Presidential Candidate: Former Senator Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum may be best known for the colloquial repurposing of his surname. The gay rights website that redefines it is (unfortunately for the innocent-minded researcher or concerned citizen) the first result when one googles “santorum”.

His tenure in the congress is known for his family values agenda. He is against equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, and voted against including sexual orientation in hate crime legislation. He has described sexual abuse of male children by male adults as a “basic homosexual act”, despite the many differences between consensual adult relations between same-sex adults and child molestation.

Santorum does not believe in thorough separation of church and state.He believes that drawing a line between your personal religious beliefs and your public responsibility “sounds good, but is the corruption of freedom of conscience.” He finds the libertarian influence within the Republican party to be amoral, because of their disapproval of government involvement regarding personal and moral decisions. He does not believe a “right to privacy” exists under the Constitution as established in Roe v. Wade, and that the government is responsible for regulating “incredibly important moral issues”.

A firm believer in corporatism, Santorum consistently votes to empower international trade treaties and lower taxes. He has voted several times against increases on the minimum wage, and fought for the Welfare Reform Act in 1998. He believes in allowing migrant workers into the US, but opposes coverage for them under welfare and social security. His website describes him as a believer in American exceptionalism.

The former senator has an unabashed intent to bomb Iran and deploy ground troops in order to prevent Iran’s nuclear energy program from enriching uranium. He insists that the Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz was a preamble to war.

Santorum also has a torrid history in the lobbying industry since his departure from Congress. He received over $700,000 from one Pennsylvania healthcare company that profited from one of the bill he introduced during his tenure and lobbied for multiple corporations.

Santorum is not an especially promising presidential candidate, despite his experience. His extremely conservative stances on social issues and privacy rights will deter many voters. His surprise surge to a statistical tie (technically winning with 34 votes but tying in delegates) with frontrunner Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucuses gave his campaign a novel credence, however his recent finish in New Hampshire is a reminder that he does not have the money or infrastructure to stay in the race much longer. He is currently polling at 13.5% nationally, firmly in the middle of the pack. The South Carolina Primary will be a true test to see if he can actually compete against Mitt Romney.