Social vs. Economic Issues

In a recent article about GOP presidential candidate, Ron Paul, it quotes him discussing how social issues are a losing position for the Republicans. Glenn’s response is, “he’s absolutely right.”

Frequent guest of the show and GOP presidential nominee, Rick Santorum, has been at the forefront of the talk on social issues—mostly because that’s exactly where the media would like him to be, as far away from President Obama’s record as possible.

Glenn believes that Rick Santorum has to “get back on track and start talking about the things that affect people’s lives.” He later adds, “He’s got to be a politician and start talking about Barack Obama’s energy policy, Barack Obama’s economic policy, Barack Obama’s military policy. He’s got to start talking about the things that Barack Obama has done to this country. He’s gutted this country.”

Obviously Glenn believes these things are important, but he also believes that it is our responsibility to focus on those things. In order to win an election against Obama, whoever the candidate is, the focus has to be the economy and energy.

In 2008 everyone thought John McCain was the guy because he was strong on war and the military. Glenn points out, “Instead of getting a guy who could talk the economy and could have talked circles around Barack Obama, we get – we get John McCain, who is totally prepared to speak about war; totally horrible on everything else. We’re doing the same thing. We’re doing the same thing. Rick Santorum is great on war. He’s great on the economy. He’s great on the size of government. He’s great on social issues. He’s great on the attack on faith. But you’ve got the politicians have got to be very, very clear and very strong and then move on.”

Pat responded by saying, “Well, the reason the social issues are not winning proposition for the nominee this time is because everybody’s focused on the economy,” And later added that “the Democrats are in such a bad position on the economy, they love the talk on contraceptives.”

When the key talking point becomes a false narrative on contraceptives, it has to be a sign your campaign is in trouble. Unfortunately, the Democrats control the media, which means the Democrats have the power to control the narrative the Republican candidates are not careful.

Republicans like Rick Santorum have to control the debate on these social issues, because the know the attacks are coming. Glenn gives a great example of what Rick Santorum should say when these issues come up:

“Look, we’re all Catholics now, and this is an attack on your faith. And people of faith have got to stand up and stand together. But there’s other attacks that are happening. The attacks how about the attack on your wallet. Gas it up 100%. Mr. Obama, what are you doing? I know you said your own policy will necessarily make energy prices skyrocket. There’s one promise you’ve kept.”

“That’s a winning propositions right there,” Pat responded. The President would have not be able to respond to that with him economic record or with his energy policy.

  • http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm snowleopard (cat folk gallery)

    This is what so many of us have been saying for a long time; and here is the lefts gameplan under Obama and Reid:

    Use the current budget to lay the groundwork for blaming the Republicans as unbending and unable to compromise; all the while Reid/Obama continue the same obstructionist tactics.

    Social matters – distractions and smoke screens to get the right focused on this matter; also use the matter to continue attacks on freedom of consience and religious expression.

    Economic – nearing Nov the next battle of the debt ceiling will reach it’s culmination; expect the mass media propaganda to slam home with a sudden shift in direction and broadside the nation; they will exploit any and all tricks in the book – medicare, social security, defense and all the rest.

    Again this is assuming we are not in another stupid war, and that Obama actually allows the elections to happen and does not simply declare martial law.

    Always watch the other hand, and the knife from the back; this POTUS plays a triple game all too well; we are nearing the end game for the future of the nation. May we be able to hold on and take it back in November.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Debra-Hampton/1056890366 Debra Hampton

    Mitt Romney has been talking about the economy and his ideas for fixing Washington DC for a long time.  He is the only Republican candidate that has any experience in leading a company as well as government.  With Santorum you have another Senator with no experience in leading just like Pres. Obama and look where that has gotten us. 

  • General Kota

    Rick Santorum needs to do what Glenn says on this because the left knows it screwed up this country with his do not drill ever so we make green peace happy and his economic policy close to OWS policy. Steal money from the rich.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LHXV4ZALVVFUWQ5VN5OV2UFHAU A A

    Glenn says: “Rick Santorum is great on… the size of government.”

    Really? A candidate who feels the government should meddle in what one does or doesn’t smoke, in whom one decides to have sex with, and in a womens’ reproductive rights doesn’t seem like the size of government I’m comfortable with. It seems a bit hypocritical to declare getting rid of food stamps, which is keeping a large part of americans alive, and scrapping the EPA, which protects us against toxic dumping, getting to the “right size” of government, but wanting to cut a government that has bases in over a hundred countries around the world and stop a police state that can lock you up for personal choices is not seen in the same light.

  • http://www.facebook.com/blackjjoe Joseph Eddings

    The main focus of Rick Santorum among conservatives is how much we love how conservative he is!!Mitt Romney’s focus among conservatives is the question or concern with his conservative beliefs.However, he talks about the main issue, which are the economy and defeating Obama. The latest polls of running Rick Santorum sounds nice, he is an honest conservative and I love the guy and he has great views, but like with McCain, were going to run the guy who the media has been focused on one topic with, and completely loose the election if he’s ran. Rick Santorum’s main media focus is mainly with social issues and when it comes to a debate with Obama, these are going to kill Rick Santorum, not saying McCain was focused on social issues, but if you look at his focus of topic for running his campaign, they were wrong for the time and we ended up losing the election to the guy who we see dancing on Ellen and constantly taking his wife to dinner dates in this economy!! Watch out republicans, don’t make the same mistake, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney should both be extremely careful, because at the end of the day, most Americans love make light of teen moms, getting high, and underage sex, so in that image of fun and alternative choices to life, Obama will definitely be a success!!

