Why is the media ignoring Rick Santorum?

[WhipperSnapper]

As far as I can tell, Mr. Santorum is a fine conservative candidate, and he seems a much better option than either Bachmann, Paul, or Gingrich, so why does it seem like he is always relegated to the least amount of airtime?

I just hate when the mainstream media makes the decisions on who grabs the headlines or not based on some ridiculous prejudice and not on the platform they run on.

Why shouldn't the media ignore an anti-gay bigot and religious retard whose last name was turned into a noun? From the Urban Dictionary:

Santorum: The sometimes frothy, usually slimey amalgam of lubricant, stray fecal matter, and ejaculate that leaks out of the receiving partner's anus after a session of anal intercourse.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Pretty sure Santorum had some really nutty statement a while back.

And I'd be right! "Santorum stated that he believed mutually consenting adults do not have a constitutional right to privacy with respect to sexual acts. Santorum described the ability to regulate consensual homosexual acts as comparable to the states' ability to regulate other consensual and non-consensual sexual behavior, such as adultery, polygamy, child molestation, incest, sodomy, and bestiality, whose decriminalization he believed would threaten society and the family, as they are not monogamous and heterosexual."

So, he's a Big Government Republican--kind of like a communist who wants the government to poke into people's bedrooms and private lives. He wants to ram his religion down people's throats and thus essentially opposes freedom of religion and individual rights.

It's funny how the Republicans are so in favor of free markets yet oppose social freedoms.

 

[werepossum]

So, he's a Big Government Republican--kind of like a communist who wants the government to poke into people's bedrooms and private lives. He wants to ram his religion down people's throats and thus essentially opposes freedom of religion and individual rights.

It's funny how the Republicans are so in favor of free markets yet oppose social freedoms.

I disagree. That's not funny in the slightest.

 

[thraashman]

I disagree. That's not funny in the slightest.

I think he means more of an uncomfortable sadness funny than a "ha ha" funny.

 

[Craig234]

Many people are not informed that at the height of Republican corruption, Santorum was the host of a weekly meeting of Republican officials and media figures to set the agenda for the week on what they wanted to do - this was how the infamous 'disciplined talking points' were coordinated where suddenly every right-wing figure was using the same words (often Frank Luntz supplied) to argue for the same thing. Because it was politically effective - the message forums soon filled with 'their side' parroting the points.

This isn't about the question of why the media isn't covering him more - though his low poll numbers are a big issue - but it's a hell of a reason I'm glad to see him not get votes.

 

[werepossum]

I think he means more of an uncomfortable sadness funny than a "ha ha" funny.

Agreed.

 

[janas19]

So basically read all the posts, nobody answered the question except some lame anti-gay bigot which personally, I think is overblown.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.

Also Gingrich is a squinty-eyed Georgia hillbilly. He probably has moonshiners and KKK in his family.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

So basically read all the posts, nobody answered the question except some lame anti-gay bigot which personally, I think is overblown.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.

Also Gingrich is a squinty-eyed Georgia hillbilly. He probably has moonshiners and KKK in his family.

I'm not sure anyone else in America, most likely including Santorum's wife and mother, would agree he is charismatic. I actually think this is one of his most significant weaknesses - he comes off as a completely charmless, mean little person.

His ideas are realistic only to those who agree with him. I find most of them repugnant, and they are certainly not mainstream.

He is far from being a "moderate," even if his positions occasionally coalesce with those of some Democrats.

 

[micrometers]

Actually Gingrich is from small town PA. He's actually an interesting guy and if I had met him in college I think he would have been my best friend.

I actually have respect for Santorum. For one thing, he actually does have some philosophical depth for his Christian-right stance, unlike other pols for whom it is just something that they give lip service to.

And it is amusing how in the debates Santorum has been pretty good at trapping the other candidates in logical contradictions. He's fairly intelligent.

The only thing is that being right in a logical sense doesn't always translate into winning at the polls. He gives the aura of a debate fighter who tends to get dirty. He doesn't give the aura of a leader.

 

[cybrsage]

...lots of words...

Did you actually address the question asked? I will restate it, using less inflammatory words:

Do you support having polygamy remain illegal, punishable by jail sentences and/or fines?

 

[MotF Bane]

So basically read all the posts, nobody answered the question except some lame anti-gay bigot which personally, I think is overblown.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.

Also Gingrich is a squinty-eyed Georgia hillbilly. He probably has moonshiners and KKK in his family.

His ideas are not realistic, and he is not a moderate. He's a social conservative, and out of touch with modern society.

 

[cybrsage]

Also Gingrich is a squinty-eyed Georgia hillbilly. He probably has moonshiners and KKK in his family.

If he had KKK connections, he would be a powerful democrat senator. They have an opening now that Byrd died.

 

[micrometers]

If he had KKK connections, he would be a powerful democrat senator. They have an opening now that Byrd died.

he's NOT though! Gingrich frankly is a moderate Republican at his core.

