# Is Santorum \*trying\* to lose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 19, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182 "2012-03-19T00:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/61 "2012-03-20T22:39:03Z")
> [@Backcountry\_Medic](#): > > I think your basic assumption and numbers here are a little off. Gay marriage/rights isn’t a big issue for me, but homophobia is. I don’t vote for people who think their vague book is the word for word instruction manual for how our country should be organized, largely because I feel like they are shitting on the 1st amendment when they do so. > > The people that Santorum/Romney/(Anti-gay Republicans in general) intend to win by being anti-gay are going to start dying off at ever faster rates, so if that’s there plan of success they better get cooking. Gay marriage was a big issue in the 2004 campaign and the Republicans were able to get some mileage out of it. They obviously didn’t come out and say they were running on an anti-gay platform. They framed it as a positive platform of supporting family values, traditional marriage, religious freedom, and states rights - stuff that’s good in principle but was being used for evil purposes in this context. As was noted, the issue cooled off since then. But the conservatives can always pop in in the microwave and reheat it for 2016. ---
**Author:** ![RMac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@RMac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RMac)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/62 "2012-03-20T23:20:55Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Look, I won’t be voting for Santorum no matter what. Accept that up front. But I expect someone playing at this fucking level to at least have the basics down. But in the past month he’s apparently worked hard on alienating these voting blocs: > > 1. Latinos (Gotta speak English to be American) > 2. Women (Contraception? Women don’t need that!) > 3. Users of porn (essentially most of the damn Internet) > 4. People who understand the constitution (a minority, I know, but c’mon!) > > For God’s sake. At this rate Herman Cain will have a better chance of being the nominee and he’s withdrawn and a flake. I may not agree with a thing Rick Santorum says, but I will defend to the death his right to bury himself. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/63 "2012-03-21T00:10:31Z")
> [@RMac](#): > > I may not agree with a thing Rick Santorum says, but I will defend to the death his right to bury himself. I’ll hand him a shovel, and ask that he take a few of his friends with him. Hell, I’ll rent him a fucking backhoe. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/64 "2012-03-21T00:29:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > the last time a party won the Presidency for a third time in a row was 1988 and before that it was 1944. Well, actually, it was 1940. '44 was the _fourth_ time in a row a Democrat won, and '48 was the fifth. The record, though, is the Democratic-Republican run of 7 in a row, 1800-1824. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/65 "2012-03-21T01:59:01Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > Actually, this is a notion that seems to be shared by a lot of extremists on both sides. The idea that the other side just doesn’t agree on the issue never comes up, but instead they realize it and are fighting against it. Admittedly, it’s something I see more often from religious people who just can’t imagine how someone can’t believe God exists and just sort of assume that, because it’s self-evident to them, others must realize it and be fighting against it. > > Really, in his case, I think he believes everything he’s saying, and I think he just thinks he’s fighting the good fight. I think he realizes it’s an uphill battle and it would take a miracle to win, but maybe that’s exactly what he’s hoping will happen. It’s also possible he could be hoping for some kind of appointment or whatever by Romney as a peace offering toward the more extreme wing. **Very** well said. I’ve been comparing many of Santorum’s stances on issues to the (virulently conservative) Catholic contingent on Christian Forums, and he’s very consistent in espousing the things they claim the Catholic bishops are expecting the faithful to aspire to. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/66 "2012-03-21T13:29:35Z")
You will take my porn over my rotting corpse. \ Seriously this guy is a piece of work. Today he was quoted as saying that this isn’t about managing Washington, it’s about fundamental things. Wow. Yeah what this country needs is the morality police telling me that sex should be between married people (preferably not those gay types), birth control is bad, oh and go to church often or you will surely burn in hell. This is exactly why people are afraid of voting Republican despite agreeing with the party on other issues. In conclusion, please fuck off Santorum. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/67 "2012-03-21T13:43:40Z")
I’m voting for Santorum in the WI primary, just for spite. Also, I want to see chaos at the Republican convention. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/68 "2012-03-21T13:57:40Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > Yeah what this country needs is the morality police telling me that sex should be between married people (preferably not those gay types), birth control is bad, oh and go to church often or you will surely burn in hell. It’s worth remembering there are people who really think this way. In that sense he’s a useful reminder. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/69 "2012-03-21T14:42:52Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > You will take my porn over my rotting corpse. \ No, no, no, it’s, “You can have my porn when you pry my cold, dead fingers off my penis!” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/70 "2012-03-21T14:48:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No, no, no, it’s, “You can have my porn when you pry my cold, dead fingers off my penis!” Better yet, “You can have my porn when you pry my fingers off my my cold, dead penis!” ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/71 "2012-03-21T14:48:44Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Which disgusts me. I can only think that any women that voted for this freak in a primary is that they’re victims of spousal abuse. > > How can any woman even consider voting for this guy? The debates would be hilarious. The scary thing is that the exit polls that I’ve seen indicate that Santorum is actually getting relatively more votes from Republican women than Republican men. The only explanation that I can come up with is that there is a class of women who say “If I’m not getting any no one else should either”. