Rick Santorum is an idiot, a bigot, and morally inconsistent...

[tyr_13]

OK, so I could use that against regular Muslims, I'm sure some of their beliefs overlap with Al Qeada's positions.

That would of course be wrong, but it's OK for Republican candidates?

Why would that be wrong? If their belief is harmful, and is the same one that Al Qeada advocates, then they are alike in that regard and they can both be criticized in the same way. So yes, if a 'regular Muslim' holds the same belief about say, homosexuality as Al Qeada does, than they are comparable in that regard.

Let's Godwin the thread shall we? Let's say that there is a 'regular family loving gentleman' who believes that the Jews are immoral, evil things that cause economic and social devastation. Would the comparison to Nazis be misplaced simple because the gentleman only advocates making Jewish acts illegal, and not for the genocide of the Jews? No, of course that doesn't invalidate the comparison, and certainly doesn't invalidate using the Nazis as an example of why that belief is harmful.

Of course such comparisons can be made fallaciously, notably when the compared trait is irrelevant. That isn't the case here.

 

[tyr_13]

Santorum is not advocating violence.

His predjudice is because he is being ignorant, and has had a lack of exposure to homosexual people. It's not based on hate like the KKK is.

What has led you to this conclusion?

 

[Pardalis]

This is no excuse.

I've had no exposure to actual Iranians. Does that mean it's acceptable for me to bigoted toward them? What about if it's people from, say, Michigan?

It doesn't make it acceptable, but I don't think Santorum is not unlike alot of regular American conservative people, he seems to have a strong sense of family, or what he thinks family ought to be, and if he's shown examples of loving gay families that work then might rethink his position. These people can be swayed by example.

People like the KKK will never change their minds because their worldview is based on hate and a bloated sense of their superiority.

 

[Pardalis]

If your definition of bigotry does not encompass people who publicly conflate homosexuality and bestiality, then your definition of the word is very different from mine.

I think it's more an ignorant statement.

 

[RandFan]

Ignorance only goes so far. Santorum is running for president. To accept that he is so ignorant that he does not understand the depth of harm his words convey would render him an idiot. Okay. I'm happy to go with that.

 

[Robrob]

He's got a 2% approval rate. Who cares what he says?

 

[WildCat]

Santorum should NOT be a viable candidate at all.

Do you have evidence that he is?

 

[RandFan]

Do you have evidence that he is?

Okay, I'm going to give you that. He damn well shouldn't be standing on any f'ng dais.

 

[RandFan]

He's got a 2% approval rate. Who cares what he says?

I do. So long as the GOP allows people advance hateful rhetoric then they damn well deserve to be tied with it. If it were David Duke instead of Santorum I'd be making the same point.

 

[Robrob]

I understand your point but I also think that outliers on the far fringes (of any political POV) know the only way they are going to get attention is by making such "outrageous" comments.

 

[Tricky]

Santorum is not advocating violence.

His predjudice is because he is being ignorant, and has had a lack of exposure to homosexual people. It's not based on hate like the KKK is.

Wow, I think you have the makings of Rick's next campaign ad!

"Rick Santorum: He's not as bad as the KKK!"

 

[Ladewig]

I think it's more an ignorant statement.

For someone who lived his whole life up in the holler in Buncombe County, North Carolina, I would agree that it is ignorance. But Mr. Santorum has worked with homosexuals when he was elected to the House. If a man who has a law degree and an M.B.A. and who has served in the Senate (and for 6 years was the third ranking Republican in the Senate) and who claims to be knowledgeable enough to be the most qualified man to run for president conflates homosexuality with bestiality, then he cannot hide behind the label of ignorance. The man is a bigot. Furthermore, he never backed down from that position. He never claimed he was misquoted or misunderstood. For Mr. Santorium to say such a thing is bigotry.

In fact, Dan Savage (the columnist who popularized the neologism) has often said that if Mr. Santorium recants his statements, then Savage will take down the website and encourage his readers to stop using the word.

 

[RandFan]

I understand your point but I also think that outliers on the far fringes (of any political POV) know the only way they are going to get attention is by making such "outrageous" comments.

Okay, I understand.

 

[Brainster]

I do. So long as the GOP allows people advance hateful rhetoric then they damn well deserve to be tied with it. If it were David Duke instead of Santorum I'd be making the same point.

What a pesky thing that first amendment is!

 

[bikerdruid]

What a pesky thing that first amendment is!

and the more he spews that hatred, the more the abysmally far right lap it up.
do you honestly not find that a grim fact?

 

[RandFan]

What a pesky thing that first amendment is!

I think it's GREAT! The GOP has every right to stand up for bigotry, homophobia, immorality AND stupidity. And I have every right to call them out on it. Democracy and free speech are beautiful things in deed.

Thanks for the softball. The check is in the mail.

 

[Pardalis]

and the more he spews that hatred, the more the abysmally far right lap it up.
do you honestly not find that a grim fact?

We've been through this before, Brainster isn't far-right, you on the other hand are far-left, by your own admission, so anyone who is right-to-center seems far-right to you because your field of view is distorted.

 

[BobTheDonkey]

It doesn't make it acceptable, but I don't think Santorum is not unlike alot of regular American conservative people, he seems to have a strong sense of family, or what he thinks family ought to be, and if he's shown examples of loving gay families that work then might rethink his position. These people can be swayed by example.

People like the KKK will never change their minds because their worldview is based on hate and a bloated sense of their superiority.

6 of one, half dozen of the other.

 

[Brainster]

I think it's GREAT! The GOP has every right to stand up for bigotry, homophobia, immorality AND stupidity. And I have every right to call them out on it. Democracy and free speech are beautiful things in deed.

Thanks for the softball. The check is in the mail.

Whiff! You said:

So long as the GOP allows people [to] advance hateful rhetoric

What would you suggest the GOP do? Ban hateful rhetoric? If your point is that little Ricky shouldn't be up on the stage of the debates I'd agree (based on his polling, which is pathetic). But when you say we should not allow hateful rhetoric to be advanced, I do not.

 

[MaGZ]

I think the real problem is that those nasty, mean-spirited Republicans aren't going to give Randfan a chance to vote against Santorum, since he seems fated for an early exit from the primaries.

After Iowa he will drop out and endorse Newt, hoping to be his VP pick.