Republican Catholics cool so far to Rick Santorum

[cbayer]

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2012/03/18/republican_catholics_cool_so_far_to_rick_santorum/



By Rachel Zoll And Kasie Hunt
Associated Press / March 18, 2012

He told the San Juan congregation that he felt "very blessed" to be with people of faith and said he can withstand the demands of campaigning because of the many people like them he meets while running for president.

"The first thing they almost always say to me, `I'm praying for you,'" Santorum said. "It works."

It's the kind of spirit-infused language that is helping Santorum connect with evangelical Republicans, who have fueled his strong showing in state after state. Yet, in one of the more puzzling developments among many in the GOP contest, he's nowhere near as successful with his fellow Roman Catholics.

Across all states where Republican primary voters were asked their religion in exit polls, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, trounced Santorum among Catholics, with an average margin of victory above 20 percentage points. Even in Southern states, where Romney has struggled, Catholics broke his way.

more at link

[HockeyMom]

1. Maybe because Catholics already have a Pope in Rome

and don't want another one in the White House?

[cbayer]

3. Lol, good point. Actually, I think Santorum's extreme views just don't jibe with

your average Catholic.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Maybe a lot of Catholics think he makes their religion

look weird and medieval.

[cbayer]

4. That's what I think as well. I assumed he was an extreme evangelical fundamentalist

and was surprised to find out he was Catholic.

[skepticscott]

13. Catholicism has never needed

Rick Santorum's help with that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. I wasn't going to say it...

[immoderate]

5. Not surprising to me.

I grew up in a mostly Jewish neighborhood in NYC. But there were lots of Catholics, and we rode the trains together when I was going to high school. In general, I didn't see much difference between our secular orientation and theirs. As far as I could tell attitudes toward religion were that we put up with it.

My first exposure was to evangelicals, in high school, shocked me. My reaction was something along the lines of, "You really believe this bullshit?" I was incredulous.

Yeah, I had led a sheltered life. And except for some orthodox Jews, I had not experienced that before. I believed that kind of primitivism was rare.

But now, I can see that urban Catholics would be turned off to Santorum's fundamentalism. They think he's meshuge.


--imm

[cbayer]

6. Although I was raised by a minister, I also never met any evangelicals until

much later in my life.

I did not know that there were those who read the Bible literally or who actually believed that there was one way and one way only.

I did grow up around a lot of Catholics, and while there ideas about purgatory, heaven and hell, and confession were confusing to me, they seemed a lot like me.

I don't think I have ever met a Catholic like Santorum.

[kestrel91316]

8. He's a Catholic Fundie. They do exist. See my post #7 below.

[kestrel91316]

7. I have a Republican friend who just LOVES Santorum.

We dated over 25 years ago. He was raised Catholic and considered the priesthood in his youth (I didn't know this when we dated).

Fast forward 25+ years: he finds and friends me on FB. He has been married for 20+ years and separated for 3. Staying married so the wife can be on his GUBMINT-PROVIDED medical insurance policy. Has two nearly-grown sons (in the Boy Scouts, of course). Oh, and he has gone fundie, in a weird hybrid Catholic/Protestant way.

He knows I am a liberal and a feminist and fervently agnostic. And he wants to start dating, and apparently never really got over me. He mistrusts Romney because he's A MORMON, and that's false doctrine!!!1!!11!!! He opposes gay marriage, but knows better than to express any RW views on women's rights to me (at least so far). But like I said, he LOVES Santorum.

We had lunch once. We will likely go to a museum or two, and he wants me to bake him some homemade bread. I'll remind you he is STILL MARRIED, and has not filed for divorce yet to my knowledge.

He fancies himself respectful of women and a godly person. But I can see where this is going. As my assistant summed it up, "He wants sex."

Much hilarity is likely to ensue because, godforsaken heathenish harlot, slut, and prostitute that I am, it will be a cold day in hell before I EVER have sex with a MARRIED SANTORUM SUPPORTER. I plan to ask him that since sex is only for procreation, how is it that WE had sex all those years ago for fun when I used BIRTH CONTROL and now that I am menopausal there is zero point to sex at all, so why is it permissible? And in 20+ years of married life he only had sex with his poor wife TWICE??? No wonder she wanted out.

When we broach moral issues on FB he quotes bible verses instead of coming up with independent statements BASED on interpretation of bible verses. I don't even know how to respond, lol.

He is not a bad person, just seriously misguided, and blind to hypocrisy (his own and that of others). His heart seems to be in the right place, but I don't know if I can move him one iota to the left.

[cbayer]

9. it will be a cold day in hell before I EVER have sex with a MARRIED SANTORUM SUPPORTER.

Hilarious.

Sounds like a fun guy, Kestrel!

[kestrel91316]

11. He's a friend. I hope we can keep it that way.

I don't see me ever wanting to marry this one, lol.

[cbayer]

12. Some people are teachable and cling to things out of fear or ignorance.

One just never knows.

[immoderate]

10. Your assistant got it right.

He is a member of Hypocrisy-R-Us.

They have a belief that they are so righteous, that their bullshit is a virtue.


--imm

[Silent3]

15. If it weren't for numerous sources confirming Santorum's Catholicism...

...I would have simply assumed he belonged to some church that prominently features the words "Christ" and/or "Bible" in its name, and that he spent a fair portion of his free time speaking in tongues and handling snakes.

It's no surprise few American Catholics identify with this man.