Political Animal
Blog
Ah, you just gotta love the MSM and its blinders!
Thanks to a handful of obscure researchers and bloggers (I first noticed the story at People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch, but others may have gotten there first), and to the subsequent efforts of a handful of us interested in such exotic topics (including Rick Santorum himself, who can’t seem to criticize the president without bringing up “theology”), it’s come to the attention of the MSM that the current front-runner in the GOP presidential nominating contest, at least as measured by national polls, delivered remarks in 2008 that seem a mite peculiar.
But the “story” as it is being retailed currently seems to be that Rick Santorum believes in the existence of Satan. So, too, I strongly suspect, do a significant majority of Americans.
Largely missing in the discussion of Santorum’s subscription to a supernatural cosmology is the fact that he views American history as essentially a struggle between “true Christians” like himself on the one hand, and Beelzebub on the other, in which the latter has already conquered academia and mainline Protestantism, and is by inference exercising his infernal control via the policies of that noted former academic and mainline Protestant, the President of the United States. Much of what Santorum has to say about current events is heavily colored by this “worldview,” most notably the belief that the president and his devilish supporters are laboring to wipe out “true” Christianity by forcing its staunch defenders, from the U.S. Conference of Bishops to innocent job-creators, to become complicit in such idolatrous practices as the slaughter of zygotes and the worship of the false idols of reproductive rights and the Environmental Earth-Goddess.
By ignoring all this and simply mocking Santorum as someone too unsophisticated to understand the supernatural as a fairy tale for rubes, his MSM tormenters are not only letting him off the hook for his sinister interpretation of politics as holy war, but are doing him the signal service of reinforcing his manichean vision of America torn between humble believers and derisive, self-satisfied elites.
Perhaps Santorum’s political standing is fragile enough that making him a figure of fun will be enough, in combination with the Romney Death Star’s descriptions of him as a big spender and felon-coddler, to derail his presidential campaign. But it would be far better if those pundits chortling over Santorum’s “Satan Warning” today took the trouble to understand it.
Facebook
Twitter
Steve on February 22, 2012 10:50 AM:
I can't help but have mixed feelings about anything that tears down Santorum.
j on February 22, 2012 10:51 AM:
With all this focus on religion. Under sharia law, was it not possible for a man to have more than one wife - a longtime mormon custom (now only practiced in their communes). Also the men felt that they should have total control over women's bodies. They thought women should be for child bearing and keeping house, kind of like Santorum.
My question - when do they plan on women wearing the burka?
Hedda Peraz on February 22, 2012 10:52 AM:
Satan is just another member of the always growing "Not Like Us Club."
(women, blacks, browns, gays, liberals, perfessers, unions. . .)
Jeri on February 22, 2012 10:55 AM:
Amen to that!
With all the focus on the birth control brouhaha (and I don't mean to minimize that for a second), I have been appalled that Santorum's statements about Satan's targeting the US, with Obama's complicity, and his comparison of conservatives with the "Greatest Generation," which he says stood by silently for too long as Hitler took over Europe and killed a few people, have largely been getting a pass. This is revolting on so many levels that I wouldn't know where to start.
This kind of insane stuff gets baked in the cake if it isn't addressed and becomes part of the conversation. As much as I despised McCain's campaign in 2008, at least, at long last, he had the decency to stop a woman who announced that Obama was an Arab. Santorum, confronting a women who said that Obama is a Muslim, declined to challenge her, saying later that it's not his job to correct or comment on people's thinking and opinions. This is a delusional man who is incapable of reflection or perspective and who seeks to impose a theocracy on the country in the name of religious freedom. He scares the hell out of me.
$2Bill on February 22, 2012 10:59 AM:
Uh, Sick Rantorum?
T2 on February 22, 2012 11:01 AM:
yeah, lots of people believe in the Devil. Santorum, on the other hand, thinks Mr. Obama is the devil, and basically all the rest of us that don't share Santorum's "worldview". That belief, ladies and gentlemen, can be filed under CRAZY GUY.
