Rick Santorum: ‘We Always Need a Jesus Candidate’
EmailWINDHAM, N.H. – Rick Santorum addressed his largest crowd ever Thursday evening while speaking at an event set up by a tea party group, the 9/12 project.
Santorum addressed the crowd and and took questions for almost two hours, as more than 600 people packed into the auditorium at Windham High School and more occupied an overflow room.
Santorum told the crowd that although people say Iowa is “more conservative” than New Hampshire, it was Ronald Reagan who won New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush who won Iowa in 1980.
As Santorum neared the two-hour mark, a moderator informed him he was out of time.
Santorum replied, “I’ll do five more minutes … two more questions!”
The next questioner was a veteran and asked him about the Veterans’ Affairs system.
Before answering, Santorum told the audience about a radio interview out of Boston he did earlier today.
According to Santorum, the interviewer said, “We don’t need a Jesus candidate, we need an economic candidate.”
“My answer to that,” Santorum added, ”was we always need a Jesus candidate.
“We need someone who believes in something more than themselves and not just the economy,” he added. “When we say, ‘God bless America,’ do we mean it or do we just say it?”
He didn’t mention his rivals by name nor contrast their records, but when asked about TARP he mentioned a “governor from Massachusetts” and a “congressman from Georgia” that supported the legislation.
Santorum was also endorsed on stage tonight by Christian conservative leader Shannon McGinley, who chairs the Cornerstone organization, and State Sen. Jim Luther.
Earlier in the event, Santorum was asked if believes states have the right to nullify a law they believe to be unconstitutional under the 10th amendment.
“We had a war about nullification. There was a war about nullification. The Civil War was about nullification, and I’m not sure I want to go there,” Santorum said. “If the state doesn’t like what the federal government is doing and they believe it’s unconstitutional, they can go to a federal court and they can take it up in a federal court. There is a process by which states can litigate.”
Although audience members started streaming out once the moderator informed the former Pennsylvania senator of the time constraints, they seemed to enjoy Santorum’s speech.
Ralph Burgess from Hudson, N.H., likes Santorum’s values and his “demeanor and way of handling controversial questions,” and that the candidate admits “when he doesn’t have a position on things.”
Carol Beausoleil, also from Hudson, decided to vote for Santorum after hearing him this evening. She said the two hours flew by.
“Every single question he answered, he’s a man of integrity, and I believe what he says,” Beausoleil said.
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I don’t understand the “Christian Conservatives” who are war hungry, who espouse preemptive war, who are “pro-life” but have no qualms about carpet bombing their enemy and in the process killing innocent woman and children. ?? I don’t believe if Rick Santorum would ask himself ‘what would Jesus do’ about foreign policy he would find the answers that he’s given. Christian, meaning Christ-like, applies no more to Rick Santorum and Christian Conservatives than it does to Charles Manson. Rick Santorum, Christian Conservatives, and neo-cons seek power over people and over their lives. It just so happens they use religion as their tool.
Posted by: Matt | January 5, 2012, 10:42 pm 10:42 pm
Santorum is a good man, but his social beliefs are a little too far out for me. Romney has the most economic experience and can turn the economy around. We are living with the results of inexperience personified.. Obama!! For me, it’s Romney…here’s why…Competence, integrity, fiscally experienced, ability to work across party lines…remember he was pretty successful as Gov of Mass. despite an 85 percent democratic majority…, and finally, he will be able to work with our allies in the same way he has done domestically. He will “walk softly and carry a big stick”. Just about everyone I know feels the same. We must not ignore the ability to work across party lines…Clinton’s economic success was really because he went with the GOP congress.
Posted by: Connie Davis | January 5, 2012, 10:48 pm 10:48 pm
Matt from what I gather Sanotorium is Roman Catholic not an evangelical. There is nothing wrong with expressing your love of the faith one belongs to, but don’t make it a habit assuming others don’t believe, some people express it with humbly and I would not knock someone else to assume one is of higher faith “judge not lest ye not be judged”
Posted by: emerald_sparks | January 5, 2012, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
EMERALD_SPARKS: “Matt from what I gather Sanotorium is Roman Catholic not an evangelical.” – - – For the most part that is a distinction without a difference. At least some if not many Roman Catholics are just as ultra-conservative and fundamentalist as Protestant Evangelicals. They will simply sometimes find different ways to be ultra-conservative. The most important thing they have in common is the none of them have any qualms about using the government as their proxy to force many of the their religious beliefs upon everyone else through the force of law by legislating their religious beliefs.
