Since the beginning of the Republican Presidential Primary race, we have heard that Ron Paul is unelectable. While many conservatives like some of Paul’s ideas on domestic policy, his non-interventionist foreign policy is supposedly a deal-breaker. Even in articles praising Paul on particular issues, reporters have without exception felt compelled to remind us that there is absolutely no chance that Ron Paul will win the Republican nomination for president. This “unelectable” label has been used exclusively against Paul.
With only four candidates left in the race, the lead has changed hands several times. The current leader is Rick Santorum, fresh off primary wins in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri. Since those victories, the media have been trumpeting Santorum as the new frontrunner while completely ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room – Rick Santorum is unelectable.
With a plethora of debates behind us, we have had a chance to get to know the Republican candidates pretty well. All of the Republican candidates except for Ron Paul support some sort of federal government prohibition on gay marriage. Paul actually wants to get even the state governments out of the marriage business, taking the libertarian position that marriage is just a contract like any other. This has visibly upset Santorum, who not only opposes gay marriage but seems completely obsessed with homosexuality in general. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t believe, deep down, that Santorum wouldn’t support making homosexuality illegal again if he thought he could get away with it?
Most Republican voters put the federal budget at or near the top of their priority list as far as their political positions are concerned. Not Rick Santorum. The issues page on his website has the budget thirteenth on the page. What is the number one issue? “Enforcing Laws Against Illegal Pornography,” which Rick says “causes profound brain changes in both children and adults, resulting in widespread negative consequences.” Queue the eerie music because we’re just getting started. Update: Since this article was published, Santorum’s staff has changed the order of the issues on his issue page. He has moved “Enforcing Laws Against Illegal Pornography” to last on the page, moving the federal budget up to 12th by default. Gay marriage now comes in at Number Two.
Number two on his list is “No More Leading from Behind for America,” which is basically the standard Republican Party line that the U.S. military should be deployed in just about every nation on earth. I happen to think that is crazy, but most Republicans don’t. However, number three on the list is gay marriage. So, out of the top three issues listed on his page, pornography and homosexuality are two of them.
To say that Rick is “a little uptight” is a gross understatement. Santorum has stated unequivocally that he believes that the federal government can and should regulate the bedroom. In fact, he has also said that there is no area of life that is beyond the government’s reach. Outside of the few states where evangelicals can allow him to get away with these positions, he simply cannot win. Voters in the more moderate states like New York and California – which control the bulk of the delegates – will find these ideas repugnant.
The media has often supported the “Ron Paul is unelectable” narrative by criticizing his supporters. I’m not sure what the beliefs of some of his supporters have to do with Paul’s fitness for the presidency, but the punditry believes it is a valid line of inquiry.
So, some of Ron Paul’s supporters believe in elaborate conspiracy theories. The most prevalent revolves around quasi-secret organizations like the Bilderbergs and the Trilateral Commission. The theory is that very wealthy families like the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers use these organizations to further a plot to establish a world government. Some people think this theory is “a little kooky.” Not all or even most Paul supporters hold these views, but let’s say that a significant minority do.
Now, let’s consider the views of a significant minority of the evangelicals that support Rick Santorum. They are fierce supporters of the U.S. government’s wars in the Middle East because they believe that if Jewish people do not control the city of Jerusalem, then…wait for it…Jesus will not return to earth during the “end time,” which they also believe will occur any minute now. They are willing to elect leaders who will take America to war based upon this belief, which ranks up there with the “precious bodily fluids” theory from Dr. Strangelove.
I’m not even 100% sure that Santorum doesn’t believe this himself. Someone should ask him. Certainly, there have been much sillier questions put to candidates during the debates. I for one would like to at least get this crossed off the long list of idiotic theories that inform the president.
Regardless of Santorum’s answer to that question, which it is only fair to assume would be “no,” his other positions still nullify any chance of him becoming president. From all reports, Santorum is a decent person and a good father, and there is certainly nothing wrong with having strong religious convictions. However, the vast majority of Americans do not believe that those convictions should be imposed upon other people with the force of law. Rick Santorum does. That alone makes it obvious that Rick Santorum is never going to be president. So why hasn’t the media proclaimed him unelectable as they have Ron Paul?
Tom Mullen is the author of A Return to Common Sense: Reawakening Liberty in the Inhabitants of America.
I am a Christian and I love Ron Paul! I think he is an answer to our prayers.
I would ask Santorum if he supports life? It is an honest question, so does he? Is the act of war supporting life? NO! Does life only live by his ideas? NO! Why don’t Christian Views support Life? Some do and some don’t, WHAT?
Don’t we wish all christians were created equal like life is? Equal to what? equally able to create their own ideas, to make good decisions in support of all life and not only their chosen way of life. A Republic is a life philosophy also, it means communities of just people or people who fully respect life as we are. We are capable of ideas, we are all capable of deciding so there is no such thing as my way or the highway is there?
Santorum is a FREAK with no passion for life not cloned like him. I don’t agree with Gay either but they are life, I am not going to make laws to limit their poor ideas, after all it is their ideas isn’t it?
His acts to raise the debt ceiling is in support of Rule and stupid ideas, I don’t support that crap. And these theories they speak of, why are there so many results showing these ideas are being forced upon the people? Bankers committing fraud and getting away with it, corporations intrenched in illegal assets getting bailed out by tax payers. These ideas he carries are support for the criminal, but he screams but I am a Christian and we are supposed to what? Submit for mercy?