And the so called MSM won't have to look long or hard to find lots of other statements by Santorum reflecting his crazy.....There is a reason he was voted out of office in Pennsylvania by an 18% margin.... That's Pennsylvania, by the way, not Transylvania.
wvng on February 22, 2012 11:03 AM:
Ed, you do realize that this blog is on the internet, and it is a tradition on internet blogs to include links to support what you are saying? Right? Who in the msm is doing what you are accusing them of doing? Without links, how can I know?
SYSPROG on February 22, 2012 11:05 AM:
Yes the MSM does what it ALWAYS does...reduce this discussion to a 'simplistic' explanation. Instead maybe we should talk about the CONSTITUTION. The GOP seems to think this is a 'winning' stategy. I think they are delusional. If we REALLY talk 'founding fathers' I think they lose. Mitt Romney's new talking point is the President's 'secular agenda'. REALLY??? That's what he is SUPPOSED to have. DEVIL GET BEHIND ME!!!!
Mimikatz on February 22, 2012 11:16 AM:
Once again, Rick Santorum is a proponent not of the actual teachings of Jesus, which are set forth pretty plainly in Matthew primarily and the other Gospels, but rather of St Paul's gloss post-crucifixion of Jesus' teachings, or rather Paul's working out of his own struggles against sin. The switch to a preoccupation with sin and redemption comes from Paul, not Jesus, as an explanation of why God had allowed his Son to die, but also colored by Paul's own issues. Read Romans and I Corinthians to see what I mean. It is all about the struggle against sin, not loving and helping your neighbor. Paul was the inspiration for the early Church Fathers and especially for Augustine, who had similar issues about sex which he projected on the whole human race.
To me this is e real divide in Christianity, as Santorum said, but both views are found in the New Testament. It's just that only one of them is actually attributed in the Bible to Jesus.
And neither of them have anything to do with the Presidency, given that the Constitution plainly says that no religious test shall ever be required for public office.
exlibra on February 22, 2012 11:17 AM:
"Get Thee Behind Me!"? That's so... Protestant, what with it being in a language everyone can understand. Rantorum (thanks, $2Bill!) is the old-fashioned Inquisition type so, I bet, for him it's "Apage Satanas!"
4jkb4ia on February 22, 2012 11:22 AM:
Yes. Standing O. Santorum is going to say what he believes, and most people who do not share this worldview will be appalled, but the MSM is well served just reporting the story and letting him condemn himself from his own mouth. In the last 3 contests, Santorum may have been no more than the latest not-Romney. We will have to figure out in MI and AZ if there is more to his support than the longing for a real conservative in the race.
Josef K on February 22, 2012 11:28 AM:
But the “story” as it is being retailed currently seems to be that Rick Santorum believes in the existence of Satan. So, too, I strongly suspect, do a significant majority of Americans.
I've no argument with this, but I suspect many who 'believe' in Satan either do so as a generic concept or some kind of religious allegory. You have to admit, in this day and age someone claiming the Devil is a real, corpreal entity is rather hard to take seriously.
Sadly, the media forgets (or just ignores) the fact there's a sliver of the population that believes and preaches exactly that. Whole industries of books and movies have been created out of this, some still going quite strong, but this is the first time since Pat Robertson's forgettable campaign that someone from that field has gained the national stage and looks heading for a major party's nod.
Its too unlikely he'll get the nod, but he's certainly pulling the GOP's center of gravity to the right, virtually off the precipace in fact. This isn't going to end well, for any of us.
JoanneinDenver on February 22, 2012 11:30 AM:
It is now time for DNC to issuer a press release reminding Americans that the President takes an oath to protect and preserve the Constitution and that document states that there will be NO RELIGIOUS TEST for office. The President will honor his oath. He urges all candidates, all of whom have taken that oath, to respect it.
Eeyore on February 22, 2012 11:33 AM:
Ahem..... didn't the entire MSM and all the Republicans clutch their pearls and head for the fainting couch in 2004 when it was alleged (unfairly) that Moveon.org posted a video comparing Bush to Hitler?