  • Anonymous

    Weed is illegal so Rick Santorum is for obeying the law.  Just a few weeks ago you had the right to choose any insurance company that will cover birth control prescriptions for you. That hasn’t changed, the only difference is now you can’t find any insurance company anywhere who is allowed to say no to you on that one.  The government INCREASED in size with the contraception mandate.  Food stamps don’t keep people alive, FOOD IN AND OF ITSELF DOES!  Those who increasingly depend on food stamp s end up starving because food stamps and welfare do not last forever, the government advertises those programs as terminal.  Let’s hope for every American to acquire a job skill before the stamps run out!  
    Scrapping the EPA, how about President Obama using the EPA as a justification for telling you what light bulb to purchase. By the way, disposing of a fluorescent light bulb is worse than and incandescent one because of mercury content.  Yet another way to enlarge the government.  
    And yes in this country, to a lesser extent than every other nation in world history, the government has the right to arrest you and hold you for trial, in the interest of national security, as they define it.  Wait until you see how Obama will eventually define national security if he gets re-elected.

  • jen

    True about Santorum.  However, Romney’s management experience gave Romneycare and gov’t mandated healthcare and increased fees and more debt.  Do you want MA experience replicated in the WH?  You are just getting sucked into his smooth talking and media pundits versus taking a look at the issues and qualif yourself and thinking throughh it on your own.  No need to disrespect yourself as if you don’t matter.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t understand how Glenn can say that Santorum is great on the size of government. Santorum voted 5 times to raise the debt ceiling ON MY CHILDREN!!!
    He voted for No Child Left Behind which effectively took the power of education from me and gave it to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!!!
    He voted against right to work which takes money out of a parent’s paycheck and sends it directly to a union regardless of what the parent wants or needs FOR THEIR CHILDREN!
    He voted to expand Medicare which ends up in more unfunded liabilities and higher taxes FOR MY CHILDREN!!
    I can’t help but get angry when I hear him say that the problem has to be solved at home, and that we have to begin to change at the family level, well…thank you, Rick, for taking my children’s future from them and destroying their ability to live under an unoppressive govt. They will be paying for your debt ceiling for the rest of their lives.
    It’s not going to matter a hill of beans whether or not gays can marry when my kids can’t find a home to live in or afford to put food on the table because they’re forking over 75% of their income to pay for the debt that men like you voted to lay on their shoulders while you were “serving them” as a congressman.
    Thank you, but I’ve had quite enough.

  • Anonymous

    exactly, think it, believe it, feel it, teach it, live it, pray it — just don’t campaign it.

  • Anonymous

    One cannot separate the social and economic issues. Our society is in the toilet and the economy is in the toilet. Is this any surprise? We will not be able to fix the economy until we fix the society. And, yes, society comes first — it will be the hardest to fix.

  • Anonymous

    It begins with a persons mindset.    I really do not like starting with the word righteous, but that’s it in the nutshell.    Convictions is another and finally, faith.   A person that fears God, fears no man.  Someone grounded in priciples for the good of everyone, not just a select few.   A person not affraid to stand up and do the unthinkable for the health of the country, not a puppet whose strings are pulled to gratify his handlers.   

     We began as a Christian nation, with Christian values whether you like it or not.    As everything else that starts off running, sometime along the way the counrty was offered candy and the bribes began.   Look where we are now-IS ANYONE CONTENT WITH WHERE WE ARE HEADED?

  • Anonymous

    Debra,  if it were just about the economy, you’d be right.   But it isn’t.    It starts with someone without self interest.  A CEO has only one thing in mind-what is good for his company.  The US is not a company.   Small govenment, less regulations will automatically get the economy thriving.   Romney is white toast and I do not mean that as a racist remark.   What we need is whole grain.

    Notice all the pundits pushing for Romney-he has the FBI protecting him.  Do you know what that means?      Someone already knows he’s the nominee…before the votes are in!     Is that democracy?  Sounds more like Venezuela to me.
    When man plans Debra, God smiles.    We can’t let them think they know it all.

  • Anonymous

    How does leading a company qualify one to be president? The government produces no product. The government resells NOTHING. The government is not allowed to make a profit. Other than balacing a budget, what does running a company have to do with it. Most house wives can balance a budget, that does not mean they should be president.

  • Anonymous

    Ron Paul is correct, AGAIN. For being a “loon,” “crazy” or any any other thing said about him, he sure is correct a lot of time. It’s too bad most people refuse to see that. I guess that would mean having an honest conversation about the things happening in our country. Unfortuately, most Americans do not want to hear the truth….

  • Anonymous

    ANOTHER MCCAIN 08 DEAL ALL OVER AGAIN  –  WANT AMERICA BACK  –  YOU’D BETTER STRONGLY CONSIDER RON PAUL  –  HE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY CARES. 

  • Anonymous

    I believe that we need a total tax reset and reform.   I would eliminate ALL deductions, every single last one of them for everyone.  I would set a flat tax rate that would be applied to everyone.  The tax form should be less than 2 pages, not the big mess that we have now.