Rick Santorum for POTUS 2016 thread

[Measure_for_Measure]

Let’s discuss Santorum’s billionaire running mate, conservative Christian Foster Fleiss. Born in 1940, he served in the military until 1964 when he began his investment career. He often advocates arming the Kurds to attack ISIS: whether that would involve incremental steps towards pointless military quagmire is unclear. I will say that he’s too young to be a chickenhawk, which is good.

Fleiss displayed cowardice when he said that, “…the money I give will be hard to track”: ISTM that if you can drop $1 million on a campaign you can jolly well let the public know you are doing so, especially when your beneficiary is pretty familiar with your generosity. OTOH, props for hosting a website that outlines his views: not all billionaire backers do this.

He is also the largest investor in the Daily Caller. Backing Santorum doesn’t indicate a high degree of political savvy to me. Steve Forbes was a more effective political investor: GWBush responded to his 2000 run by advocating deeper tax cuts. Solid ROI.

[Guinastasia]

@Irishman

My fear is the more candidates spring this stuff in the Republican primary race, the more appealing it will seem to the party base. But maybe that’s a good thing - get the GOP swinging far right, and the middle of the country will beg Hillary, even if they have to hold their nose over Obama.

How much farther to the right could they possibly swing?

[Mosier]

@Guinastasia

How much farther to the right could they possibly swing?

Socially, quite far. Gay rights, winding down the war on drugs, and women’s rights are all very vulnerable issues.

[Guinastasia]

@Mosier

Socially, quite far. Gay rights, winding down the war on drugs, and women’s rights are all very vulnerable issues.

Considering how fucking extreme they are right now, that’s damned scary.

[elucidator]

With seed money from the Duggar Foundation and Operation Rescue, devout Christian pregnancy termination has arrived with the Divine Family Planning outreach centers.

“We recognize that sometimes God’s blessings arrive in unfortunate circumstances, such as brutal rape, incest, or severe risk to the mother. Here at DFP, we offer guidance and prayer and counsel that the issue be placed in best possible Hands, so that the correct decision is assured. Petition the Highest Court, and trust in that rendered Judgement.”

Several of these “Pray Away the Preg” centers have opened in…"

[Chronos]

What parody site are you quoting that from?

[RTFirefly]

Apparently Santorum is telling the Pope to “leave science to the scientists” with respect to climate change.

I can’t wait for him to say the same thing to his own party.

ETA: Speaking of scientists, the Pope has a Master’s degree in chemistry.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Snowboarder_Bo

The link at that article is no longer working for us plebes. For those who don’t remember this ad, here it is: Obamaville.

Wow, and everything has unfolded just exactly the way he warned us it would! Uncanny.

[septimus]

This article mentions some Santorum stances. Hghlights:

[ul] [li] Abortion is an important cause of Social Security problems.[/li][li] The Americans who charged Normandy in 1944 risked everything to reject Obamacare.[/li][li] “The undermining of the fabric of our society all comes from this right to privacy” … which leads to sodomy.[/li][/ul]
I’m rooting for Santorum to win the GOP nomination. (And then a November victory would be a deserved catharsis or something.)

[elucidator]

@Chronos

What parody site are you quoting that from?

Stolen from a much admired Board humorist, whom I will not name out of respect for his modesty.

[Rick_Kitchen]

@RTFirefly

Apparently Santorum is telling the Pope to “leave science to the scientists” with respect to climate change.

I can’t wait for him to say the same thing to his own party.

ETA: Speaking of scientists, the Pope has a Master’s degree in chemistry.

This is the same Pope who has a master’s degree in Chemistry.

[SmartAlecCat]

Poor Santorum: Only 4 People Showed Up to Recent Iowa Campaign Stop

When just one Iowan showed up to Rick Santorum’s 2 p.m. campaign stop at a restaurant here Monday, the winner of the 2012 Iowa caucuses made a quick decision: Might as well order lunch.

“I haven’t eaten, actually, all day,” he said to his guest, Peggy Toft, an insurance agent and chair of the county’s Republican Party.

For Santorum, who’s making a second go at the Republican nomination for president, the low turnout wasn’t surprising, he said, but all part of the plan.

Maybe they googled him?

[PastTense]

Rick Santorum, the deeply conservative former senator who won nearly a dozen contests in the 2012 race for the Republican nomination, is expected to announce Wednesday that he will suspend his latest and long-struggling run for the presidency.

Santorum is scheduled to appear Wednesday evening on Fox News Channel, where an aide said he will make “two major announcements.” According to several national Republicans familiar with his plans, he will discuss his decision to end his 2016 campaign and he will likely make an endorsement of one of his GOP rivals.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/03/rick-santorum-to-drop-out-of-2016-presidential-race/

[Steve_MB]

Perfect username to close out this subplot.