Trollop on February 22, 2012 11:37 AM:
The MSM is the metaphorical Satan, the prince(s) of lies.
martin on February 22, 2012 11:37 AM:
To paraphrase Lisa Simpson:
"Once again, the MSM has got the facts, but missed the point."
Quoting Idiot on February 22, 2012 11:37 AM:
“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising the sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Let us, then, look to the great cause, and endeavor to preserve it in full force. Let us by all wise and constitutional measures promote intelligence among the people as the best means of preserving our liberties.”
~James Monroe
Quoting Idiot on February 22, 2012 11:41 AM:
One more copy/paste, because these are so beautiful...
“In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own. It is error alone that needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“In no instance have the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.”
~James Madison
“The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”
~James Madison
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/02/21/religious-freedom-the-presidents-versus-rick-santorum/
Perspecticus on February 22, 2012 11:43 AM:
On the plus side, even if the "MSM" is currently missing the point, the more Santorum is forced to address the context of his statements, the more likely he will further clarify his meaning. If you beat anyone over the head enough with the same details, which in this case are Santorum's belief that only Roman Catholics are actually true Christians and that Protestants are governed by Satan (or "Obama" in the vernacular), then eventually even the D.C. chattering class will have to address Santorum's beliefs. Of course, interest in the matter will likely wain before then, but there is some hope.
Another point: this election was supposed to be about the economy. More and more it is about social issues and faith. Each week, someone somewhere is saying, "Oh, I'm sure Obama THINKS he's a Christian" or "I don't know what the Islamo-fascist really thinks." And now some folks are waking up to the knowledge (well-established knowledge, I thought) that Santorum holds an extreme view of religion and its role in our governance. The point is, I really do not think this is the conversation a Mormon wants to actually be having.
To date, the discussions of Romney's faith have been limited to "is it really important?" and "all questions about Mormonism were addressed in 2008." The answer to the first should be, "If one side is making it important, yes, it is." The second is even easier: "No, they were not." Now that Romney's camp and/or surrogates, as suspected, are wading into the waters of Santorum's extremism, eyes should start turning to the tenets of the Mormon cult. I really do not think Romney wants the talk to head in that direction, but the more he raises it in others, the likelihood he will soon have to face some extraordinarily difficult questioning increases. If Romney thinks Americans will reject a hard-core religious philosophy, he is correct. To his own downfall.
T2 on February 22, 2012 11:51 AM:
Could it be that Santorum is setting the stage for a big "He's a Mormon and not a Christian" moment? That would be Mitt's worse nightmare, and Santorum probably/certainly believes Mormon's are not Christians.
4jkb4ia on February 22, 2012 11:58 AM:
Wow, I have been completely out of it. Greg Sargent was writing yesterday that the latest polling is showing that Santorum's support is a matter of education and income as well as a matter of ideology. Which makes sense because a) he is the person left who would most clearly appeal to the Palin fans in the race and b) Romney can't transcend class. Romney has tried to use his wealth to sell himself as the businessperson savior because that's what a range of voters consistently want. But Romney doesn't have the ability to use his wealth as simply providing him with an opportunity for public service that others might not get. And even academics don't know if private equity really does any good. Ordinary voters who are already rightly suspicious of Wall Street are not likely to give that way of making money the benefit of the doubt and have rejected it when it was presented to them.
boatboy_srq on February 22, 2012 12:26 PM:
As I've said before:
Santorum is the RC pol the Right feared JFK would be.
Old Uncle Dave on February 22, 2012 12:28 PM:
In a sane society, having imaginary friends and enemies would disqualify one from holding public office. In the US, it is required.
Me-Liberal on February 22, 2012 12:45 PM:
Santorum's literal belief in the devil isn't all bad. If he turns out to be right, perhaps he could negotiate with Satan (i.e., make a deal with the devil) to allow us to harness the fires of hell as an alternate energy source. It would be a variation on "drill baby drill," but we'd just be drilling a bit deeper.
jjm on February 22, 2012 12:50 PM:
I simply cannot forget that Romney, too, called this election a "fight to save the nation's soul."
revchicoucc on February 22, 2012 12:51 PM:
In classic Christian theology, Satan (metaphorical or not) is primarily a deceiver. Satan's primary goal is to deceive us into choosing a path that looks wise and life-giving, but is really foolish and death-dealing.
