You may have missed them, but awhile back Rick Santorum was being praised, or at east packaged, as the populist working-man’s candidate for the Right (example). He made a ripple earlier this year for this—
When all you do is talk to people who are owners, talk to folks who are ‘Type As’ who want to succeed economically, we’re talking to a very small group of people,†he said. “No wonder they don’t think we care about them. No wonder they don’t think we understand them. Folks, if we’re going to win, you just need to think about who you talk to in your life.â€
Trying to carve out a role as a leading populist in the 2016 field, Santorum insisted that Republicans must “talk to the folks who are worried about the next paycheck,†not the CEOs.
But today I read that Santorum was on CNN complaining that the Affordable Care Act was allowing “sicker, older” people to be insured. That’s going to cause terrible problems for insurance companies.
So, they can make populist noises if someone writes a speech for them, but they seem to be easily distracted.
And, of course, there’s that thing with women expecting their insurance to pay for birth control, even if it violates the tender spiritual sensibilities of their employers.
Amid reports that the gender gap is getting wider, Ryan Cooper points out that 99 percent of sexually active women use birth control. So who are they trying to pander to with the anti-contraceptive talk? There are a lot more sexually active women in America than there are control-freak right-wing business owners.
If I was in charge of the GOP I would see to it that Frothy goes away somewhere never to be heard from again, perhaps a ghost payroll position at Heritage. Apparently that wingnut welfare gig at WND aint enough. I saw a clip of him today questioning the competency of President Obama; this from the shmuck who lost his home state to Mittens in the 2012 republicant primary!!!
Well, we know they aren’t trying to pander to WOMEN!
Santorum has carved himself a political nitch with sanctimonious ‘Christians’ who want to look down their noses at single mothers, divorced women and any female who is sexually active outside of the norms they would allow. Usually, I try hard to understand the point of view of my opponent and try to find areas of agreement. With those people, I’m proud to say I share NO area of agreement.
That’s not to say I’m opposed to people making better choices about bringing children into the world. But that’s not the same as inflicting your moral view on the world and particularly on women.. as if men are absolved from the ethical (and financial) consequences of sexual relations.
Ricky’s at a political dead-end. He can’t renounce his major plank, which is based on self-righteous judgement on the private lives of others. There’s only going to be a minority of voters and republican politicos who want Ricky peering in bedroom windows, because who knows when it will be your bedroom window?
Unlike other politicians with a phony schtick, Ricky is the real deal with a real conviction that he’s ordained to impose his moral view on the political scene. He will never be accepted as a Washington insider because he can’t be trusted in a culture that’s way outside his ultra-orthodox Catholic philosophy.
But today I read that Santorum was on CNN complaining that the Affordable Care Act was allowing “sicker, older†people to be insured. That’s going to cause terrible problems for insurance companies.
I hate to tell you this Mr. Santorum, but those older, sicker people are on Medicare already. ACA means that someone like me (unemployed, living on savings until I go on SS in 3 years) can get help now with my chronic conditions. Mr Santorum, you are idiot. An absolute, complete, stupid idiot. The Straw Man has more brains than you do.
Folks, if we’re going to win, you just need to think about who you talk to in your life.â€
I don’t know about Ricky, but I’ve worked with several exceedingly rich people. One woman, a member of an older, old money family, was very nice and spoke with the people who worked for the non-profit she helped found. Some of the younger women who were on our Board of Trustees, weren’t as nice as she was. They barely acknowledged that we were even there. I can’t even think of a way I would come into contact with some of these women, outside of working for them. Then the contact would be formal, stilted and they’d be condescending.
They seem to have an inordinate desire to appeal to less than half the population.
Frothy should work on adjusting his persona rather than his message. Maybe grow a moustache, get an ear pierced, sport a little stubble chic and turn his collar up a la James Dean. It’s a known fact that women are helplessly drawn like a moth to the flame to men who exude confidence. And Frothy ain’t producing that commodity.
He’s got to lose the collegiate look with the sweater vests and penny loafers. That look might be fine if he’s making an appearance on the Lawrence Welk show, but it won’t cut it with the under 60 crowd of females.
And he should also drop the “folks” jargon from his lexicon. Maybe that is standard fare in trying to sound homespun and connected, but it’s alienating to us Americans who have accepted the changing face of American society. It just sounds cornballish.
Poor, poor, Icky Sticky Ricky.
He’s not having too good a time of it right now.
PPACA’s website is getting fixed, and regular “folks” are weeks away from getting affordable health care.
And the new Pope just issued and anti-greed Encyclical.
Icky Sticky Ricky much preferred Pope Ratzi Der Nazi, to Pope Francis, the Socialist.
Being President was never really his life’s ambition.
Ever since he was a little sociopath, Icky Sticky Ricky always wanted to grow up to be “The Grand Inquisitor” – torturing and punishing those who didn’t quite live-up to his Catholic standards.
“Pope Ratzi Der Nazi”
Too Funny!!!!!
“Unlike other politicians with a phony schtick, Ricky is the real deal with a real conviction that he’s ordained to impose his moral view on the political scene”
Doug,
I hate to disagree, your posts are always insightful, but I really think Santorum is just another in a long line of right wing politicians using religion as a wedge issue designed to mask the real agenda of enriching themselves and their corporate masters.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/rick-santorum-stealth-lobbyist/story?id=15298204
uncledad ..I think Santorum is the real deal. Remember he passed around a dead fetus with his family.. Not that anybody should be denied how to grieve for the loss of their unborn child…it’s just when you’re doing stuff like that it kinda shows an overly extreme attachment to the value of life.. More than political posturing.
Yeah, I was going to say that anyone who takes his dead baby’s body home for his other children to play with is a real something. I’m not sure if “deal” is the right word.
“More than political posturing”
Your much less jaded than I, the fact that it was made public makes me question it……. I don’t know many true believers but the ones I suspect are do not go around advertising it, mostly they just act on it?
“I’m not sure if “deal†is the right word”
Real Kook comes to mind
It wasn’t made public for political reason.. It was the fulfillment of the scriptural mandate in 2 Timothy to ” shew yourself approved”. His behavior was for the benefit of his brethren in the Lord. Which does translate into political gain in many respects, but I believe he’s gone into the deep end in his walk with the Lord.. He’s a sick puppy. And if burning heretics ever came back into fashion.. Santorum would be first to light the faggots( no pun intended).