From Asia Times: Rick Santorum Has a Mission from God (But it’s Not to Be President)
from today’s Spengler essay at Asia Times Online:
Rick Santorum is on a mission from God. He believes that, with all his heart. I do, too: I think that God has a plan for Rick Santorum, and that God wants him to save the United States of America. That plan, though, doesn’t include being president, not, at least in 2012.
In his most recent fund-raising pitch (which – full disclosure – I receive as a Santorum contributor), the Republican presidential candidate appears in a video, telling a story about his first campaign for congress, when he defeated a seemingly unsinkable incumbent.
Knocking on doors in Pittsburgh, Santorum encountered an invalid shut-in, and chose to sit down the old man and chat a while, rather than hustle off to the next house. The old man had a big family and mobilized them all for the young Santorum. An act of kindness, Santorum explained, gave him an electoral advantage by the grace of God. The old man was dying, and refused to go to hospital before Election Day, mindful of his promise to vote for Santorum. He did so and died a few days later.
I buy into every word of Santorum’s's story. A lot of things happen that don’t seem accidental. As the 18th century founder of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov said, when you go on a journey, you only think you’re going to do whatever you set out to do, whereas in fact, God has sent you on that journey, to do something that only you can do. You’ll find out what that is when you get there. I have no trouble believing that Santo rum’s's courtesy to a sick old man was part of God’s plan to put Rick Santorum right at the fulcrum of American politics.It’s within Santo rum’s's power to be the savior of his country. All he needs to do is issue something like the following statement some time during the next two weeks:
Click here for the rest.
Eloquent. True. And most unfortunately, apparently not gonna happen:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/01/Santorum-Not-Going-Anywhere
It looks from here that once someone has been in politics long enough, the thirst for personal glory becomes an insurmountable addiction.
Dang. Well, you should have a happy and kosher Pesach anyway, and stay Spengleriffic!
The Republicans need Romney to open up more to faith, far more than they need the faiths to submit to Romney. Santorum has to stay strong, and not throw in the towel, to keep the momentum on social issues. He should stay in, for the same reason Ron Paul is staying for the ride. It strengthens the party. The right amount of division creates a focus of its own.
Romney’s brain dead tax cut rhetoric shows how little he understands the common man’s economic problems. Ron Paul is the economic candidate, and Santorum is the social candidate; Romney is everything and nothing. Conceding to him would be conceding defeat.
I wonder why he is favored over Gingrich as the blank slate guy.
I think, it’s better to think first about the electorate than about competence domains.
Rommney might be more attractive for swing voters and Santorum as VP would be a good assurance for conservative Republicans that their values would be taken care of in the new administration. The combination Paul/Santorum would not work in the whole country.
Notice the hatefest in the Asia Times comments section?
Spengler will Santorum do what you suggested? Does he have the fortitude to do so?
Yes, some of the lefty commenters at Asia Times are really despicable. For example, the reference to the few new weapons systems that BHO is permitting the US military to purchase to defend freedom as “wunderwaffen”.
Mr. Goldman,
Your fine comments are always worthy of review, and it’s with pleasure that I have discovered your presence here as well as elsewhere. May I ask about Mr. Santorum’s relationship with Opus Dei? I find many of your arguments about the current election to be interesting, and many of Mr. Santorum’s positions are laudable. But I have a great deal of difficulty with Opus Dei, which organization has an ethos that seems inimical to the American project. Your comments on this topic would be most welcome.
A.
I do tend to trust Spengler’s knowledge of the stratosphere economy.
He’s winning me over, I must admit. Time to choose.
I would take experience in Wall Street finance and the Governor’s office over a corrupt apparatchnik doing the false preacher routine.
The wealthier Mormons are going blue- I see that as a capable adaptation to the reality of the world. Romney doesn’t scare me- Santorum does. I’m afraid he’d go the cultural jihad route instead of focusing on Congressional financial shenanagins. At least Mittens would know what the corruptocrats are doing and attempt a deal with them, rather than just being railroaded by staffers.
Are there any hidden Mitt bombs for the Demmunists to exploit?
Alzaebo, well said.
To me the distinction is this: Mittens is a man with a mission. Santorum is a missionary.
Spengler,
U desperately need an INTERVENTION to wake u up to these religious whackos. I know u have extra hostility towards the left from ur own inside up close and personal experiences. But u need to realize that religious people are just as bad. I dont mock people of faith regardless of what their faith is. But MOST religious people r phonies and idiots. Just like on the left. The religious institutions are just like any other institution, that is to say they exist to protect the incompetent members and leaders from suffering the consequences of their stupidity and incompetence. How can u tell the difference between a religious phony and a person of GENUINE faith? Simple. The person of REAL faith doesnt need to go around PREACHING morality to everyone else. Santorum is a moron and a phony and an idiot! And I seriously question his competency.
If someone is against abortion or birth control dont have one! Period. Seriously, what kind of moron in 2012 talks about birth control? Why is this a matter for a candidate for PRESIDENCY of the US? The Gipper was against abortion. But he didnt get up on his stump and make an issue of it and divide the country. With the state of affairs in this country we have a moron making this about abortion and birth control? And YOU support this guy?
Make no mistake. I assert that the left wing is just a reactionary movement against phony baloney religious BS artists. Stupid idiots like Santorum once had the power to manipulate people and control them. This power was often put in the hand of malevolent religious idiots who use their concern for saving souls as a front for accumulating their own wealth and power at the expense of the foolish sheeple. Noam Chomsky is the product of these malevolent scum bags of mediocre intellect using their power to push people around. I always say, Noam Chomsky must have had the most malevolent rabbis teaching him when he was a kid. And being the smartest guy in the world he saw right thru them. U see the incompetent religiosos crappy second rate sophistry doesnt work well on smart people and it had the effect of turning him the exact opposite way.
