At GOP Debate, Rick Santorum Says He Respects The Democratic Party Because 'They Fight'

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At GOP Debate, Rick Santorum Says He Respects
The Democratic Party Because 'They Fight’

ibtimes.com/gop-debate-rick-santorum-says-he-respects-democratic-party-because-they-fight-2178481
During the Fox Business Network presidential debate, moderators asked the Republican presidential candidates who in the Democratic Party they respect. While Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal deflected the question and led his fellow White House hopefuls to do the same, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum ultimately circled back and answered the question, and then some.
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“You know who I respect in the Democratic Party?” he asked as his voice crept to a louder tone. “You know why I respect them? Because they fight!”
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the last word straddling a full-fledged yell, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
“Because they’re not willing to back down and they’re willing to stand up and fight and win. And so I respect them because they are willing to take it to us!”
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I took this as a “give the devil his due …” type of statement. Not that “respect” for the devil is to be construed as moral equivalence with “respect” for God - as it were (explaining that popular saying) … but more on the lines of respecting one’s adversary enough to build good defenses, prepare for their attacks, and, in the Santorum quote’s sense, IMO, to match their unapologetic zeal with similar strength - so as to prevail in the conflict.

Ronald Reagan put it positively in his admonition for the GOP to "paint in bold colors,not in pale pastels (or being Democrat Lite as I understood him).

The question “Which Democrat do you respect most?” from the Fox Business News Debate hosts was a non-winner that Jindal, Christie and Huckabee avoided altogether - but Santorum (while also not naming ONE) seemed to make the point that the GOP does NOT fight as hard for what it believes as the Democrats do.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/gop-debate-rick-santorum-yells-democrat-congress-vstan-orig-cws.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/ < Interestingly, I could not find a video of Santorum’s actual statement at the time I posted this on FOX, the host network.

THIS from CNN.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/gop-debate-rick-santorum-yells-democrat-congress-vstan-orig-cws.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/

Being the only one to engage the question did allow Santorum to get in his position on
funding intrastructure repairs* before getting his " … they fight!" sound bite in.
  • (more money directly to the states … less federal involvement … which he suggested by funded by redirecting 3 - 5 cents of the federal per gallon gas tax to go to the states)
cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/rick-santorum-automobile-bailout-gop-debate-orig-jnd-vstan-sot.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/10/13/democratic-debate-candidates-proudest-enemies-30.cnn < When Democratic candidates got asked a “similar question” it was put more in a manner of a volleyball set for a spike (for their base) than as a challenging query, IMO.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/rick-santorum-automobile-bailout-gop-debate-orig-jnd-vstan-sot.fox-business < Again its CNN that has a video up on this, not Fox so far :confused: but it does show that some questions of substance were asked (and aswered) on Tuesday’s debate.
 
In general I would say that this is true of socially liberal folk. While I profoundly disagree with what they say on issues around sex, religion and morality, one can’t deny the courage and tenacity that many of them have displayed over the years. They fought hard, they fought smart, and they were willing to slog it out, year after year, decade after decade to obtain their objective. They’ve run a better narrative, and generally been a lot more patient in building their infrastructure.
 
Well I guess if he considers lying to get their way the same as “fighting” then they are good lia…“fighters”.
 
Actually, as someone who watched this debate (and not the main event yet), it came across as odd because it went off track of the question at the time (it had already been asked, but the moderators had long since lost control of the debate) and because the mic went crazy on him and it sounded like he was shouting (with unwanted distortions).

The point was solid, but it came across oddly to someone watching it live (that’s why I suspect he didn’t get much of an audience response).
 
Deus_tecum said:
Well I guess if he considers lying to get their way the same as “fighting” then they are good lia…“fighters”.
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I am not sure one can really claim there is much difference between republicans and democrats when it comes to basic honesty.
 
CaptFun said:
At GOP Debate, Rick Santorum Says He Respects
The Democratic Party Because 'They Fight’

ibtimes.com/gop-debate-rick-santorum-says-he-respects-democratic-party-because-they-fight-2178481

I took this as a “give the devil his due …” type of statement. Not that “respect” for the devil is to be construed as moral equivalence with “respect” for God - as it were (explaining that popular saying) … but more on the lines of respecting one’s adversary enough to build good defenses, prepare for their attacks, and, in the Santorum quote’s sense, IMO, to match their unapologetic zeal with similar strength - so as to prevail in the conflict.

Ronald Reagan put it positively in his admonition for the GOP to "paint in bold colors,not in pale pastels (or being Democrat Lite as I understood him).

The question “Which Democrat do you respect most?” from the Fox Business News Debate hosts was a non-winner that Jindal, Christie and Huckabee avoided altogether - but Santorum (while also not naming ONE) seemed to make the point that the GOP does NOT fight as hard for what it believes as the Democrats do.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/gop-debate-rick-santorum-yells-democrat-congress-vstan-orig-cws.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/ < Interestingly, I could not find a video of Santorum’s actual statement at the time I posted this on FOX, the host network.