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/72 "2012-03-21T16:04:01Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > The scary thing is that the exit polls that I’ve seen indicate that Santorum is actually getting relatively more votes from Republican women than Republican men. The only explanation that I can come up with is that there is a class of women who say “If I’m not getting any no one else should either”. A lot of women have indeed internalized those values. Birth control: if every woman can sleep around and not worry about unwanted children, then what’s to stop my husband from cheating and eventually finding someone better? Santorum, reign in those floozies! Porn: similar to the above. If my husband/guy I have on the hook can look at all the porn he wants, he’ll be expecting a lot out of me–or going somewhere else to get it. Santorum, shut that shit down! Gay rights: what if my husband/guy I have on the hook is a little gay and figures it’s easier to live with another guy? If the social (and legal) stigma of homosexuality goes away, he’s got that option. Santorum, shut that homo shit down! Someone else on the SDMB once said that sexual morality was basically market protectionism for insecure wives. There’s something to that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/73 "2012-03-21T16:07:20Z")
[Read this and you’ll wonder if Romney’s trying to lose.](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/21/video-romney-adviser-on-fall-campaign-everything-changes-its-almost-like-an-etch-a-sketch/) > [@](#): > > Romney campaign senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said campaigns “hit a reset button for the fall campaign.” > > He continued, “Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-a-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all of over again.” Factually, he isn’t wrong. But Romney hasn’t closed this sale yet, particularly with conservative voters, and the comment plays so perfectly into the charges everybody has always made against Romney that you almost wonder if it came off a list of stuff Fehrnstrom wasn’t supposed to say on TV. You can expect to hear this comment repeated over and over in Santorum ads and speeches for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/74 "2012-03-21T16:10:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [Read this and you’ll wonder if Romney’s trying to lose.](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/21/video-romney-adviser-on-fall-campaign-everything-changes-its-almost-like-an-etch-a-sketch/) > Factually, he isn’t wrong. But Romney hasn’t closed this sale yet, particularly with conservative voters, and the comment plays so perfectly into the charges everybody has always made against Romney that you almost wonder if it came off a list of stuff Fehrnstrom wasn’t supposed to say on TV. You can expect to hear this comment repeated over and over in Santorum ads and speeches for quite a while. Yeah, telling it like it is doesn’t usually get you elected. Richard Nixon was able to say this stuff after he was out of politics: “In the primaries, run as far to the right as you can; in the general election, run as close to the center as you can.” It’s reality, but the people rarely want to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/75 "2012-03-21T16:14:28Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Yeah, telling it like it is doesn’t usually get you elected. Neither does admitting your candidate is only pretending to be a conservative when the main knock against him is that he’s only pretending to be a conservative. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/76 "2012-03-21T16:24:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Neither does admitting your candidate is only pretending to be a conservative when the main knock against him is that he’s only pretending to be a conservative. Interesting projection there, Marley. Fehrnstrom is saying, pretty clearly, that the general election campaign is an entirely different animal than the primary campaign. If you want to read that as “he’s pretending,” more power to you. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/77 "2012-03-21T16:26:44Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Yeah, telling it like it is doesn’t usually get you elected. Richard Nixon was able to say this stuff after he was out of politics: “In the primaries, run as far to the right as you can; in the general election, run as close to the center as you can.” It’s reality, but the people rarely want to hear it. Nixon wasn’t living in a 24/7 media world, or in a world where your primary statement are going to go viral when spliced in to your general election statements. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/78 "2012-03-21T16:28:09Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Nixon wasn’t living in a 24/7 media world, or in a world where your primary statement are going to go viral when spliced in to your general election statements. Good point–and he only said that after he was out of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/79 "2012-03-21T16:38:29Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Interesting projection there, Marley. Fehrnstrom is saying, pretty clearly, that the general election campaign is an entirely different animal than the primary campaign. If you want to read that as “he’s pretending,” more power to you. I’m not projecting. I realize what Fehrnstrom was trying to say, which is why I acknowledged he is not wrong. But in the context of the campaign and Romney’s own issues, the comments are synonymous. He was asked if Romney’s rightward tack in the campaign in the primaries will hurt him with moderates in the general, and he said no, because you hit a reset button and start campaigning again to a different audience. Since Romney’s biggest problem has been questions about his sincerity and his conservative credentials, that’s maybe not the kind of thing you want to say. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182/80 "2012-03-21T16:57:29Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > A lot of women have indeed internalized those values. > > Birth control: if every woman can sleep around and not worry about unwanted children, then what’s to stop my husband from cheating and eventually finding someone better? Santorum, reign in those floozies! > > Porn: similar to the above. If my husband/guy I have on the hook can look at all the porn he wants, he’ll be expecting a lot out of me–or going somewhere else to get it. Santorum, shut that shit down! > > Gay rights: what if my husband/guy I have on the hook is a little gay and figures it’s easier to live with another guy? If the social (and legal) stigma of homosexuality goes away, he’s got that option. Santorum, shut that homo shit down! > > Someone else on the SDMB once said that sexual morality was basically market protectionism for insecure wives. There’s something to that. Just… wow. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-santorum-trying-to-lose/616182.md?page=5)