And u say “God Bless Rick Santorum”? To borrow from our narcissistic in chiefs former preacher…”GOD DAMN RICK SANTORUM”! U need MORE proof that he is the same scum bag narcissist as Obama? Why does he continue to run even if he has no chance? ITS ALL ABOUT RICK SANTORUN! He is a just another phony baloney scum bag hiding behind religious self righteousness. Hey Rick, if u and the Republicans insist on sticking ur noses in womens vaginas, u, ur party and this country will end up sucking ass. And that is where we r headed. Spengler, I really cant believe that u cant see what a narcissistic, self aggrandizing dick head he is. U really need a religious intervention! U need to get out of the Upper East Side once in a while and see the real titans of the religion business! Not all religious leaders r like the very real ones u associate with. People of REAL faith dont feel the need to compel others to follow. Those who preach all the time r phonies with some personal or economic agenda or more likely they dont have REAL faith and need reassurance of their peers…like a bunch of frat boys!
Spengler, u have a radar for left wing scum. Those of us who grew up with these religious phonies know the difference between those of faith and the opportunists. U really know nothing about religious people. And again I say this as ur biggest fan. They r just as bad as the people on the left.
And btw, Romney at least TRIES to keep his religion to himself and doesnt push his religious beliefs on others. Maybe that not good enough for the so called conservatives. I suppose they would feel much more comfortable with a REAL conservative like an adulterer who dumps his wife with cancer! THAT is a REAL conservative.
Romney has one MAJOR problem though. He is just too uncomfortable and embarassed by his massive wealth. He should be bragging about it as he is really a classic example of what conservatism is supposed to be about. Work hard and mind ur own business. He embodies EVERYTHING a conservative should be. But he is not good enough to satisfy the busy bodies who need to stick their noses in womens vaginas. If Santorum becomes president..Im moving to Canada or maybe Israel!
Also, has Vlad The (Muslim) Impaler been downgraded to “miscreant” in ur eyes? I say “Ad meah v’esrim shana” (Til 120 years)
Yes, and to think he once wrote a column titled “That Miscreant (Putin) for President”. Tongue in cheek of course, to prod the anti-Russia lobby elements in D.C. that pretend they’re not a tireless lobby for continuing the Cold War to kingdome come.
Looks like Santo is instead considering forming an anti-Romney with Newt: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/04/05/santorum-gingrich-unity-ticket/#!/Markhalperin/status/18791173551516467.
Uhgh … matzah would be easier to digest than this news.
For all his expressions of religious feelings Santo shows a distinct lack of humility.
correction:
Looks like Santo is instead considering forming an anti-Romney front with Newt: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/04/05/santorum-gingrich-unity-ticket/#!/Markhalperin/status/18791173551516467.
Uhgh … matzah would be easier to digest than this news.
For all his expressions of religious feelings Santo shows a distinct lack of humility.
Some tweets collected here on the subject of God, international politics, George Soros, and a recent ‘scandal’ involving the Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Kirill wearing an alleged 30k watch, plus half naked girl punk rock bands playing music in Russia’s most famous cathedral.
from the EquisMr files…
@MrDemocratist campaign to push Russia’s culture war buttons w/Western funding of pro-abort FEMEN and Pu$$^ Riot incident. Typical Soros in that he funds attacks on Catholic Church in US [with the unconstitutional anti-Catholic HHS mandate that David P. Goldman has rightly condemned] and ROC in Russia. This is prob of US conservatives as they cannot connect the dots between Soros’ notorious funding of U.S. Left authoritarians like MediaMatters with his Russia intrigues [Glenn Beck arguably got canned by Fox not only b/c he thought he was big enough to be without em', but for digging too deep into Mr. Soros' history as an asset behind the Iron Curtain in 1980s all the way up to Rose/Orange Revolutions in mid-2000s].
But it seems shrewd Pravmir churchmen like Metroplitan Hilarion Alfeyev know what is happening as does Patriarch Kirill. One irony lost on you and @streetwiseprofessor — most likely oligarch to have donated that watch to the Patriarch was Vladimir Yakunin. DoD has contracts w/Russian Railways for Afghanistan. Thus U.S. taxpayer may’ve [might have indirectly] funded [the scandal causing] watch!
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/religion/20110211-russian-orthodox-cleric-visits-dallas-churches-to-build-bridges.ece Note which person is in photo w/Met Hilarion in Dallas, TX [Feb. 2011] — H. Ross Perot Jr.’s father in law [Dad Perot 92' presidential candidate also likely in the loop given his history of private U.S. diplomacy contra G.H.W. Bush]. Reset happened b/c DoD [Department of Defense needed new supply lines to Afghanistan]/TX oilmen [Houston/Boeing] and lotsa of other wealthy folks in U.S. wanted it to happen, not b/c Obama a Commie lib Putin appeaser, SWP. Deeper game. And that deeper game disrupts the Weekly Standard/National Review narrative, which is why Kincaids necessary to keep U.S. Rightists from asking such q’s about Soros.
You can call me a conspiracy theorist if you like. But at least my theories make a lick of sense…
This illustrates why Russians are the world’s best chess players. Chess is the ultimate paranoid’s game. There are no insignificant moves, and all the pieces of the color conspire to dominate the board. The best American chess player in history, Bobby Fisher, was a certifiable paranoid schizophrenic.
Since Spengler is a fan of music, especially any pieces inspired by Bach, I thought this interview with the actual YouTube video/audio of a performance of Metropolitan Hilarion’s St. Matthew Passion piece would be of interest to Spenglerians:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/an-interview-with-metropolitan-hilarion-alfeyev
Touche David, but remember that much of Israel’s genes includes Russian/Ukrainian stock, particularly since 1980s. Even paranoids have enemies.