Our capacity to be deceived and to deceive ourselves is large. When Mr. Santorum suggests even a little bit that Mr. Obama is either Satan or controlled by Satan, he is planting the idea that he (Santorum) can defeat Satan, the he is the embodiment of good in the world and he can overcome all evil. From any perspective -- theological, spiritual, rational, political -- that is self-deception. Christian theology teaches only God can defeat Satan. Mr. Santorum is not God.
However, it plays well in the minds of those who believe the universe is engaged in a cosmic battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. That cosmology is found in the apocalyptic texts of the Bible and, I might add, the apocalyptic texts of the Quran, too.
As apocalyptic thought is a strong element in fundamentalist Christian theology, all battles, including the US Presidential election, are cast as battles between good and evil. Mormon theology also has a strong apocalyptic element. As the second coming of Christ is a glorious day in fundamentalist Christian theology, there is a temptation to hasten its coming.
This theology can be dismissed as fantasy, and many will, but it does have great influence in fundamentalist Christian circles. It is not as strongly influential in evangelical ones, and is barely noticed in the mainline and liberal ones I live in.
Dismiss the theology, but do not dismiss the influence. And do not dismiss the desire of fundamentalist Christian apocalypticists to have control of the US Military as part of their plan for implementing their apocalyptic vision. Israel, Iran, and Iraq each have a role in that vision.
Sorry for the long comment. I just don't want anyone to be deceived.
Bloix on February 22, 2012 1:03 PM:
This is not new. Google Obama antichrist. What's new is that it's overtly the position of a presidential candidate. But it's common for the most wingnutty of the wingnut positions to become the mainstream position of the Republican Party.
David on February 22, 2012 2:38 PM:
Satan on Earth? Let's nuke the Earth from orbit. It's the only way to make sure.
tommo on February 22, 2012 3:20 PM:
The devil is supposedly a liar. Therefore one can deduce it is really the GOP that has been infected in this here US of A. They are rotten to the core and every one of their politicians I have seen is a stinking liar.
Santorum is the Anti-Christ!
Ennis on February 22, 2012 4:31 PM:
Santorum is dangerous. Don’t let him get near the President.
Rick B on February 22, 2012 6:25 PM:
@Quoting Idiot
Excellent post!
Santorum would have been a strong supporter of the Cristeros in the Mexican Revolution that lasted from 1910 until roughly 1940. The original revolution started when the dictator Porfiro Diaz tried to cancel his loss of the Presidential election and retain power after about 3 decades as dictator. The Catholic Church supported Diaz, leading to anticlerical actions, some quite bloody. The Catholic Church in Mexico then established a Catholic army to fight for Diaz and against the Revolution.
Santorum would be one of the Cristeros. He supports authoritarian radicals because they offer the church preference from the dictatorial government. He'll of course deny that he wants to support dictatorship, but that is the nature of the church in government. Santorum should Never be given government power or preference! What he demands is certain to ultimately lead to religious civil war. This Wikipedia article starts with a list of the European Wars of religion. The US founding fathers who wrote the Constitution were quite familiar with the history of those wars, especially the English Civil War. Separation of church and state was not an accident.
Santorum and Michelle Bachmann are dangerous people to give government power to. They will always overreach and war will result. It's inevitable if they are given power.
@boatboy_srq said it cleanly. "Santorum is the RC pol the Right feared JFK would be".
@Me-Liberal -> A true believer does not negotiate with Satan. He fights him with everything he can bring to the fight. It is a fight to the death, because the true-believer will then go to heaven.
Collateral damage is not a viable concept to these people. Fanatics kill and torture people to save them.
Santorum is a very dangerous man.
v98max on February 23, 2012 12:28 AM:
I would hope that Sweater Vest would be the one to finally drag the hot button social conservatives down into the irrelevance they deserve. But hope is not a plan, so everyone have at him.