing any further questioning on morality. The Left is #ing with the guy creating the perception he’s an intolerant, old school paternalist. He’s not the Rightwing hardass he’s made out to be. Contrary to conventional wisdom, he leans towards the center on policy.
I like Rick but I’m not confident he can deliver.
Go Newt!!!
Newt is just as conservative as Rick on social and religious issues, but knows that he has to communicate those views in more secular, moderate language in order to not turn off moderate voters. The fact is Newt’s policies are even better to advance social conservatism than Rick’s. Case in point, his analysis of how to stop activist judges in a constitutional way, which Santorum spoke out against. The reason Newt got the endorsement from that socially conservative radio host in Iowa is because he believed Newt’s policy on judges would help the social conservative movement better than anything else anyone was putting forth.
The idea the Vatican would have a say in American politics is chilling. JFK was right. Santorum is dangerously wrong.
I appreciate the comments. I’m not so much in favor of the President becoming a pastor of sorts, but I am in favor of him making the case from time to time that high moral values are a plus to the nation.
Once you get that on the record, you don’t have to pound it over and over. If you touch on it lightly once every six months to a year after than, that’s fine.
We see the Left espouse the idea that morality is up for grabs, there is no right or wrong, and it shouldn’t be up for public debate in the halls of our government anyway.
What that argument is though, is an unabashed attempt to argue the point in a vacuum with no response. And a lot of folks buy off on it. No inference...
I’m not advocating a hawking of a certain religion’s beliefs. I think most folks think honesty, practicing the golden rule, and a good work ethic are important. It’s the Democrats that get all pissy if you try to impart these morals to your kid, as if it were party of the separation of church and state.
Moral relativism is the religion of the Left, and I don’t hear them speaking out against that at all.
Our kids are supposed to be their domain once they can walk. Man that has to stop.
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