I’ve have not thought it necessary to repeat the stack of references that Pennsylvania Democrats have about Santorum’s unfortunate comments about women and gays. Some come from a media ignorance or antagonism of theology, a few are indefensible. Like Mitt with Bain, Obama would overwhelm Santorum with statements like this one that would hamstring him to get his message out.
"...children's lives would be harmed if the nation had a female president" Jamie Johnson, Senior Santorum Advisor
OPINION, Jan. 14, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Presidential candidate Senator Rick Santorum deployed a sexist strategy in IA. His IA Evangelical surrogates promoted the idea that a female cannot be an elected official or a commander-in-chief. The same Evangelical surrogates repeatedly called upon Rep. Michele Bachmann to withdraw from the race although she led the Senator and other male candidates in the polls. Bob Vander Plaats, CEO Family Leader and Santorum endorser, also, rejected two consensus votes in favor of Rep. Bachmann polled among Evangelical pastors at a meeting hosted by an organization close to the Family Leader. Home school parents circulated a treatise written in 2004 titled, "Should Christians support a female civil magistrate."
Further, the Des Moines Register ran a story on Friday, January 13, 2011 written by Jennifer Jacobs that published excerpts from an email written by the Senator's senior advisor, Jamie Johnson. Mr. Johnson sent out an email saying that "children's lives would be harmed if the nation had a female president". He continues, "The question then comes, 'Is it God's highest desire, that is, His biblically expressed will, ... to have a woman rule the institutions of the Family, the Church, and the State?'"
If the issue were "racism" or "anti-Semitics" I believe that Senator Santorum would terminate the staffer and apologize to Michele Bachmann. Sexism and misogyny require no less of an expeditious response.
The longer that the Senator takes to step up and apologize to Michele Bachmann, the guiltier he looks.
(Peter Waldron is the former National Faith Outreach Coordinator for Bachmann for President. He is based in Florida.)
As all 29 PolitiJim readers know, I am not on any side but (hopefully) that of objective truth. I’ve been very hard on Bachmann who has been guilty of smearing other candidates as well, but there is no excuse for this. I was so happy to see Gingrich actually DO what he said he would, and condemn inaccurate ads being run on his behalf.
I think Santorum is NOT a sexist and likely a very decent Christian guy. I also expect him to do what is right and continue to show integrity by denouncing this immediately. It won’t change the certain juggernaut by the media to paint him as an “extreme” religious nut who wants to deprive women of the ability to think.
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