Rick Santorum: Is he
the best hope for Republicans?
Jeune Afrique, Senegal
'Oddball Extremist'
Santorum Could Make Obama's Day
"A
fundamentalist Catholic, he is fiercely opposed to homosexual relationships,
which he compares to relations between man and dog, and he supports a total ban
on contraception. And of course, he hopes and prays for a return of women to
the kitchen. As one of his critics commented, the former Pennsylvania senator would
be one of the greatest minds … of the 18th century."
By Jean-Eric Boulin
Translated By Elizabeth Burfield
March 2, 2012
Senegal - Jeune Afrique - Original Article
(French)
NEW YORK: This Catholic fundamentalist and bit of an oddball
is the new darling of the Republican Party’s right wing. It remains to be seen
whether Rick Santorum can truly pose a threat to Mitt Romney's claim on the party’s
presidential nomination.
Don’t be fooled by his
youthful appearance or his easy-going manner. The latest Republican primary
sensation after victories in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, Rick Santorum
(53 years old) is an extremist. A fundamentalist Catholic, he is fiercely opposed
to homosexual relationships, which he compares to relations between man and dog,
and he supports a total ban on contraception. And of course, he hopes and prays
for a return of women to the kitchen. As one of his critics commented, the
former Pennsylvania senator would be one of the greatest minds … of the 18th
century.
According to the latest
polls, however, Santorum's extreme views haven’t prevented him from leading the
pack in Michigan (which voted on February 28) as well as Arizona, the location
of the next primary [Romney won Arizona]. A defeat for Mitt Romney in Michigan -
where he was born and where his father was governor - would be symbolically devastating.
Doesn’t Romney have a war chest over 25 times his rival ($57 million, as
against $2 million)?
Santorum’s secret? He’s
succeeded in rallying the most radical fringe of the party behind him, in
particular the Christian evangelicals (Protestants). This is no small feat for
a Catholic. But faced with Romney, a Mormon who is seen as a flip-flopper and
who was pro-abortion before changing his mind; and Newt Gingrich, considered by
many to be lacking in morals as he is on his third marriage, the choice was an
easy one.
Divine Law
It must be said that Santorum
doesn’t mince words, going so far as to assert that American law should conform
to divine law. But watch out, he’s not referring to just any deity! He believes
that: "The notion of equality didn’t come to us from Islam, but from the
god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Santorum, who needless to
say is the darling of the Tea Party, is also obsessed with preventing state
intervention in the natural order of society. Like Romney, he was opposed to
the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, which were saved by Obama in 2010.
He also believes that income inequality is entirely legitimate, even where the
disparities are glaring. "Each individual," he says, "has
something different to contribute to society’s development."
Anomaly
Should Santorum be elected,
this mild-mannered crank promises to cut public spending by $1 trillion a year
over five years. One would imagine that this would result in major cuts to assistance
for the poor. Responsibility for the latter should instead pass to ...
religious institutions. According to Santorum, public schools are "an
anomaly." He and his wife educated five of their children themselves (the
sixth, aged three, suffers from a serious genetic illness and has little chance
of survival).
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
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Jornal De Negotios, Portugal: Taxes: Warren Buffett, His Secretary, and the Grocer
Gazeta, Russia: America's Young People Turn Against 'Patriotic Bravado'
Le Figaro, France: Gingrich Success Reflects Republican 'Personality Disorder'
Tokushima Shimbun, Japan: State of Union Sends 'Wrong Message' to Pyongyang
Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany: America: 'Land of Inequality'
Liberation, France: It is 'Yes We Can' in America Once More
Liberation, France: Finally, Obama Chooses Combat Over Conciliation
FAZ, Germany: U.S. Republican 'Civil War' Proving Hopelessly Divisive
Der Tagesspiegel, Germany: The Republicans: Right Where Obama Wants Them
Nachrichten, Austria: Newt: America's 'Hypocritical Moralizing Apostle'
Diario de Cuyo, Argentina: Chavez and Obama: A Common Electoral Challenge
China Daily, China: Republican Race
'Hijacks' China-U.S. Relations
Diario de Cuyo, Argentina: Chavez and Obama: A Common Electoral Challenge
News, Switzerland: Romney's Core Presidential Competency: 'Shameless Lying'
Samidoon, Palestinian Territories: 'Thank You Newt: Your Insolence is Required!'
Le Quotidien d’Oran, Algeria: Gingrich's 'Fervent' Wish: 'Final Solution' for Palestinians
FTD, Germany: U.S. Republicans Must Expunge 'Radicalism' and Choose Romney
Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia: Putin is Better than Goldman Sachs
Liberation, France: Democracy Crippled: Economics Replaces Separation of Powers
El Pais, Spain: Occupy Wall Street: Will it Help or Hinder Reelection of Obama?
But Santorum has other
arguments he can use in the economically-stressed states of the Midwest, where
primaries will be held in the coming weeks (after Michigan, Ohio will vote as
part of Super-Tuesday on March 6, and then it will be Wisconsin’s turn). In
particular, he has a blue-collar background. He talks over and over again about
his Italian grandfather having immigrated to America in order to work in the
mines of Pennsylvania. It is as if he’s trying to make people forget that
during the 15 years he spent in Washington, he was very close to the business
community. However, Romney doesn’t miss a chance to attack Santorum's past as
an "insider."
As (extremely) hypothetical
as it may be, Santorum’s nomination would be excellent news for Barack Obama, because
as the pollsters are well aware, an extremist candidate stands no chance of
winning in November.
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