Silence on Santorum is Deafening: Republican Establishment Sends Signals

By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/20/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

America, ladies and gentlemen, is a moral enterprise at its core.

The Silence on Santorum is DEAFENING - in the media and among these establishment Republicans. Have you seen a photo of Rick Santorum in news reports when the remaining field of Republican candidates is discussed? Or, consider when the Pundit class assembles on the screen to banter about the emerging field of Republican challengers to the President - be it on MSNBC to mock them or on FOX to pontificate about them - have you even heard the name of Senator Rick Santorum mentioned?

Former Senator Rick Santorum

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Over the weekend, two potential Republican candidates for the presidency dropped out of the 2012 race. Only one was a serious contender with a clear message and a large following, Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas. He ran during the 2008 Presidential campaign and earned the respect of many Americans, including me. Those who have read my political commentaries recall I wrote numerous articles about Governor Huckabee during the last Presidential campaign. One was a commentary entitled Huckabee and Catholics.

I had two interviews with the Governor for Catholic Online during the last Presidential campaign. The first concerned an effort to paint the candidate as Anti-Catholic (INTERVIEW: Governor Huckabee Addresses Anti-Catholicism and Abortion) and the second occurred later in the campaign. (SPECIAL REPORT: Governor Huckabee Tells Catholic Online Why He is Still Running ) I have met Governor Huckabee. I am deeply impressed with his warmth and sincerity of heart. I admire his consistent positions on the dignity of every human life, his support for marriage and the family and society founded upon them, and his genuine concern for the poor and needy.

So, when I read that Governor Huckabee had decided not to run for the presidency in 2012, I assumed the Press would come to the obvious conclusion of where the bulk of his large support base would go. They would look to a man who not only holds similar positions on the issues which matter most but possesses similar character traits. After all, from my perspective, the only person left in the Republican field to carry on Governor Huckabee's role as someone who cares deeply about moral issues and is unwilling to separate the moral from the economic, international and social issues, is former Senator Rick Santorum.

Yet, the exact opposite happened! As an old law partner of mine used to say "I may have been born at night, but not last night!" I immediately sensed that the Republican establishment had made their decision on a candidate, or candidates. They either wanted the Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, who called for a "truce" on what are disparagingly referred to as the "social issues", or they wanted the one they are now touting as the "million dollar man", the former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, who seems about as solid as Jello on those same issues.

The Silence on Santorum is DEAFENING - in the media and among these establishment Republicans. Think about it. Have you seen a photo of Rick Santorum in news reports when the remaining field of Republican candidates is discussed? Or, consider when the Pundit class assembles on the screen to banter about the emerging field of Republican challengers to the President - be it on MSNBC to mock them or on FOX to pontificate about them - have you even heard the name of Senator Rick Santorum mentioned?

I call myself a "reluctant" Republican. I am a former "Reagan Democrat" who felt morally compelled to leave the political party of my Bostonian blue collar childhood when the last truly pro-life, pro-poor and pro-family candidate, the late former Governor of Pennsylvania, Bob Casey was censored from speaking at the Democratic Convention because he defended the poorest of the poor, our first neighbors in the womb. From my perspective, the Party which calls itself Democratic gave up their claim to be the party who cares about the poor when they sold their soul to the strange alliance of those who oppose, at least at the National leadership level, the fundamental human right to life.

I have reached a conclusion as to what is behind the effort to pretend that Rick Santorum is no longer running for the Presidency of the United States. The chattering class on the "left" know he is a formidable candidate from a working class family, right on the issues most Americans care about, a formidable communicator - and that he possesses the courage to take on their bullies in a brutal campaign. Lacking the intellectual ability or integrity to take the Senator's positions on and debate them in the public square, they mock and belittle him or simply fail to mention his name.

However, what I find even more annoying is the reaction of the Republican establishment; those who call themselves "right". The ones who kept people like me away from the Republican Party for generations. They seemed to like his economic conservatism. However, they most certainly do not like his moral coherence. All his talk about protecting human life from conception through natural death; his defense of marriage and the ...

