Posted on 02/22/2012 12:54:19 PM PST by SeekAndFind
MESA, Ariz. -- Some of Rick Santorum's advisers are frustrated and angry that reporters are focusing more on their candidate's statements about Satan than on his positions on the issues. Here in Arizona Tuesday, Santorum faced repeated questioning about portions of a 2008 speech at a Catholic university in Florida in which he said, "Satan is attacking the great institutions of America."
"I don't know what's newsmaking that Rick Santorum believes in right and wrong, good and evil, God and the devil," says one campaign aide. "I really don't know how that's out of the mainstream."
It's not. In 2007, the Gallup polling organization asked Americans whether they believe in God, in heaven, in hell, and in the devil. The results: 86 percent of those questioned said they believed in God, 81 percent in heaven, 70 percent in the devil, and 69 percent in hell.
Just 21 percent of those questioned said they do not believe in the devil, giving Satan a healthy 70-21 believe/disbelieve ratio. (Eight percent said they weren't sure.)
Santorum's aides believe it is unfair that reporters are asking questions about aspects of Santorum's faith and not asking similar questions about Mitt Romney's. Of course, Santorum has spoken more publicly about the details of his religious beliefs than Romney has, and that is why some of the questions are popping up now. On the other hand, some in the Santorum camp are pointing to a 2007 interview Romney did with Iowa radio talk show host Jan Mickelson in which Mickelson essentially goaded Romney into discussing, off-air but on-camera, a few details of Mormon beliefs. ("The Church says that Christ appears and splits the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem," Romney told Mickelson. "That’s what the Church says. And then, over a thousand years of the millennium, that the world is reigned in two places, Jerusalem and Missouri. . . . The law will come from Missouri, and the other will be from Jerusalem.")
But specifically religious questioning of Romney is as rare as specific Romney statements about Mormon beliefs. Given the current grilling of Santorum, that is a source of growing frustration to Santorum's advisers. "Why is Mormonism off limits?" asks one. "I'm not saying it's a seminal issue in the campaign, but we're having to spend days answering questions about Rick's faith, which he has been open about. Romney will turn on a dime when you talk about religion. We're getting asked about specific tenets of Rick's faith, and when Romney says, 'I want to focus on the economy,' they say, OK, we'll focus on the economy."
UPDATE: After this was posted, the Santorum adviser called back to stress that his "off limits" point was not specifically about Mormonism but rather that Santorum alone is being questioned about religion. He asked why Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, in addition to Romney, have not faced the level of questioning abour religion that Santorum has. In our original conversation, the adviser said, "If you're going to ask us, you need to ask everybody."
I wonder if Santorum will appear with ashes on his forehead...
i have no doubt he will have ashes.
But wait...I thought that last year, only 50% believed in God...
What if he does? So what. What if Newt does? Since he is a Catholic as well. So what? Is there a problem with that? I’m just asking.
Bye, bye!
A much more interesting question is; Will Newt?
The number of independents will soon be the majority/anti-you. Duh.
so, bye bye GOP ...
What’s so hard about this? When one of these questions come in, I would just say, “sorry, do you have any questions relevant to this campaign that I can answer for you. We’re not running for Pope”.
I’m just glad all those important issues are being addressed to the point where THIS is what we have to talk about.
I'm guessing you're applying that to Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism, as well.
RE: We should be talking about Obama and his destructive agenda not the devil
Don’t blame the GOP for this. BLAME THE MEDIA.
It was their research team that DUG UP a speech he made nearly 4 years ago IN A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY to make an issue out of it. Of course Matt Drudge played along too and prominently displayed it on his site where MILLIONS of readers can see it.
Republicans did not make a big deal out of this — THE LAMESTREAM MEDIA DID.
So you think independents will rush to the party of homosexual marriage, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia so as not to be associated with those extreeeeme Christians who believe in God and aren't ashamed of it?
As screwed up as this country is Rick is letting the MSM direct his campaign. We all know that this will be a major portion of the debates tonight for Santo. All the while Newt will be telling the country how we can get out of this mess.
If Santo get’s the nod and keeps running on these social issues Obummer is going to clean his clock.
Although in the Christian East we begin Lent on a Monday with clean faces, I do hope both Santorum and Gingrich turn up at the debate with their Lenten ashes still in place.
Santorum believes Satan is attacking America.
Romney believes it is Jesus’s brother that is attacking America.
I realize this though, can't blame this all on the media. Rick brought this up and his supporters are making this a crusade vs. in which we should be using our time to explain carefully what Obama, has done.. not in this way in which the media will use it against any reforms.
Thats a pretty lame cheapshot. Just because he brings up his Christianity publicly doesnt mean he is doing it in order to be noticed. Maybe he really believes it and is trying to spread the Word. But you bash him on by trying to predict the motives on something that he might do.
As for the President race, all three of them are big government in ways. So calling Santorum big govt just opens up people to exposing Newt’s flaws.
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