As the campaign for the GOP
nomination progresses, Santorum increasingly faces the reality that his stringent
dedication to his Catholic values may be too extreme for the greater Catholic community. Among
Catholics, Santorum has trailed behind Romney in 10 out of 12 states, according
to Edison Research 2012 exit polls. Despite Romney’s Evangelical beliefs, many Catholics have a
greater appreciation of his tolerance for different religious views. Santorum
attributes the loss of the Catholic vote to a decrease in church attendance, overlooking
the fact that the Catholic community has grown to adopt values that match the
greater American population.
Santorum’s unwavering far right stance on issues of same-sex
marriage, artificial birth control, and abortion appear to elicit negative
reactions from many Catholics.
Are Santorum’s overly polarized stance and his unwillingness to compromise the reasons he is lagging behind Romney in the polls? The increasing polarization of members in the federal government does not reflect the more moderate views of the public. Both parties’ reluctance to compromise on vital issues is proving to increasingly frustrate the public. The loss of the Catholic vote reflects this dissatisfaction with the unrelenting extremity of Santorum’s views.
Santorum’s convictions bring into question his ability to be effective and persuasive as a leader. The ability to compromise is a crucial presidential skill required to achieve the best policies and representing the interests of Congress, the American people, various interest groups, government agencies, and other governmental players. As is evident from President Obama’s first term, trying to please all of the presidential constituents is a long, tough game of bargaining and adjustment.
One of the common criticisms of Mitt Romney is that he waffles on key issues, making it seem like he has no true convictions, but if the alternative is the consistently far right wing policies of Santorum -- is such consistency actually preferable?
Are Santorum’s overly polarized stance and his unwillingness to compromise the reasons he is lagging behind Romney in the polls? The increasing polarization of members in the federal government does not reflect the more moderate views of the public. Both parties’ reluctance to compromise on vital issues is proving to increasingly frustrate the public. The loss of the Catholic vote reflects this dissatisfaction with the unrelenting extremity of Santorum’s views.
Santorum’s convictions bring into question his ability to be effective and persuasive as a leader. The ability to compromise is a crucial presidential skill required to achieve the best policies and representing the interests of Congress, the American people, various interest groups, government agencies, and other governmental players. As is evident from President Obama’s first term, trying to please all of the presidential constituents is a long, tough game of bargaining and adjustment.
One of the common criticisms of Mitt Romney is that he waffles on key issues, making it seem like he has no true convictions, but if the alternative is the consistently far right wing policies of Santorum -- is such consistency actually preferable?
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