Can we stop pretending that Rick Santorum is a fiscal conservative?

United Liberty ^ | 2-15-12 | Jason Pye

[NoPinkos]

...Jonah Goldberg explained that Mike Huckabee's brand of conservatism was inconsistent with traditional conservatism, in that the former Arkansas Governor believes that government exists, not to protect individual liberty, but to make people live moral lives in accordance with his personal beliefs....

While Rick Santorum doesn't have the record of supporting tax hikes that Tax Hike Mike had or some of the other points listed above--though some of the do apply, he certainly has a record of backing certain social policies based upon the notion that government exists to ensure a certain behavior from its citizens....

On the fiscal and regulatory side of the equation, Santorum doesn't even come close to having a record worthy of Tea Party support....

The only two conclusions I can draw from this is that the anti-Romney faction in the Republican electorate will so blindly follow whoever is deemed to be their "guy" at the moment that they don't care about his economic statism....

The other is that the Tea Party movement has been completely overrun with social conservatives. If that's the case, Republicans will lose this election, and lose it badly. That's not to say that social conservatives can't be fiscal conservatives, rather fiscal issues must come first in this election....

Santorum's social conservatism is going to turn away independent voters. For example, his strange rant against contraceptives is going to sound nutty and unserious to many on-the-fence voters in swing states. And national polls show that voters are now supportive of gay marriage, which Santorum vigoriously opposes.

This is the bed that Republicans have made. The idea that Santorum would be any better on fiscal issues than Romney is absurd. They're both fiscal moderates that aren't going to change the culture of waste in Washington.

[Antoninus]

"NoPinkos" -- yeah, you're not a troll. (eye roll)

Can we please stop pretending Santorum isn't a fiscal conservative?

I trust Santorum to handle economic and regulatory issues MUCH more than I do Romney or Obama. He deserves--and will get--Tea Party support.

[cripplecreek]

Its not only sadly funny, its the truth.

30 million illegals is enough to make nearly 50 new congressional districts (mostly democrat) and all costs incurred by those districts.

[rogue yam]

Somebody needs to swoop and save the day for conservatives!

Conservatives don't believe in swooping.

That stuff is for leftists.

[Responsibility2nd]

Reads like a crap article by a libertarian ...

 

 

I thought the same thing. I was getting nauseated after reading this. It's a hit piece on SoCons.

[Apollo5600]

The fact of the matter is, Newt Gingrich, the “fiscal conservative” choice, is also pro-life and holds all the same social positions.

Saint Rick gets singled out for “social conservatism”, because it’s essentially the main talking point about why he should be elected.

The people who are calling themselves “social conservatives” or are embracing the label are simply confused. Their problem isn’t a commitment to too much “social conservatism”. It’s a failure to vet their own candidate.

[douginthearmy]

I wonder how Rick feels about moon bases and make-work jobs for school kids?

It's my understanding that he plans to cede space to China believing our best days behind us. And provided kids are allowed to pray at school, Rick sees no problem with imbuing future generations with the entitlement mentality that fuels the Occupiers.

[C. Edmund Wright]

A 13% rating from the AFL-CIO makes him "pro-union"?

Oh my, you fell right into my trap, said the spider to the fly. The AFL CIO voting records are not just labor issues - its' a total liberal platform scorecard. So yes, Santorum has a 13% liberal score over all, which is about right, since the American Conservative Union has him at 88% over all. So they both agree, Rick is a B- conservative. NOW, the key is, Rick was a 20% AFL CIO liberal in 2006, his last year in the senate. He was getting more and more liberal the longer he stayed. And a 20% liberal rating is shameful, just shameful.

[cripplecreek]

The idea of a brokered convention appears to be central to the Ron Paul plan.

My marxist cousin sent out an email this morning encouraging people in Michigan to vote for Gingrich simply to further split the vote in hopes of getting a brokered convention. They figure they can install Paul as the nominee which will force Obama further left and if he were to lose to Paul they figure they could live with it.

Twisted thinking yes but that’s typical of Kalamazoo liberals.

[dt57]

I agree. In my household social conservative means that we believe in grace and forgiveness, not self-righteouness. I am glad I am able to do my job without people judging me because I have made mistakes in my life, even very serious ones. I am forgiven, and regenerated. So is Newt. Jesus had a lot to say about the religious leaders of his day. Seems things have not changed much.

