# The latest on Rick Santorum

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 19, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526 "2005-05-19T02:57:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 6

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### Author: ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/101 "2005-05-23T13:51:53Z")

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> [@Beware of Doug](#):
>
> :eek: WIIIIIIILSOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!1!
> 
> No, Gabriel Michael. (Even the name sounds post mortem.)

Their little (arch)angel. :dubious:

While sticking to my guns about not getting on Santorum for the way he handled the mourning of his son, I agree with **BoD** about him using that for his own toutage with the Neanderthal Right.

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### Author: ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/102 "2005-05-23T14:13:15Z")

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Count me in with the Santorum-haters who won’t rag on him for this.  
Daniel

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### Author: ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/103 "2005-05-23T17:51:41Z")

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> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#):
>
> Count me in with the Santorum-haters who won’t rag on him for this.  
> Daniel

He uses it to further his public image and he gets a pass on it?

Is anything in his life not for show?

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### Author: ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/104 "2005-05-23T19:05:36Z")

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> [@Mockingbird](#):
>
> Is anything in his life not for show?

I’d have been surprised if he had the restraint to resist exploiting this.

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### Author: ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/105 "2005-05-23T19:11:58Z")

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> [@Mockingbird](#):
>
> He uses it to further his public image and he gets a pass on it?
> 
> Is anything in his life not for show?

That’s not for me to decide. This was an important event that shaped who he is. While I might despise the man for becoming who he’s become, it’s not my decision whether he shares aspects of his life story. Nobody was harmed by his talking about this incident; an it harm none, he can do whatever the fuck he will, as far as I’m concerned.

Daniel

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### Author: ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/106 "2005-05-23T19:41:37Z")

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> [@Harborwolf](#):
>
> I’d like to say “To each his own” on this one (snip).

I also agree grief is managed in different ways, but this is exactly what Ricky boy doesn’t do: leave “to each his own”. No, he’s gotta be in everyone’s bedrooms.

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### Author: ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/107 "2005-05-23T19:49:17Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> I also agree grief is managed in different ways, but this is exactly what Ricky boy doesn’t do: leave “to each his own”. No, he’s gotta be in everyone’s bedrooms.

And here’s where I think we can set an example for him. We can say, “Rick, listen. On the one hand, EWWWW! On the other hand, you’ve got a right to handle your family and your love in the way that gets you through the day, so I’m not going to legislate that EWWWW! and instead I’m going to wish you happiness in whatever way your icky lifestyle can provide.”

Daniel

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### Author: ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/108 "2005-05-23T19:53:41Z")

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> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#):
>
> And here’s where I think we can set an example for him. We can say, “Rick, listen. On the one hand, EWWWW! On the other hand, you’ve got a right to handle your family and your love in the way that gets you through the day, so I’m not going to legislate that EWWWW! and instead I’m going to wish you happiness in whatever way your icky lifestyle can provide.”

Great idea. How are you going to get him to listen?

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### Author: ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/109 "2005-05-23T19:58:57Z")

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Oh, I’m not. I hope to get his constituents to listen.

Daniel

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### Author: ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/110 "2005-05-23T21:46:50Z")

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You’ve already done a better job of saying what needs to be said than this one of his constituents could.

It’s funny. Right before this thread was started, I was thinking about writing Mr. Santorum a letter telling him just how un-Christian I think he is, but on this issue, I’ll leave him be. What he went through isn’t easy. Besides, there are many, more legitimate things about him which deserve notice and complaint.

**Mr. Moto** , I’m glad Mr. Santorum gave you a job. My experience with him wasn’t as pleasant. You see, I wrote him when I’d been unemployed for 5 months without anything opening up in computers and I asked him to at least vote to extend unemployment benefits. I heard absolutely nothing for him. I’m afraid Mr. Santorum has done nothing at all for me and promoted policies which have the potential to actually harm me. In short, I don’t care for him or his politics.

Respectfully,  
CJ

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### Author: ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/111 "2005-05-23T22:21:48Z")

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Did you forget to include the $10,000 in small, unmarked bills with your letter, **Siege?** 😉

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### Author: ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/112 "2005-05-24T02:30:12Z")

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Heh. I once sent his office an e-mail urging him to vote FOR same-sex marriages (yes, I know).

In the mail, I received a form letter thanking me for fighting for the preservation of traditional marriage and against the homosexual menace. :rolleyes:

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### Author: ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/113 "2005-05-24T02:32:06Z")

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Is Homosexual Menace Dennis’ Gay brother?

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### Author: ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/114 "2005-05-24T03:56:54Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> Great idea. How are you going to get him to listen?

Well, we can start by talking about it - say, in a message board with 5,000 members or so. We can encourage those posters who he represents to share with him the best of our arguments - say, those arguments which have changed their minds.

We can use this little thread as a conversation starter at work, at school, at the grocery store. We can keep people talking about him until he can’t be reelected.

We can even hope that he himself is a member, or his wife or children are or will be, and that one day, one random comment will be the pivotal point which opens his mind and lets him see the light of reason, compassion and all that other stuff Jesus liked a lot.

Can we MAKE him listen and MAKE him change his mind? No. But that’s the way the system works.

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### Author: ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/115 "2005-05-24T04:04:04Z")

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Tonight on MSNBC they played a tape of Santorum saying that people who oppose religion in politics and “Radical secularists” and are equivalent to Nazis, Communists, Ba’athists, and “the French revolution.”

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### Author: ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-on-rick-santorum/304526/116 "2005-05-24T10:15:45Z")

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That’s a nice thing for him to say about the Founding Fathers!

**Guinastasia** , I had a similar experience. I wrote him and asked him why he voted against a bill which would have used money from the cigarette company lawsuits to fund health insurance for uninsured children, especially in light of his pro-life views; I got a reply thanking me for my support. I wasn’t supporting him. In fact, I nearly accused him of being a hypocrite.

_That_, my fellow Dopers, is one difficulty with our esteemed senator. It’s been my experience that he and/or his office don’t pay any attention to what his constituents have to say.

CJ

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