• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Did Santorum Handle This Right?

Did Santorum Handle This Right?

  • Yes, he had no reason to correct the woman

    Votes: 8 38.1%

  • No, he should have stood up and stated Obama is not a muslim

    Votes: 10 47.6%

  • No, He did not need to correct, but he should have handled the question differently

    Votes: 3 14.3%

  • Obama is a Muslim

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    21
Redress

Redress

Liberal Fascist For Life!
DP Veteran
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
112,951
Reaction score
60,480
Location
Sarasota Fla
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
Santorum ignores charge Obama is a Muslim – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

"I never refer to Obama as President Obama because legally he is not," the woman in the audience began. "He constantly says that our constitution is passé, and he ignores it as you know and does what he darn well pleases. He is an avowed Muslim and my question is, why isn't something being done to get him out of government? He has no legal right to be calling himself president."

Rather than disagreeing with the questioner or correcting her assertion by reminding her that President Obama is in fact a Christian, Santorum entirely ignored the more controversial parts of her question.


"Well look, I'm doing my best to get him out of the government right now," Santorum said. "And you're right about how he uniformly ignores the constitution. He did this with these appointments over the recess that was not a recess, and if I was in the United States Senate I would be drawing the line."
Click to expand...

Now, the pundits I am seeing are making a big deal of the fact that Santorum did not correct the woman. Do you think he should have corrected the woman in the audience, do you think he handled it correctly?

Patients, poll incoming.
 
While I'm not a Santorum fan by any stretch of the imagination, I will give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

All the candidates expect this kind of rhetoric to come from supporters, and I think by their staffs they've all been advised to side step people like this as best they can, you can clearly see by his body language as she began her muslim tirade he was clearly concerned given all the cameras there, and I think he just went with the "ignore it" option which obviously to some pundits didn't work in his favour but honestly I'm more concerned about all the people that clapped at her muslim accusation then Santorum side stepping her.

Goddam some republican voters are looney toons.
 
Last edited:
I voted that he should have corrected her, but not because I expect any candidate from either side to do so. And it can be very difficult to do while trying to win the bloody contest. So, no, I don't think it will ever happen, at least not often. But leaders lead, and just as I told Grassly when he didn't correct the death panel nonsense, I can't follow someone who won't lead. I would like to see more standing up to their nutters on both sides.
 
I think I'd have handled it similarly if I were him. Trying to correct her delusions would have created a larger issue and distracted from the rest of the event. "Look, I agree that Obama doesn't respect the constitution on the basis of how he's manipulated and bent the rules to reach his goals. That's why I'm trying to run against him, and I need your vote to do it. Okay...next question?"

I don't see any other way to get out of that situation without pissing SOMEBODY off in such a manner that you drop like a stone in the polls...and he can ill afford a drop.
 
He could have handled it like McCain did. Just saying.

 
It's not his job to defend Obama, any more than it is Obama's to deny on behalf of GOP candidates that they are greedy and cold-hearted. (Not the best analogy since that seems to be his actual position, but you get what I mean.)

And Santorum did distance himself from the questioner's preface

And you're right about how he uniformly ignores the constitution.
Click to expand...

which tacitly says, "you're incorrect about the other stuff."
 
Last edited:
Gina said:
He could have handled it like McCain did. Just saying.

Click to expand...


You know what I find funny about that clip though? With the full knowledge that what I'm about to say is not what McCain thinks.

"He's an Arab".

"No Mam, he's a decent man".

:lamo :lamo
 
Jetboogieman said:
You know what I find funny about that clip though? With the full knowledge that what I'm about to say is not what McCain thinks.

"He's an Arab".

"No Mam, he's a decent man".

:lamo :lamo
Click to expand...

Yeah, I took note of that at the time and just now when I found it. I know what he was trying to say, and it was very good of him to address it directly.
 
Redress said:
Santorum ignores charge Obama is a Muslim – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Now, the pundits I am seeing are making a big deal of the fact that Santorum did not correct the woman. Do you think he should have corrected the woman in the audience, do you think he handled it correctly?

Patients, poll incoming.
Click to expand...

Well, it's certainly no big deal, but if he'd have thought fast enough, he might have corrected her at least on her first point that legally he's not the president of the United States. I think he did the right thing overall, though. Idiocy rarely needs exposure when one has a microphone in one's hand.
 
