Santorum's Pill Problem

The Republican presidential circus continues to offer great entertainment. For this, Mitt Romney is owed many thanks. His weakness as a front-runner are the reason you can enjoy Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum being treated as semi-serious contenders. (Though don’t underestimate the impact of the media’s evident desire to prolong the race either.) Michigan – of which more later – is Romney’s latest firewall. A defeat in the state his father governed (albeit decades ago) and that he won convincingly four years ago is not so easily shaken off as accidents in Colorado or Minnesota. Nevertheless, Rmney remains the only plausible November candidate available. If you doubt this then consider Rick Santorum’s views on contraception:

One of the things I will talk about that no President has talked about before is I think the dangers of contraception in this country, the whole sexual libertine idea. Many in the Christian faith have said, “Well, that’s okay. Contraception’s okay.”

It’s not okay because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. They’re supposed to be within marriage, they are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal, but also [inaudible], but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that’s not for purposes of procreation, that’s not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can’t you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it’s simply pleasure. And that’s certainly a part of it—and it’s an important part of it, don’t get me wrong—but there’s a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special.

Again, I know most Presidents don’t talk about those things, and maybe people don’t want us to talk about those things, but I think it’s important that you are who you are. I’m not running for preacher. I’m not running for pastor, but these are important public policy issues. These [have a] profound impact on the health of our society.

OK! Tell me I’m stupid, but I doubt reopening the argument about contraception is likely to be a vote-winner in the United States of America in 2012. Nor is this some fringe part of Santorum’s political identity. It is the foundation of who he is as a politician. His opposition to contraception may not be as inflammatory as opposing the Civil Rights Act but it that kind of thing and one of the many things liable to lead to disaster for the Republican party should they be unwise enough to select Santorum as their champion.