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The News, Switzerland
Rick ‘Ahmadinejad’ Santorum

“Rick Santorum combines the worst of what Republicanism and Catholicism bring together in the public square without provoking his own immediate arrest. … Should Santorum fail at the end - and it certainly looks like he will - he should consider converting from Roman Catholicism to Shiite Islam, in order to enter Iranian politics. He would feel right at home in a country where gays are hanged and liberals are tortured, and he'd also be able to leave behind the separation of church and state, which just makes him sick to his stomach.”

By Patrik Etschmayer
                                      

Translated By Ulf Behncke

March 2, 2012

Switzerland - News - Original Article (German)

Even if Iran only refers to the United States as the “Great Satan,” and Iran is still considered by many Americans as an evil empire, the voters in these two elections find themselves in remarkably similar circumstances: the selection of candidates leaves a lot to be desired, as the candidates try to outdo one another in radicalism and don't shy away from the dirtiest of attacks.  

Among Republicans, Mitt “my wife drives two Cadillacs and $374,000 in speaking fees is small change” Romney finds himself in a bind. He managed to pull himself out of the abyss he was driven into by his opponent Rick Santorum and his own flippancy, by using a huge amount of money and rhetoric aimed at his Santorum’s core voters. But the price Romney had to pay came not only from his campaign coffers, but his general electability. And this is thanks to his opponent, who holds positions Romney has been forced to begin to embrace.  

Rick Santorum combines the worst of what Republicanism and Catholicism bring together in the public square without provoking his own immediate arrest. In the best Catholic tradition, he rails against the separation of church and state (this makes him “want to throw up”), and he is against contraception and all abortion, liberals, women's rights, homosexuals, education and human rights for all people AFTER birth. He usually sounds like he would love nothing more than to undo all progress since the 17th century.  

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SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Hindustan Times, India: Santorum: 'Prince of Sanctimony'
Jeune Afrique, Senegal: 'Oddball Extremist' Santorum Could Make Obama's Day
NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands: Santorum Wrong on Euthanasia in Netherlands
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?    

In order to make something of an appeal to the troglodytes who would cast their votes for Santorum, Mitt Romney, who has made some quite reasonable political decisions in his career, has become something of a medieval ringleader, making himself increasingly unelectable to those who believe removing stake-burning from public squares was a good thing.

The only consolation: it will be possible when all is said and done with the real election in November, to neither vote for Romney nor elect Santorum, but reconfirm Obama in office (or, bluntly put, to choose flu over the plaque and cholera). In the sense, the Iranians don’t have it so good. For them it's either the plague or cholera, since they live in a world that is very much to Rick Santorum's liking – but with a crescent rather than a cross.

The battle between President Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei has taken on a sinister pallor. This battle between ultra-conservatives and radical conservatives makes it all the more ugly, because their political positions are so close that they are left with little else to do but instigate mud fights. And in order to do so without too much interference, they have - along the lines of their brutal suppression of unrest over recent years - banned all opposition candidates and even opposition parties. Thus, legally-approved opponents can concentrate on campaigning by accusing other candidates of corruption and careless spending, and pretend that all of Iran's problems are the fault of the U.S., Israel and the actual political opposition that is barred from taking part.  
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Apart from their hatred of the United States and their desire to obtain a nuclear bomb, both sides also agree that liberals, homosexuals, women - and human rights and contraception - must be defeated wherever and whenever possible. In the name of God, nations and politicians that refer to bad old Yahweh and his other incarnations, have always had a few things in common: homophobia, misogyny and a loathing for free thinking.

The worst thing about this for the Iranian electorate is that these are the only two options from which to choose. There is no alternative that might present itself at the last moment, as is the case in America.

Which brings us back to the United States and the new sweetheart of every neo-inquisitor: Should Rick Santorum fail at the end - and it looks like he will - then he should certainly consider converting from Roman Catholicism to Shiite Islam, in order to enter Iranian politics. He would feel right at home in a country where gays are hanged and liberals are tortured, and he'd also be able to leave behind the separation of church and state, which just makes him sick to his stomach.