The groups that cherish life should stand up on their own and detest those abusing their religions. Where is the responsibility of such groups to allow this kind of support or bad examples.
Some do not recognize their very own resistance to the ideas and values when they themselves do not stand up against such a poor example and who dare stand against the church that supports such an activity?
I wont support this idiot because of his actions and I have no support for any group that supports these kinds of actions by not speaking out against this kind of representation.
I think most Christians who Support Ron Paul know the difference between right and wrong and know full well they are able to make their own choices based on evidence before them. Ron Paul has a great consistent well defined track record with real values that stick out. Now if those are Christian Values or not is hard to decipher when one abuses the privilege and another is genuine in all of nature, which one truly holds such values. Yes there is a distinction, one has actions in support of life and another has support for corruption and these acts go away from life support by steeling from life’s energy.
Many should recognize the message being cast today, a message of conflict within the same group, a message that truly leaves one to question what true values really are, don’t they?
All actions carry results and this includes no action when we see something entirely against who we are as Life or as Christians.
I am deeply concerned by the advent of Santorum as a front runner in this bland, repetitive exercise of a contest. His statements/responses to questions are inarticulate, and demonstrative of a perspective fed by a non-granular understanding of core issues and a disturbing hypocrisy. Sadly, these very things constitute the make up of the mindset of John and Jane (Neo-Con) Conservative Voter.
LOL…….Ron Paul? The same Ron Paul that talks about term limits, but yet served in DC longer than I’ve been alive? Gimme a break. NONE of these “lifers” are electable. They are all bought & paid for by Rockefeller & Co. Anyone that says different is either ignorant or a LIAR. If every American would start voting 3rd party things would change.
Amusing, you come here claiming others are ignorant and you have not even done your home work or you would know better than to lie to yourself on the internet, so now even your friends will know you for sure. A 3rd party has won which presidential election why?
In fact why do you think so many are anti Ron Paul and want one of the other 3 idiots? Because they are just like you, they didn’t go look for themselves they just started making choices without real data and so it is, ignorance on display and growing from the lack of effort and a key board to share the stupid, Beautiful.
I have really been studying Ron Paul for the past 2 months. I watch videos and read articles on the internet. And I just LOVE Ron Paul. I post everything I can on facebook and when ever possible I talk to friends, and family. I campaign a our little prayer meeting on Tuesday mornings. We have been praying for our Nation every time we have a prayer meeting. I honestly believe with all my heart that he is an answer to our prayers! But it is so hard to convince people who watch the mainstream media and listen to conservative talk radio. Laura Ingraham is such a brain washing neo-con that I can’t stand to here her voice anymore. She has even said that Ron Paul is horrible! I can’t stand to listen to her anymore! The folks I know don’t have computers or are not interested enough to google him. I have lost friends and even family because of my passion for liberty and the constitution. People are convinced that Ron Paul is “dangerous”. But I I love him and know in my heart he would make a great President! I would feel “safer” to have him as our Master and Chief and I know the Military men and women do too! I keep plugging along. I have never lost my passion for Ron Paul as president in fact, losing my 2 friends on facebook and my oldest brother, (who never wants to speak to me again because I love Ron Paul) has made me even more convinced that I am right. Ron Paul has been chosen by God at such a time as this! We need him. But if Americans don’t want him they will receive the one they vote for even if it isn’t God’s best. Just like in the Bible God gave them Saul! When really, didn’t want them to have a king. He wanted to be their King… and later after Saul committed suicide he gave King David, if only they would have been patient…Plus, the voter fraud that is going on may make it even harder for him to win. I pray for him everyday!
just imagine america 2020 – after 2 terms of President Santorum:
http://www.taxkilla.com
Black is white, up is down, Ron Paul is unelectable, but Rick Santorum is. What a bizarre world we live in. Like you say, having a president that will base his decisions on his religious beliefs is definitely not something Americans would even come close to considering.
It is so frustrating to see the only man with an actual plan to balance the budget, be ignored. The zombie voters already forgot what the solution to our problems is: CUT SPENDING.
Santorum as a “good Catholic” and only God knows if he is one, is not fit for office. He has a large family that he can afford but few Americans can. He has as Romney accuses him, never worked in the private sector. He fails to realize that most Catholics use birth control, and that only 25% attend church regularly. He made ridiculous comments that Bostn’s liberalism was a contributory factory in the priest pederatsty crisis earlier this century.
He wants to be a “prince among men” but he isn’t qualified by any sane person’s standards. I agree with him that America has deep-seated spiritual problems but the office of president is not the place to address them. He and like-minded Catholics should pray, live the gospel, keep the commandments and give to the poor, etc.
I wonder how much of his money he donates to clothe the naked and feed the hungry and I would bet the answer is not much.
We need to have someone in the office of the White House who defends the Constitution! They should protect us from enemies foreign and domestic! Our problem is we have enemies in the white house i.e. Obama! He is a dictator and communist! Our only hope is RON PAUL! Ron Paul or NDAA. Ron Paul or SOPA! Ron Paul or Fascism! Ron Paul will give the control back to the people! VET OBAMA! Vote for Ron Paul is the only one who IS Electable! Romney won’t beat Obama! RON PAUL will! Santorum can’t beat Obama! Ron Paul CAN!!!