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1 - 10 of 70 Comments

vance
1 year ago
Rob, "Obama's Liberal agenda has gone nowhere" You forced me to go back to asking you what you are smoking. Any sober person who is paying attention to what is happening to our country doesn't have a problem understanding. You keep saying that you can't unstand why the Dems keep doing evil things. Rob, it is a shame when I hear Liberals use the "Both Sides" are equally bad because it is a psychological excuse for Liberals to continue supportring what they know is wrong because "The other side does it".
Rob
1 year ago
Sorry vance, but the train that set this meltdown in motion started well before 2006 and I don't mean to be so blunt, but you really need to spend some time examining the legislative record in regards to deregulation and who championed it. Truth is, both parties allowed it to happen and both parties had ample opportunity to right the ship and chose not too. You so badly want to lay all the blame at the dems feet that you are blinded to the role, a very leading role, the GOP played in this disaster. And what's funny to me about this tunnel vision you have is that you actually give a lot of power to the dems that honestly they don't have and really never have had. I find it pretty funny that virtually every single "liberal agenda" item that Obama was supposed to champion and pass as if the sky was falling down all around us really has gone no where. Heck sometimes I wonder if Obama is the best candidate that the GOP has. The majority of the fiscal policies he's passed have played right into the GOP's hands. And I had to laugh about your comment about the dems not voting against deficit spending as if any politician ever does that!! LOL. Bottomline vance, we are getting played by both parties. Both parties policies as of late only serve to destroy this country. It's not a choice between one that improves the USA and one that doesn't. It's a choice between what train on want to ride on to destruction. You know it pains me to be so negative about the GOP because I really do want to believe the rhetoric. But sadly at the federal level the actual record doesn't lie. The party has turned into a millionaire's club that is bought by corporate and wealthy interest. They play lip service to social issues to get our votes but do nothing about them. While they show great courage about all things money, they will never do anything about abortion and the fact that it remains virtually untouched is a testament to that. There is plenty to be disgusted about the dems. I have no idea why they embrace such evil, but at some point we have to take the rose colored glasses off and actually see who we laid in bed with. And I'm sorry, but I just don't see much of a difference.
jh
1 year ago
Thank you for your comments and vigilance, Deacon, about the non-coverage of Mr. Santorum. Mass media presents what it wants us to see, hear, and read. It does not present the truth.
vance
1 year ago
Rob, did you not remember that Barack H Obama was elected in Novrmber 2006??? Did you not remember that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi took control of the House and Senate in November 2006??? Did you know from High School Civics Class that Congress Passes Budgets, Not the President???? Did you not know that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi DID NOT oppose the deficit spending during the Bush years??? Did you not know that Barack H Obama VOTED FOR the budgets signed by Bush??? When Barack H Obama came into office he INHERITED Harry Reid's, Nancy Pelosi's, AND HIS OWN MESS!!!!
Rob
1 year ago
vance, I just don't get how you can belittle the economic situation that imploded before Obama took office. Of course I follow the economic news. But honestly since so many of the fiscal policies of the last adminsistration have continued, I am not suprised. You worry about jobs, I do too. In fact, as we continue to pass tax cuts that were promised to create jobs, they don't and haven't over the last decade. Remove the ruse of the real estate bubble and all the jobs that came with it and suprise, all your jobs have been shipped to China. And I'm not sure what financial press you are reading regarding corporate profits, but that is dead wrong. But at the end of the day vance, you will be part of the crew that will vote for anything so long as it's not Obama. I understand that since I didn't vote for him in the first place. But I will not give power back to the guys who created this mess. Nor will I give power back to the guys who want to fix all these problems on our backs. And the beauty of the rhetoric today is that they got regular people supporting policies that only serve to take away safety nets and financial tools that aren't entitlements, but instead things American workers have been paying for decades. I'm sorry vance, I can't support that. And as for the candidates the GOP is pushing, be careful what you wish for because you may just get it.
vance
1 year ago
Rob, Did you hear the economic news today??? I realize it will not make any difference to you BUT Things just keep getting worse. ((( AGAIN))) Unemployment WAY UP, GNP WAY DOWN, Housing Sales WAY DOWN, 60% of 2010 college grads CAN'T FIND WORK, INFLATION IS UP, UP, UP, Durable Goods Sales WAY DOWN. Remember your hero ALGORE when he said in a campaign speech, " What's Up should be DOWN and What's DOWN should be UP!" Your hero's words are so true for your Dear Leader. This should put a smile on your face. Try not to do a cartwheel. Are you ready?? ((CORPORATE PROFITS))) are !!!!!WAY DOWN !!!!! Oh, Oh, you and your Marxist buddies are going to party tonight.
vance
1 year ago
Rick Santorum is a solid Catholic guy with a solid pro-life record. This is a guy who 'Walks-the Walk'. This is why the Liberal Establishment hates this guy. He has my vote.
Rob
1 year ago
John, unfortunately the record doesn't lie. Their have been ample opportunities to push through legislation and those opportunities were lost. And while I am somewhat encouraged by actions taken by the states this year, the federal government is still playing possum with the issue. They talk a good game but when it comes down to it, they will not go the distance. I really hope that it's not on purpose. If it is, boy have we been taken.
Rob
1 year ago
C'mon vance, are you serious?? Where do you think all that money was spent on? That debt was racked up to cover up the financial malfeaseance that deregulation caused. For all your anger at the dems, why is it you refuse to hold your own party accountable? We can argue and criticize Obama for many of his policies, and they deserve to be criticized. But you act as if we were in prime A fiscal shape when he took office. You act as if he started the bailouts. And if you think this debt was solely to fund dem causes, you are dreaming. If anything, you should be fuming mad that our goverment allowed companies to keep all their winnings but socialize the losses. You, like many others, have allowed their hatred for all things Obama to cloud their vision that they can't see the source of these problems anymore. And because we refuse to look at the source, we bicker back and forth while the titans of industry rob us blind. And if you honestly think that over regulation is what is driving businesses overseas, keep dreaming. It's bottom line profits, nothing more, nothing less. Regulation is a good excuse and good cover, no doubt, but it's ruse. How else can they sell us all that cheap crap at wal-mart. Gotta have that slave labor for that rock bottom price. I didn't vote Obama in the last election and I don't plan on it this election unless the GOP stays married to the Ryan plan. Rick Santorum, unfortunately, has no chance.
Jennifer
1 year ago
Tom Dixon, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write such an insightful treatise on the complexities of blending the moral, social, and fiscal ideologies that all political candidates must address, often to the detriment of achieving their goal of actually getting elected! There is so much pandering these days, from the TV networks that bring in the big bucks by taking complicated issues and turning them into soundbites, and rather than deal in thoughtful discourse go to a commercial and say "Next!" Rarely does one get the truth, and those lucky folks with a brain know it. When I was in college, someone erected a huge sign on the campus square that was seared in my brain from that moment on, and is even more prophetic now. It read, (in 4' letters), "TURN OFF YOUR TV AND THINK." I loved it then, and still do. If I had the money, I'd buy up a bunch of billboards all over the country, and start praying for WWJD to enter the souls of the inspired...

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