This video (via Leslie of Temple of Mut) of Rick Santorum has made the rounds as evidence that Santorum is hostile to the Tea Party movement.
The key sentence, in which he expresses and intention to “vocally, publicly oppose” the Tea Party, is ambiguous. Was he saying he would oppose the Tea Parties, or only those in the Tea Parties who in his view are distorting conservatism?
Regardless, I find the dialogue troubling. I would describe myself as a “conservative with a libertarian streak,” and I think that description probably would be used by a lot of Tea Party supporters. If Santorum plans on fighting the influence of libertarianism in the conservative movement, then I don’t see how he is a Tea Party choice.
I also think Santorum was a “shorter,” engaging in an Obama-like straw man argument asserting that libertarians believe in “no government.”
There also is an aspect, which I don’t think is much of a negative, of Santorum’s personality showing through. Santorum in the Senate has been described as making Newt Gingrich [look] like Miss Manners. You can see it in this video.
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