Santorum: The face of the once Grand Old Party

Never would I have expected Rick Santorum as front runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

I know it’s just February. I also know that several candidates have been out front in this race, or the weekly media buzz, that I really couldn’t have imagined. There was Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, and, of course, Willard Mitt Romney. Well, I suppose if Cain and Bachmann could generate excitement then I should have imagined that the same goes for Santorum. Still.

Of all the major GOP candidates, Santorum is the biggest demagogue. He also happens to be an extremely dangerous sort of demagogue. When it is convenient for him Santorum wants “big government” off our backs. He has no trouble, however, with government in our bedrooms and even in our private parts.

Santorum has railed against modern health care for women and infants such as blasting contraception and saying prenatal testing leads to more abortions.  

He portends to know what is in the hearts of people — President Obama in particular — and attack their “theology” even when they don’t know jack about it. His new press secretary said Obama had radical “Islamic” policies before she called back to the MSNBC program on which she was talking in order to say she misspoke. Don’t they all … misspeak?

Among the other trash talk which comes from the man his critics, me included, like to call “Man on dog,” is attacking environmental science that does not match his own beliefs.

I think he is a dangerous man because he doesn’t tend to consider the views, including the religious ones, of others. Those sentiments, which he has expressed endlessly are of an unbending evangelicalism that I fear he would try to put into law. I have no problem with tempered religious discussion in school, nor prayer. People are free to pray, in silent, just as millions do every day. I don’t believe religion should be mandated in public schools though, and if symbols of Christianity are placed in government facilities there should be no denial of other religious symbols including, yes, Islam.

Frankly, I hope Santorum is the GOP nominee because I believe the majority of Americans have trouble with the thought of his neo-Puritanical mindset injected into government. I don’t see the Republican nomination going to Santorum though. The big party men with the cigars and tons of money want someone with a chance to beat the black man. That’s pretty much the long and short of it. The old party rich and powerful will prevail, and if it not, we will finally see the destruction of the Grand Old Party. I’ve predicted such a split before, this is just another way it can happen.