Iowans select a Republican candidate for president today. Whoever the eventual standard bearer is, Noman wishes him (or her) luck and support from his competitors for the nomination. The Republicans will need every resource available to unseat President Obama and the mainstream media, his coalition partner.
Rick Santorum's rise in the final weeks of campaigning has surprised many, including Noman. The fickle finger of fate came around to him at a highly opportune moment. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
Santorum has always been a personal favorite. The man has integrity, and it shows. He is what people say they want in a politician, but rarely vote for: someone they can trust, who won't tell them one thing and do another; who tells you where he stands and stands where he tells you; who chooses politically incorrect principles over his own personal and political interests; who will reason with the opposition rather than demagogue and defame it.
Some people don't like him because he is Roman Catholic, pro-life, sees the family rather than the individual as the core unit of civil society, thinks that Darwinism should not be granted a monopoly position in the science curriculum, and sees a positive role for government in shaping economic outcomes. Except for the latter, these are things that Noman likes about him.
Domestically, he seems committed to protecting failed industries in order to preserve manufacturing jobs. That's not economically smart. But, it's decent, and understandable. He's sincerely aiming to protect blue collar workers and families, even if they are union, not because they are union. Unlike any Democrat, he's not engaging in a political quid pro quo with captive constituenta at others' expense.
Perhaps he'll grow to think outside of the box on economic matters--to see that what's needed to protect people's jobs and homes is the opening of markets to new industries rather than the shackling of them to old ones.
Perhaps he'll grow to think outside of the box on economic matters--to see that what's needed to protect people's jobs and homes is the opening of markets to new industries rather than the shackling of them to old ones.
What his detractors truly despise, however, are his traditional moral values and unabashed willingness to champion them, even suffer political martyrdom for them. He is politically incorrect to the max, and fearless, which makes him harder than most to corrupt, intimidate or reduce to pandering.
Kathleen Sibelius, Van Jones, Kevin Jennings and Janet Napolitano wouldn't feel at home in a Santorum Administration. Its focus on life over abortion, the private economy over the public one, traditional family over revolutionary fabrications, and the mainstream over the extreme would disqualify their likes from its project.
Unfortunately, Noman could not confidently say the same of a Romney or Gingrich Administration.
Kathleen Sibelius, Van Jones, Kevin Jennings and Janet Napolitano wouldn't feel at home in a Santorum Administration. Its focus on life over abortion, the private economy over the public one, traditional family over revolutionary fabrications, and the mainstream over the extreme would disqualify their likes from its project.
Unfortunately, Noman could not confidently say the same of a Romney or Gingrich Administration.
Regardless, Rick Santorum is an honest man with strong convictions that he doesn't hide or try to mask behind vague rhetoric. The pull quote widely attributed to him in today's news cycle says it all: "Polls change. Convictions shouldn't." To Noman's mind, a Santorum Administration would provide a welcomed relief from the Statist convictions animating the current one.
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