What I like about Rick Santorum

By Tom Quiner

Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich

I like something about each Republican candidate.

There is something I very much like about Rick Santorum: he is authentic.

This is a huge deal in the year 2012. Many Republicans look at Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich and have concerns about what they really stand for.

Independent voters have legitimate concerns about what Barack Obama really stands for (see: Do you really trust Barack Obama more than Newt Gingrich; and “Gingrich v Obama:  who is really more trustworthy?”)

Rick Santorum, along with Ron Paul, stand out for presenting a consistent, authentic message. Agree or not, voters have little doubt that Rick Santorum is sincere in his convictions. If he is elected, we know what we’re getting. That case can’t be made with Mitt Romney. Although I think we can count on Newt Gingrich to deliver high stakes conservative accomplishment, too many Republicans and Independents don’t share my confidence.

Not so with Rick Santorum. Wall Street Journal columnist and best-selling author, Peggy Noonan, describes him with hefty adjectives that make us stop and listen closely. She describes him as “intelligent, accomplished, experienced, highly sophisticated, someone not screaming a slogan or selling a book.”

In other words, serious.

His economic plan is pro-growth, but not as robust as New Gingrich’s. He wants to simplify the tax code by reducing deductions and rates. Good.

He wants to lower capital gains tax rates. Good. President Obama, his economic instincts always exactly wrong, wants to increase it. Newt Gingrich, though, wants to eliminate it which would have a tremendously positive impact on new business and job creation. Although Gingrich’s plan is better, Santorum’s instincts are good on everything except this: he wants a targeted reduction in corporate income tax rates for manufacturers.

Sounds good, but we don’t government picking winners and losers. Both parties have done way too much of this over the years. Mr. Obama’s embarrassing green energy industrial policy is the latest case in point.

Like every candidate, Rick Santorum has some winning ideas, some that look to be less winning when it comes to the economy. What he offers more than every single candidate, though, is character.

That is worth a lot.

2 Comments

  1. Roger Rowland on January 9, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    Good article. I am a Santorum supporter, so not surprising that I like this article. I know from some of your past articles that you are supporting Gingrich as your 1st choice. Nonetheless….you’ve provided very fair treatment to Santorum in this article. Good job.



  2. Rhonda on January 10, 2012 at 8:43 am

    I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Senator Santorum last summer at an Informed choices luncheon. I fired not a few questions at him and he answered each thoughtfully and respectfully and satisfied my concerns. If he is unelectable as many polls would suggest it is not because he is unqualified. It is because a people who support abortion even in cases of rape, incest, life of mother (3% of abortions are for this teason) and gay unions will vote for a man less convicted on the moral issues. But God does not compromise with sin and therefore those who follow Him shouldn’t either.