Jim Robinson
Posted on 02/17/2012 1:04:39 PM PST by Mariner
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Most Americans don't share Rick Santorum's absolutist take on abortion. He's out of step on women in combat. He questions the values of the two-thirds of mothers who work. He's even troubled by something as commonplace as birth control - for married couples.
Even among a Republican presidential field eager to please religious conservatives, Santorum's ideas stand out.
A Catholic father of seven whose kids are home-schooled, Santorum may seem to wear his conservatism as comfortably as his sweater vests. But he's walked a careful path, keeping the more provocative opinions that helped sink his re-election to the Senate in 2006 mostly out of his presidential campaign.
That is until he leaped to the top of the polls, alongside Mitt Romney.
Now Santorum's record on social issues is getting a closer look. On several matters, he's outside the Republican mainstream. And if he becomes the GOP nominee, some of his ideas would probably be surprising, even puzzling, to general election voters.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
I agree completely.
It's no secret that I'm all in for Newt Gingrich and I'll do what I can to ensure he takes the Oath of Office in January 2013. Should he falter and not become the nominee, then Rick Santorum is my next choice. His recent unapologetic stands for traditional Christian Conservative core values has made me respect him more. I think Santorum is getting a second look from those of us who want the all-important moral foundation of America restored.
This is as much about “the morning after pill” as it is about contraception. How the church has let let that drop from the discussion amazes me.
I'm not a female voter and would never encourage anyone to vote for Romney as I would not vote for him myself.
Ever.
But I could vote for any of the other 3 if they were the only person running against Obama. Not gleefully mind you, but I would do it.
How many children does Mitt Romney have? Do Mormons believe that birth control is fine and dandy? As a mom of more than the average number of children (a lot more), the question hubby and I receive more than any other is “Mormon or Catholic?” Now why would that be? We are neither.
I don’t know a whole lot about Mormons because I don’t know a whole lot of Mormons. I have this vague recollection from my childhood learning that Mormons don’t drink Kool-Aid or things with caffeine in them. I assumed it was because they considered these things bad for the body. I assume that birth control pills would fit right into that category as well. But I could be wrong. Has anyone asked Mitt Romney about his Mormon beliefs and whether or not he would impose his beliefs on the rest of the world. I don’t think that Santorum has said that he wants to impose his beliefs on others either. I could be wrong about that, too.
I do know a lot of Catholics. For the most part, they don’t follow the Church’s teachings on contraception, abortion, or sterilization. It’s refreshing to see someone who attempts to live the way the Church teaches folks to live.
Rick Santorum CANNOT win the general election. Out of all of them, he the least. We are going to do it again...Be prepared for the most Leftist Supreme Court to take us into the next decade. We were dealt a bad hand..and we’re going to make it worse. We have no good candidate...at this point, I want to beat Obama. Rick Santorum is not a President.
Rick Santorum CANNOT win the general election. Out of all of them, he the least. We are going to do it again...Be prepared for the most Leftist Supreme Court to take us into the next decade. We were dealt a bad hand..and we’re going to make it worse. We have no good candidate...at this point, I want to beat Obama. Rick Santorum is not a President.
Santorum: Favors amending the Constitution to ban abortion. He says that human life begins at conception and doctors who perform abortions should be charged as criminals. In his book, he compared women who have abortions to 19th-century slaveholders, writing that "unlike abortion today, in most states even the slaveholder did not have the unlimited right to kill his slave." In the past, Santorum supported allowing abortions in cases of rape or incest, but he now says no to those exceptions.
Why does he single out doctor who provide clinical abortions but wouldn't attempt to stop distribution or the pill or IUD's that also chemically or mechanically kill the life created at conception? Boht the pill and the IUD's failsafe is to keep the womb hostile to the fertilized egg allow the egg to free fall as menstural flow.
What's the difference between a scapel and a pill or IUD? In each scenario, the result is the loss of life if you believe life begins at conception.
Well he wont win if his side doesnt vote for him. We have 3 choices and Im too understand you will only vote for one of them, correct?