 

[Ausm]

He doesn't have the cash or the clout to make a significant run.

 

[Craig234]

So basically read all the posts, nobody answered the question except some lame anti-gay bigot which personally, I think is overblown.

No pun intended.

What about Santorum building his political power on the base of bigotry is 'no big deal'?

I don't care if he were wonderful in other areas, which he's not, that's a big problem.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.[/QUOTE]

Hitler doesn't make everyone else a moderate. If Santorum isn't the LEAST moderate, it doesn't make him moderate because someone is even less so. Not that 'moderate' is great.

 

[Craig234]

If he had KKK connections, he would be a powerful democrat senator. They have an opening now that Byrd died.

Cybr tells the Burd lie. No surprise.

Parrot repeating lies is his staple.

 

[micrometers]

No pun intended.

What about Santorum building his political power on the base of bigotry is 'no big deal'?

I don't care if he were wonderful in other areas, which he's not, that's a big problem.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.

Hitler doesn't make everyone else a moderate. If Santorum isn't the LEAST moderate, it doesn't make him moderate because someone is even less so. Not that 'moderate' is great.[/QUOTE]

People who knew Santorum back in his college days knew him more as a machine politician who was pretty smart and non-ideological.

It's just that he found that in winning elections, the Christian Right was invaluable in providing a ground presence

 

[cybrsage]

Cybr tells the Burd lie. No surprise.

Parrot repeating lies is his staple.

What lie? Byrd himself says he was in the KKK.

 

[Jhhnn]

Santorum is a political has-been. He'd have to make a comeback in a lesser venue to be considered a viable candidate for potus. He's become just another conservative Koch bros/ Faux News welfare case, like the Sarah!, Huckabee, and several others-

http://www.eppc.org/news/newsid.2818/news_detail.asp

When you can't make it as a stud stallion, you get cut & they keep you around for the kiddies to ride... That's when they don't kill & eat their own...

 

[ky54]

Santorum suffers from not being an American-Idolesque automaton. He actually has an opinion that's not printed on a teleprompter written for him to mindlessly spew while his acolytes mouth the words along with him.

 

[cybrsage]

Santorum's main problem is he is 50 years too late to politics. 50 years ago, he would have done well. Society has changed. Good change or bad change depends on your point of view.

 

[Fern]

So basically read all the posts, nobody answered the question except some lame anti-gay bigot which personally, I think is overblown.

The reason Santorum deserves more attention than Gingrich, Paul, or Bachmann is that he has personal charisma, his ideas are realistic, and he is actually a moderate who has demonstrated his ability to reach a concenus with the Democrats. Those 3 statements do not apply to the other 3.

Also Gingrich is a squinty-eyed Georgia hillbilly. He probably has moonshiners and KKK in his family.

I think you got your answers. In summary:

1. He's been so far back polls.

When you're back in the polls no one is taking shots at you. If you watch debates you'll see that the candidates getting more air time are doing so because the rules allow you respond to an attack. You keep getting attacked, you keep getting to respond.

Newspapers and the like focus on the 'flavor of the day'. It's what sells.

Santorum and others back in the polls are frequently on cable news programs. In some cases moreso than candidates doing in polls. You just have to watch.

2. The 'has been' politician thingy. He couldn't even keep his Senate seat in his home state of PA. It's difficult seeing someone as the nominee if they don't even have a base of support in their own state.

3. He's made a career focusing on social issues. IMO, the is the biggest reason he's not very relevant. This election is primarily about the economy and jobs, yet he still sticks with the social conservative angle. This was vividly evident in early debates where he was always trying to switch the subject from the economy of foreign policy issues back to 'family issues' and the like. People aren't buying what he's selling. Since his favorite issues are not in the fore, he's the wrong candidates for this time. He may do OK in a strong evangelical Christian place like IA, But I don't see his message/focus getting a lot traction elsewhere. I'd say many others don't either and that's why he hasn't raised a lot campaign money. The lack of which will also mean less (paid for) airtime/commercials.

4. I'm not feeling the charisma thing either.

Fern

 

[kage69]

Santorum is a moron. His whole platform basically consists of appealing to the most extremist social conservatives.

Can't really be put any more concisely than that.


I think a far better example of "wtf!" is Romney getting attention over Huntsman.

 

[lothar]

Santorum is a moron. His whole platform basically consists of appealing to the most extremist social conservatives.

This. All of it.

 

[kage69]

Santorum suffers from not being an American-Idolesque automaton. He actually has an opinion that's not printed on a teleprompter written for him to mindlessly spew while his acolytes mouth the words along with him.

lol, I'll take that to mean you didn't vote for W, good for you!


Sure he has an opinion, and he's entitled to it. Just like everyone is entitled to say that his opinion sucks when it sucks. There's a difference between not caring for Political Correctness and being an authoritarian bigot, perhaps the distinction is to blame for his success of late.