THIS from CNN.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/gop-debate-rick-santorum-yells-democrat-congress-vstan-orig-cws.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/

Being the only one to engage the question did allow Santorum to get in his position on
funding intrastructure repairs* before getting his " … they fight!" sound bite in.
  • (more money directly to the states … less federal involvement … which he suggested by funded by redirecting 3 - 5 cents of the federal per gallon gas tax to go to the states)
cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/rick-santorum-automobile-bailout-gop-debate-orig-jnd-vstan-sot.fox-business/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/10/13/democratic-debate-candidates-proudest-enemies-30.cnn < When Democratic candidates got asked a “similar question” it was put more in a manner of a volleyball set for a spike (for their base) than as a challenging query, IMO.

cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/11/11/rick-santorum-automobile-bailout-gop-debate-orig-jnd-vstan-sot.fox-business < Again its CNN that has a video up on this, not Fox so far :confused: but it does show that some questions of substance were asked (and aswered) on Tuesday’s debate.
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That is correct; they keep fighting and never give up or give in, until they get their way. If Republicans had shown 1/2 of that resolve we would all be better off.
 


barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/probe_with_bayonets
"Probe with bayonets. If you encounter steel, withdraw. If you encounter mush, continue” is credited to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924).
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The book The Unknown Lenin:
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From the Secret Archive (1996) includes this from September 1920:
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“

[W]
e said among ourselves that we must probe with bayonets whether the social revolution of the proletariat in Poland had ripened.”
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This sort of “wartime commitment” comes close to what we see philosophically from the more radical Democrats. And struck me as what Santorum was talking about.

I wonder if things like advocating for “gay marriage” - which neither Obama nor Hillary Clinton did in 2008 - became a trial balloon … or a probing with a philosophical bayonet … to test the resolve of the GOP to stop it if they adopted that position.

Also called “pushing the envelope” the Democratic Party (or at least its most radical elements - though not on the fringe of the Party at present … but seemingly in charge IMO) has done some of this sort of thing re: Religious Freedom in the forcing of religious groups to go against even their own core values and moral teachings in favor of government mandates. Inventing hitherto nonexistant mandates like Catholic hospitals and Universities paying for employees’ artificial birth control devices or even abortions(!) - i.e. “mortal sins” must be sanctioned even on what used to be considered “holy ground”.

Fighting for THESE things is wrong IMO. But like Santorum I can almost admire their zeal in pursuing their errors - more than the lukewarm defense against such incursions sometimes found in the GOP “defenders” of my position … who don’t resist much, accede to most incursions like a brake pedal instead of a wall … and who’d be appalled at the very idea of a counter-attack against their “colleagues”. Even if their own party’s base would have it so.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
So, Democrats fight hard for abortion rights and gay marriage. And the GOP, and Christians, are more like non-combatants when it comes to fighting back.
 
CaptFun said:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7b/17/94/7b1794468a23ce76c150c1af1be094ee.jpg

barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/probe_with_bayonets

This sort of “wartime commitment” comes close to what we see philosophically from the more radical Democrats. And struck me as what Santorum was talking about.

I wonder if things like advocating for “gay marriage” - which neither Obama nor Hillary Clinton did in 2008 - became a trial balloon … or a probing with a philosophical bayonet … to test the resolve of the GOP to stop it if they adopted that position.

Also called “pushing the envelope” the Democratic Party (or at least its most radical elements - though not on the fringe of the Party at present … but seemingly in charge IMO) has done some of this sort of thing re: Religious Freedom in the forcing of religious groups to go against even their own core values and moral teachings in favor of government mandates. Inventing hitherto nonexistant mandates like Catholic hospitals and Universities paying for employees’ artificial birth control devices or even abortions(!) - i.e. “mortal sins” must be sanctioned even on what used to be considered “holy ground”.

Fighting for THESE things is wrong IMO. But like Santorum I can almost admire their zeal in pursuing their errors - more than the lukewarm defense against such incursions sometimes found in the GOP “defenders” of my position … who don’t resist much, accede to most incursions like a brake pedal instead of a wall … and who’d be appalled at the very idea of a counter-attack against their “colleagues”. Even if their own party’s base would have it so.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...the_church_of_the_cross/lukewarm-title-hd.jpg
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I agree. The Democrats are not afraid to fight for what they want. Republicans used to be hesitant to come out and say they were pro-life or anti- abortion. Even if they were pro-life they felt they had to dance around the subject or avoid it altogether. However, It seems to me that in this campaign, the GOP candidates finally have gotten more courage to speak up against planned parenthood. The problem is that it is so late in coming. And things have really gotten out of control. It reminds me of a video that I watched recently on facebook of a substitute teacher being bullied and harassed by a bunch of high school students. She had no control at all and coward away from the students not even looking them in the eye. I don’t know if she was afraid to confront them for fear of being accused of abuse or whether she was just in shock at such disrespect and felt helpless at her lack of control of the situation. youtube.com/watch?v=a71IUZinSrM
 
JimG said:
So, Democrats fight hard for abortion rights and gay marriage. And the GOP, and Christians, are more like non-combatants when it comes to fighting back.
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That’s my take. Can’t speak for exactly what Santorum meant.

But “fighting BACK” (you are attacked and on defense but do defend yourself unto at least repulsing the attackers) is just one level of conflict. And done half-heartedly is more like a delayed “surrender of sorts” (SOS) :(.

On the abortion front, at least, fighting BACK, is ramped up to “getting rid of Roe v. Wade” and making abortions illegal again. But again there can be many levels of conflict, in which to be committed and combative or … lukewarm and resigned.

Not to be seen so far are creative counterrattacks in the culture war … such as, say …
leaving abortion LEGAL … but making it illegal to earn money from it. Result: similar to Ireland up until now (where it had been illegal and not done in the country) … only the most committed to abortion people would have them … and they’d go outside of the country to do it.

My take on Santorum’s words is that he’d like the GOP to “fight” more and make peace by surrendering less (on those things he is committed to).
 
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