The issues on women in combat go far deeper than any idea of disrespect for tom boy antics among young women. The issue has never been one of courage among young women; nor of patriotism. Rather, it goes to the validity of the whole Chivalric code, as a mainstay of Western values--family & community values;--and of the validity of traditional sex roles, as basic to human happiness. (See Women Hostage To Contrived Delusion.)
Undermining the understanding that young men should consider it a duty to protect women & children, has all sorts of long term detriments for both sexes--as does undermining the corresponding traditional duties of virtuous women. These values should not be abandoned as some sort of out of date fad. They go to the very core of an ongoing, and sustainable, social order.
William Flax
We have to be proud of conservatives who take conservative stances even if they may be unpopular. Remember that once upon a time, Sarah Palin took the heat for her ‘extreme’ social conservative views (eg pro-life even for cases of rape and incest) and her view of G-d’s plan in this world.
LOL!
And you think more women would vote for Gingrich?
Really?
Polling data suggest otherwise. He's overweight (which the young singles dislike), boorish (which divorced women dislike), and has cheated on two wives (which married Christian women dislike).
No way he does better than Santorum, who is at least reasonably fit, modest, and obviously faithful.
I don’t understand what freepers are trying to accomplish by going after Rick on the women’s vote. It’s just going to help Romney.
Most Americans wouldn’t have a clue what his stance on abortion was if they depended on the MSM. Hopefully republicans make a little more effort to inform themselves, if they don't, does it really matter? The Kingdom will have been established and the Fabian Socialists wet dream will have come true.
Yeah I do. I think Gingrich would hold the GOP women and probably get 35-40% of Independents.
Consistent with a "typical" GOP candidate.
And I think Santorum would lose some GOP women and lose Independents by at least 3-1.
I am so worried we are going to lose. Pretty soon, I am going to get in my bed and pull the covers over me and prepare for Obama’s raft. And have the better half, make safe plans until hell breaks loose. There is no way, Sanatorum can win the general. I don’t won’t to vote for him even with Obama. He is from the very cast of Bush characters that we all hated then, now he is our warrior (Geez, how exciting) My Tea Party, is struggling about his extreme social views and some are thinking to go back to Miit, if Newt is taken out by the media. I guess this explains why the establishment is pushing Rick, hoping voters will go back to Mitt. We know why they are trying their best to get rid of reformer Newt who makes their lazy butts work. We need to get behind Newt, he can bring women in on the economic polices where Rick will lose. You cannot say it is a given fact that Newt will lose women because family value voters support Rush (and he has a past which they have forgiven)Eventually, the economy will trump every issue and Newt has plans for reforms. ( We are acting so stupid and giving the lefty such an easy target/another Bush/big spender) God help us since our house is divided.
If they would take Palin's advice, and just wait a few weeks until this shakes out, then maybe we can get behind a candidate. Well, me personally, anyone but Romney, and that disagrees with Palin and virtually every other visible political type, but that is just me. But hey if the keep up they Romnesque attacks on Saint Rick, maybe they will convince me.
/sigh
You are obviously correct. With Santorum as the nominee we would lose in a landslide, lose the House, fail to regain the Senate and allow Hussein a massive mandate that this country would not likely recover from in our lifetimes.
No matter what Rick says now, he will be baited into talking about birth control, pornography, etc. He can't help himself. That is what he is known for. He's a social crusader and he will end up talking about why he thinks birth control is bad, why we need to do something about pornography, why women might be better off at home having lots of kids. He may or may not be right on all his social positions, but they are political LOSERS. With Santorum as the nominee, the election would be a referendum on Rick's moral beliefs instead of on Obama's economic failure as President. Instead of focusing on issues that might make Hussein's re-election dicey - like the debt, failed stimulus, etc, we'd be talking about Santorum's moral opposition to rubbers and skin flicks. Every moment spent talking about contraception, pornography, etc, is a win for this White House and the Democratic party. These battles have been fought and mostly lost a long time ago. The public is not interested in being preached to by Rick Santorum about the evil's of birth control, gambling, pornography, etc.
All these candidates have weaknesses. That's just how things are. Best we focus upon differences in the solutions they propose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.