Posted by: B-K KnightRider | January 5, 2012, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
Ricky wants to return us all to the “good ol’ days”. Unfortunately, his good ol’ days are from 1500, and we’d all be sheep of the Vatican. The POTUS is supposed to focus on keeping this country solvent and safe. Religious and social issues are NOT the business of government. Otherwise, you have a theocracy and an American Taliban enforcing it’s own Christian sharia laws.
Posted by: Bobby JO | January 5, 2012, 11:26 pm 11:26 pm
Anyone who agrees with Santorum, you can go right ahead, fight and die, because I won’t. I’m continuing the fight for peace, prosperity and liberty via the Constitution. That means Ron Paul is the one and only candidate for me. Santorum is a disgusting and dangerous war mongerer. He is unacceptable and unelectable.
Posted by: Mike Ikeo | January 6, 2012, 12:47 am 12:47 am
santorum has ethics violations over millions of dollars and he benefited from those violations. those violations are just now being placed in the spotlight because of his iowa status and deservedly so. people might want to hold back their support and donations to santorum’s campaign until they have reviewed those ethics violations. at this point, santorum seems to be presenting as a fraud.
Posted by: david | January 6, 2012, 2:18 am 2:18 am
Jesus would shudder at Santorum, the hatemonger.
Posted by: llfriedberg | January 6, 2012, 4:25 am 4:25 am
Yes…if if means, “Jesus…this guy is bat sext crazy!”
Posted by: Buck Satan | January 6, 2012, 4:45 am 4:45 am
Hey Rick! Ever hear of separation of church and state? Get a clue dude! Ron Paul 2012!
Posted by: newcountryman | January 6, 2012, 4:51 am 4:51 am
I like this guy and might have voted for him, but I feel he is bringing too much religeon to the table and I do not like that. I do not want a leader in the white house who is overly reliegeous when it may be needed to make a decision to go to war. That mindset might play into it and cost more American lives as a result.
Posted by: Leaveusflee | January 6, 2012, 5:00 am 5:00 am
“‘My answer to that,’ Santorum added, ‘was we always need a Jesus candidate.’”
Maybe Jesus has better things to do than to be associated with Mr. Santorum.
I suspect that the real reason he is making such a big deal out of his Christianity is because organizations and people who support Bahá’í Faith, Buddhism, Cao Dai, Cheondoism, Taoism, Confucianism), Church of World Messianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, the Rastafari movement, Seicho-no-Ie, Shinto, Sikhism, Spiritism, Unitarian Universalism, and Wicca all kicked him out! :)
Posted by: KmaImprov | January 6, 2012, 5:16 am 5:16 am
Without God, you are here today, gone tomorrow.
I like Rick!
Posted by: Gregorio | January 6, 2012, 5:35 am 5:35 am
LOL! …… I had a dream the other night… Jesus told me, in my dream, that the nation will not sustain itself, and may very well collapse if we put another Republican in the White House. So, Jesus said, “Now go, my God fearing son, vote fore Obama again in 2012.”
You see Rick… everyone speaks with Jesus, even us voters.
LOL!
Posted by: Shallow "R's" Are Fun To Watch | January 6, 2012, 5:49 am 5:49 am
Jesus was an imaginary idea that got a lot of press simply because that was the ONLY press around at the time. Hence the reasoning for this guy.
Posted by: oldwolf49 | January 6, 2012, 5:55 am 5:55 am
The funny thing about Republicans is that they always think that…
(1) They’re the only ones who believe in God.
and (2) That God speaks to them and not to Democrats.
…and the funny thing is that the “easily” brain-controlled, Republi-CR-E-T-_-Ns, actually believe this to be true. Once they hear one Republican candidate mention the word “Jesus”, their brain-washed minds automatically think…. “Ooh, he mentioned ‘Jesus’, I better consider voting for him” (LOL!). Then, the next Republican candidate trying to win their vote says the same thing, and they immediately start considering voting for that guy also.
