# Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, Paul, tomorrow night's CNN debate, and Super Tuesday **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 21, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546 "2012-02-21T18:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 22, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/21 "2012-02-22T22:08:38Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Will he wear a big mark of schmutz on his forehead at the debate? I just saw Santorum at a speaking engagement today with schmutz on his forehead. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/22 "2012-02-22T22:12:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think the most likely is probably Santorum with ash, Gingrich without, though any combination could end up having some interesting implications. No. I’m calling for both of them to have it. And then for Gingrich to allude to Romney for not having it, but not come out and say it directly. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/23 "2012-02-22T22:19:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think the most likely is probably Santorum with ash, Gingrich without, though any combination could end up having some interesting implications. They’ll both have it. Santorum’s will come from a church, Gingrich’s will come from an ashtray on his campaign bus five minutes before the cameras roll. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/24 "2012-02-22T23:10:14Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > No. I’m calling for both of them to have it. And then for Gingrich to allude to Romney for not having it, but not come out and say it directly. That would be stupid. It’s a Catholic thing, and nobody cares that he’s “not Catholic”. Ron Paul isn’t either. They care that he is Mormon. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/25 "2012-02-23T00:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > That would be stupid. Which would stop any of the current Republican candidates why? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/26 "2012-02-23T01:55:55Z")
Rick Santorum said that the reason he’s against birth control is that teen and out of wedlock birth rates are skyrocketing. Roll that around in your mind for a bit. Edit: Not to mention that he’s completely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/27 "2012-02-23T02:30:55Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > Interestingly, Santorum should be fasting today. Not that Catholic style fasting will leave him too weak to put up a fight, but he may be a little on the cranky side as a result. So it’s cranky guy vs. magic underwear guy? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/28 "2012-02-23T02:48:07Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So it’s cranky guy vs. magic underwear guy? I wonder if they ever have to put itching powder or something in the underwear for Mormon Lent, or something . . . I prefer to imagine so. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/29 "2012-02-23T02:49:58Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Rick Santorum said that the reason he’s against birth control is that teen and out of wedlock birth rates are skyrocketing. > > Roll that around in your mind for a bit. He’s doing a subtle parody of Poe’s Law. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/30 "2012-02-23T02:55:11Z")
So, is anybody watching? What’s the score, schmutz-wise? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/31 "2012-02-23T03:16:48Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > No. I’m calling for both of them to have it. And then for Gingrich to allude to Romney for not having it, but not come out and say it directly. Romney will come back by saying “Of course I’m a Mormon. I was born a Mormon and I was raised a Mormon. I’ve been a Mormon all my life.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/32 "2012-02-23T03:20:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Romney will come back by saying “Of course I’m a Mormon. I was born a Mormon and I was raised a Mormon. I’ve been a Mormon all my life.” “And so’s yo’ Mama, 'cos I looked up her birth and death records and baptized her! So there!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/33 "2012-02-23T03:36:16Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Rick Santorum said that the reason he’s against birth control is that teen and out of wedlock birth rates are skyrocketing. > > Roll that around in your mind for a bit. > > Edit: Not to mention that he’s completely wrong. It makes perfect “sense.” It’s part of a multi-pronged approach. No birth control, because it encourages people to have sex when they don’t think there’ll be consequences. But that’s not all of it. He wants, I’m sure, abstinence-only/conservative religiously-based education and more societal pressure (also probably religiously based) to keep anyone from having sex other than from procreation. I believe he’s said as much before…? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/34 "2012-02-23T03:43:31Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > It makes perfect “sense.” It’s part of a multi-pronged approach. No birth control, because it encourages people to have sex when they don’t think there’ll be consequences. But that’s not all of it. He wants, I’m sure, abstinence-only/conservative religiously-based education and more societal pressure (also probably religiously based) to keep anyone from having sex other than from procreation. > > I believe he’s said as much before…? Where does he stand on forced teen weddings (if pregnancy occurs) and a complete ban on divorce? Then he’d have a perfect society! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/35 "2012-02-23T03:57:07Z")
“Blessed Virgin, who conceived without sinning, help me please that I may sin without conceiving…” _- alleged Irish prayer_ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/36 "2012-02-23T04:11:34Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Where does he stand on forced teen weddings (if pregnancy occurs) and a complete ban on divorce? Then he’d have a perfect society! Actually, there’s potential for reaching across to certain LDS sects on that . . . ---
**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:** [February 23, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/37 "2012-02-23T04:30:00Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > “And so’s yo’ Mama, 'cos I looked up her birth and death records and baptized her! So there!” 😃 The point would be remind listeners that Gingrich had been a Protestant and converted to Catholicism. There are religious conservatives who don’t mind a Catholic or a Mormon or even a Jew but wouldn’t vote for an apostate. Gingrich knows this so he won’t mention religion as a negative. But Santorum might. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/38 "2012-02-23T04:44:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, there’s potential for reaching across to certain LDS sects on that . . . Sorry, I don’t believe in sects before marriage. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/39 "2012-02-23T04:48:39Z")
Release the hounds. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546/40 "2012-02-23T05:51:50Z")
It [appears](http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/five-ways-rick-santorum-blew-it-in-arizona.php?ref=fpa)Santorum did not have a good debate. This comes at the worst possible time, when Michigan is basically a tie. As in Florida, Romney has forged a winning combination of ads, surrogates and decent debate performances just when it looked the race might slip away. At one level it shows he is a resilient candidate. However the real story is that Gingrich and Santorum have massive weaknesses and aren’t fit for this level of politics. He should have put them away with ease and sealed the race by now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-santorum-gingrich-paul-tomorrow-nights-cnn-debate-and-super-tuesday/613546.md?page=3)