[Antoninus]

The other is that the Tea Party movement has been completely overrun with social conservatives. If that's the case, Republicans will lose this election, and lose it badly. That's not to say that social conservatives can't be fiscal conservatives, rather fiscal issues must come first in this election....

This quote from the article gives it away. It sounds suspiciously like the "Trucers" (aka surrender monkeys) on social issues like Mitch Daniels. It's not based in anything like fact, but in the fever dreams of the cheap democrat faction of the GOP.

[Essie]

Me too, I beginning to think that a brokered convention is the only answer.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Oh, nicely done.

[Fiji Hill]

Those of you who are buying the argument that Rick Santorum is a latter-day George McGovern should check out his ratings from dozens of organizations across the political spectrum at Project Vote Smart. He tends to be rated high by conservative groups and low by liberal groups.

[Apollo5600]

Seeing as how hits on “SoCons” is utterly mythological, since this isn’t actually a social vs fiscal conservative issue, I’d say your post and a good portion of that article are irrelevant.

Since both candidates have the same “social” positions, it can’t be an issue between Social vs Fiscal conservatives.

Like I said before. It is a situation where we have a group of people who basically have failed to vet their own candidate, and have fallen inlove with the religious/social arguments that their candidate uses to cover up his lack of a platform and fiscal record. Apparently, they identify religious arguments with “true conservatism”, and so they project all their hopes and dreams on him.

Fact is, conservatives have been doing this with just about every candidate who gets his “flavor of the month” time. It’s just the bandwagon effect over and over again, and conservatives voting for phantoms and images. Which is why they can support one candidate one day, and then switch to the other. No principles are actually determining their choices. Just image, emotional arguments, and perception.

In other words, the same stuff that got Obama elected.

And as for Santorum again. It is very much a perception issue. The perception is driving his favorability, and the perception is what is putting people into denial about his character, record and plans. And so they latch on to whatever they can do hold on to their delusions, which just happens to be the social issues.

[Vigilanteman]

Can we stop pretending that Rick Santorum is a fiscal conservative?

Compared to whom?

ObaMao? He most definitely is.

Romney? Gingrich? At least equal.

Ron Paul? Not so much. But you have to cut Santorum a little slack considering his view of military strength isn't stuck in the last century like Ron Paul.

The electoral math, so far, still shows Santorum doing way better than Gingrich.

Seven reasons for Rick Santorum

1. Who has won the most states without the benefit of their own money, last election's organization or a billionaire casino sugar daddy?
   
2. Who is everybody's second choice when he isn't their first?
   
3. Who can get both the Romney people and the Gingrich people, who hate each other, to vote for him?
   
4. Who has the best record on immigration?
   
5. Who has the best plan for repealing ObamaCare? And is the only GOP candidate who didn't help write or approve legislation which helped spawn this fiasco?
   
6. Who has the best plan for expanding the American economy and strengthening American families?
   
7. Who is the closest thing we have to the "generic Republican" which polls show consistently beating Obama and is most likely to make the election about Obama's sorry record rather than about himself?

[2ndDivisionVet]

That’s been argued about, but I believe he did. Do you have proof he didn’t?

[jersey117]

Somebody needs to swoop and save the day for conservatives!

I agree. Our candidates beat each other up so badly that none of them is in a position to win. Santorum may be able to beat Romney, but neither of them will beat obama. Gingrich isn't gaining traction and is lagging behind Ron Paul. We can't win if we continue to split the vote. I agree that we need a fresh face. Paul Ryan has the smarts and knows how to best articulate our fiscal position.

[SierraWasp]

I have a problem with perpetual, interminable, instant fault finders. We're running out of people who will run for high office as conservatives because as Jesus said to those about to stone a whore, "he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone!"

Constant castigation with no regard for circumstantial considerations such as poisoning of legislaton by liberals with extreme treachery over one or two terms in office can completely discolor a reps reputation in office.

Single issue, or narrow scope voters then email and blog all the negatives with complete impugnity with no recourse by the elected official. Nobody said it was going to be fair, but conservatives should be considerate, if not compassionate!!!

[Apollo5600]

A brokered convention doesn’t strike me as favorable in any way. What makes you think that a bunch of delegates, who none of us know, are going to support a conservative candidate? The pressure will be on to settle on a compromise candidate. In other words, another RINO.

[dt57]

Not credible. Rick Santorum bears the burden of offering proof when asked. He can not prove he opposed TARP because he didn’t. I was against slavery too. Upps, I was not alive, my bad.