What’s funny is that Republi-CR-E-T-_-Ns are incapable of realizing, these guys are just “stringing me along” with all their talk about Jesus… LOL!
The truth is, Jesus and the Lord cares less about who his believers vote for. Trust me folks, God is neither a Republican or a Democrat.
LOL! …..
Posted by: Shallow "R's" Are Fun To Watch | January 6, 2012, 6:13 am 6:13 am
Religion has no place in government and Santorum ought to know better.
Posted by: john locke | January 6, 2012, 6:15 am 6:15 am
“What do you mean ‘we,’ Paleface?”
Posted by: Remarkulus | January 6, 2012, 6:31 am 6:31 am
Santorum is a loser. He knows it.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 6, 2012, 6:56 am 6:56 am
Response to Emerald; “judge not lest ye not be judged.”
Therefor, since he is subjecting his judgement and his rule as possible Commander in Chief, it is his job to be judged. Since he is subjecting lives to destruction, he is calling for the same judgement. If he wishes to shatter the world of those that he cannot see, I am free to do the same to him, and it would not be hypocritical to do the same to me. How can I be humble, but still ignore others? I acknowledge his beliefs as well as others, but since he refuses to acknowledge mine my judgement will be just as ignorant.
Posted by: Jasper | January 6, 2012, 7:24 am 7:24 am
Those who are true Christians (followers of Christ) should hold themselves to a standard of not lying to the public and should hold themselves to other moral absolutes (not cheating, stealing from taxpayers, etc.; think Solyndra, etc.). I would think everyone would want true Christians in political office! If you want politicians who lie, cheat and steal from American citizens, vote Democrat and for progressives who don’t believe there should be moral absolutes!
Obama’s problem is not that he is inexperienced, but that he is corrupt. While he is one of the most unscrupulous politicians I have ever seen, this is what you tend to get with progressives.
And regarding “ability to work across party lines” – we need a fighter, not someone who is willing to compromise! When have the Democrats ever compromised? They and Obama cram their views down our throats. They only want Republicans to “compromise” so they can get their way. We have to turn things around! Obama has done a tremendous amount of damage to our country and the results are only beginning to play out. We have to undo as much of it as possible and as quickly as possible to hopefully limit the damage.
Posted by: Brianna | January 6, 2012, 10:57 am 10:57 am
Please, Mr. Santorum: keep campaigning outside of the state of Pennsylvania.
Anything to keep you from coming back here. We voted you out by a HUGE margin before-remember? Go back to Faux News and be the split-screen yapper/entertainer, because you certainly aren’t a politician. Your grandstanding and arrogance offends me as a taxpayer, voter, and most of all, a Christian. Take your bow in the spotlight and count your money, just please, stay away from Pennsylvania.
Posted by: Tom O'Connor | January 6, 2012, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
And what was god doing during the Holocaust ? Guess he didn’t have access.
Posted by: Ted | January 6, 2012, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
“We need someone who believes in something more than themselves…” For someone to make that remark with a straight face and believes it…guess he’s forgotten he was listed as the third most corrupt member of Congress in 2006. Seems like he’s more than happy seeing himself as his god since he can use whatever morals/ethics he wants. This being the case…he should talk to Romney about his afterlife and get at least two more wives.
Posted by: Dawn Lowrey | January 6, 2012, 7:35 pm 7:35 pm
Santorum is right: we do need a Jesus candidate – to remind us why church-state separation is a good idea! Thanks for reminding us, Rick. Now please go away.
Posted by: San Ban | January 7, 2012, 9:20 am 9:20 am
You know the only time religion becomes an issue is when we go through this election process, when Obama doesn’t add to his turkey day wish, or if some crazy guy has the desire to build up his nuclear weapons.
I want to tell our allies these politicians do not represent all Americans. The majority of us are smart caring people. We lend a hand without asking who they believe in first. Our war ship just helped out an Iranian vessel that was in trouble … that’s who we are! Not zealots
Posted by: joni | January 7, 2012, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
Jesus wouldn’t vote for him. Jesus would only vote for Ron Paul.
Posted by: Kelly | January 7, 2012, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
must look at this for gift
Posted by: Intapisp | February 11, 2012, 3:37 pm 3:37 pm