On one hand, tv cameras are there and people could use it against him if he didn't respond directly. Then on the other, you could ignore it and stay on message. He mostly took the second approach while slightly distancing himself from the woman's positions. It was unlikely that anyone will remember much of this in a month, so some of the outrage delivered by pundits is short-sighted.
 
tessaesque said:
I think I'd have handled it similarly if I were him. Trying to correct her delusions would have created a larger issue and distracted from the rest of the event. "Look, I agree that Obama doesn't respect the constitution on the basis of how he's manipulated and bent the rules to reach his goals. That's why I'm trying to run against him, and I need your vote to do it. Okay...next question?"

I don't see any other way to get out of that situation without pissing SOMEBODY off in such a manner that you drop like a stone in the polls...and he can ill afford a drop.
Click to expand...

Agreed that this would needlessly alienate some parts of any audience. The woman's crackpot comments weren't worthy of engagement.

I realize that being "feisty" is temporarily trending, but when I attended my new Rep's townhall, I was part of the vast majority of civil citizens who were irritated and frustrated by the very few--the opposition guy who asked the outlandish "provocative" question and the two jerks in the back who kept heckling. Amazing how just 2-3 people can ruin a civil discourse and distract both the speaker and the audience.
 
Dammit, Redress, you filthy filthy tease. Came here looking for an excuse to jump all over Santorum... and here he is doing nothing wrong.

I hate you.
 
Viktyr Korimir said:
Dammit, Redress, you filthy filthy tease. Came here looking for an excuse to jump all over Santorum... and here he is doing nothing wrong.

I hate you.
Click to expand...

The odd thing is that outside of Paul, Santorum is the candidate furthest from me politically, but I find myself actually liking him as a person. I would go so far as to say I think he is the most likable of the candidates for any party.
 
Last edited:
Redress said:
The odd thing is that outside of Paul, Santorum is the candidate furthest from me politically, but I find myself actually liking him as a person. I would go so far as to say I think he is the most likable of the candidates for any party.
Click to expand...

I don't...in fact (i'm sure i'm not alone in feeling this way), but every time he or Newt starts talking during a debate i feel like punching the crap out of their faces. Personality-wise I feel like I would get along with a guy like Huntsman, MAAAYBE Cain when he's not being a douche and just being funny.
 
Last edited:
He should have had some integrity and politely set the whacko straight. But, on the other hand, John McCain didn't score a lot of points correcting an audience whacko, once upon a time, and neither does Ron Paul gain any kudos when he stands under the republican spotlight and tells them truths that they do not want to hear. Most likely, correcting the whacko would have cost him points. That whacko's vote tally's as much as an informed voter's does. If he pissed off his voting base, he wouldn't stand a chance. What's a po' boy to do?
 
Captain America said:
He should have had some integrity and politely set the whacko straight. But, on the other hand, John McCain didn't score a lot of points correcting an audience whacko, once upon a time, and neither does Ron Paul gain any kudos when he stands under the republican spotlight and tells them truths that they do not want to hear. Most likely, correcting the whacko would have cost him points. That whacko's vote tally's as much as an informed voter's does. If he pissed off his voting base, he wouldn't stand a chance. What's a po' boy to do?
Click to expand...

That's precisely why I said he handled it beautifully.
 
StillBallin75 said:
That's precisely why I said he handled it beautifully.
Click to expand...

If we are talking did he handle it right to keep from losing political support, ok. I agree.
 
Redress said:
Now, the pundits I am seeing are making a big deal of the fact that Santorum did not correct the woman. Do you think he should have corrected the woman in the audience, do you think he handled it correctly?
Click to expand...

It would have been nice, yeah. But he's not really obligated to correct everyone's stupidity.

I admired McCain for doing so with a similar question in 2008.
 
He should have corrected the woman. Now I realistically don't expect Santorum (or his peers) to stand up and criticize their supporters, but that doesn't make it right either. Its simply one of the sins of omission that are the norm in politics.
 
misterman said:
Yep, McCain had his flaws, but he actually told his own people when they were being assholes sometimes.
Click to expand...

Exactly my point in a previous point. You see McCain lost too. Ron Paul get's boo'd just about everytime he he tells a truth his base does not want to accept. They are a very proud bunch. Argue with the signpost and go the wrong way just for spite the lot of them.

Truth and reality are not always the same by definition. Perception is reality. Try telling a drugged out paranoid schitzo balled up in a corner that the spotted elephants aren't out to smash his brains. His reality tells him a different truth altogether. Facts and logic be damned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom