Santorum Dismisses Rand Paul’s 2016 Prospects: ‘The Republican Party Is Not A Libertarian Party’

The Daily Caller ^ | May 6, 2014 | Brendan Bordelon

[2ndDivisionVet]

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum dismissed Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s 2016 presidential ambitions, claiming “the Republican Party is not a libertarian party” and suggesting few GOP voters would be swayed by Paul’s small government message.

Santorum swiped at the senator Monday during an appearance on CNN’s “Crossfire,” where he told left-wing host Van Jones that Republicans “need a positive agenda” to win in 2014 and 2016.

“So positive agenda,” Jones replied. “Rand Paul, who now seems to be everywhere. He’s the frontrunner in your party. Do you agree with his ideas, are you going to support Rand Paul?”

“Well looking, as I said before, there’s diversity in the Republican Party . . . ” Santorum ventured cautiously.

But Van Jones pressed on, asking if Paul is “the new face of the Republican Party? Is this your leader?”

“Well — no he’s not MY leader, I can tell you that for sure,” Santorum laughed. “His father and I had some disagreements during the last campaign.”

“If a libertarian like him becomes the leader of the Republican Party — gets the nomination — would you vote for them?” Jones continued.

“Well first off, I don’t think that will happen,” Santorum claimed, “because the Republican Party is not a libertarian party, it is a conservative party....

[freebilly]

Wouldn’t that make us the RINOs, then?

'zactly....

[CaptainK]

He seems to be popping up on NBC and MSNBC more and more.

[Washi]

I know that this is not a popular opinion on this forum, but there are many shades of "libertarian".

"Libertarian" and "conservative" are not mutually exclusive.

And someone up-thread was correct: today's Republican party is neither.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

He’s trying to sell a book.

[conservative98]

[grania]

Santorum's a lightweight

He does seem to lack the wisdom and vision thing. Any party that's going to change DC can't win by alienating all of Rand Raul's supporters. Santorum should've said something positive about Rand Paul, maybe the privacy/drone issue and the need to muzzle the Federal Reserve. Last nomination, he had a shot at it as the last standing perceived conservative, and then he had to start talking about the "need to comrpomise".

Principles cannot be compromised, if they're really principles. In those quick comments, Santorum has shown us that he doesn't get it and won't bring people together to improve things. JMHO

[Plummz]

When has Santorum ever been anti-drone or anti-Fed? He ain’t.

[grania]

So why is he even Republican? He’s preaching to the choir about family values in the Republican Party. He might do some good changing hearts and minds as a dem.

[SecAmndmt]

Santorum is a sociopath personally, and a national socialist in his politics.

I’ll never forget that he attacked the concept of limited government during the last primary. Anything Santorum says about any real conservative R, constitutionalist, or socially conservative libertarian can be understood in that context.