Is Rick Santorum TOO Conservative?

While "social" issues may not have a large role in the 2012 election, Santorum's positions seem extreme, divisive, and down-right cruel in some cases.

Many of the right-leaning pundits are busy seeking out the most Conservative candidate for the Republican nominee to unseat Obama.

For the most part, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain each has been the Conservative darling for a time. Newt tried to convince that he is a rock-solid Conservative.

I balanced the budget for four straight years, paid off $405 billion in debt, pretty conservative. The first Wealth Entitlement Reform of your lifetime... pretty conservative. First tax cut in 16 years, largest capital gains tax cut in American history. Unemployment came down to 4.2 percent, pretty conservative.

(It) is sort laughable to suggest that somebody who campaigned with Ronald Reagan and with Jack Kemp and has had a 30-year record of conservatism is somehow not a conservative?

Did you get the subtle inference that Newt thinks he's a conservative? Too bad others don't seem to agree.

But the candidate who may truly be the most Conservative, may just be too Conservative for his own good, or for the country:

"While no political candidate, or human being for that matter, is perfect, Rick Santorum's baggage contains his clothes," CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch said Thursday after Santorum's virtual tie with Romney in the Iowa caucuses won the support of the 600,000-member online organization.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/05/3638627/conservatives-pushing-for-unity.html#storylink=cpy

Oh really? I think that Santorum's baggage is filled with his own words:

I believe that, that any doctor who performs an abortion--that--I would advocate that any doctor that performs an abortion should be criminally charged for doing so.

His views on same-sex marriage are certain to raise more than a few eyebrows:

"Because I believe we are made the way God made man and woman and man and woman come together to have a union to produce children which keeps civilization going and provide the best environment for children to be raised," Santorum said. "I think that is something society should value and should give privileged status over a group of people who want to have a relationship together."

His thoughts on homosexuality in general are perplexing:

I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.... I have no problem with someone who has other orientations. The question is, do you act upon those orientations? So it's not the person, it's the person's actions...

He is widely reported to have suggested that same-sex marriage and unions is ‘bad behavior.’ He has suggested that calling same-sex marriage a marriage would be like calling a cup of tea a basketball and would seem to have no qualms about nullifying all same-sex marriages on the books.

But, of course, that's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be.

He seems opposed to contraception on all levels, reportedly calling contraceptives dangerous and not OK.

“One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country,” the former Pennsylvania senator explained. “It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be."

His voting record will certainly come under scrutiny:

• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation.
• Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes.
• Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
• Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage.

While I do not think that the "social" issues will hold a strong influence in the 2012 election, Santorum's positions seem extreme, divisive, and down-right cruel in some cases.

I hope that New Hampshire and the rest of the country decides to vote NO on Santorum.

UPDATED:
Well, in addition to his hoof-in-mouth predilection towards gays, Santorum is now blathering on about women, a key demographic in the upcoming election. In addition to the possibly out-of-context remarks on birth control being harmful to women, he is questioning a woman's ability to serve in the front lines in the military.

Rick Santorum raised some eyebrows by saying women should not be in combat because of the “the types of emotions involved.” Now, Santorum says, he is also concerned about “physical strength and capability” of women in combat situations.

The emotional issues involved, he belated assures, involve the men. Santorum believes that the men would be more concerned with protecting... a woman in a vulnerable position than performing the mission. The old Damsel in Distress canard.

Yeah, this fellow would be an easy, easy target for Obama to take down. Pass.