any<\/em> institution. \u00a0He\u2019d be his own man, a leader, a maverick. \u00a0If the fact that Santorum\u2019s agreement with the Church in all his positions is a liability, should I like him better if he deviated on one, no matter the form of his deviation? \u00a0Obviously not.<\/p>\nNo one should get points simple for not matching a preexisting mold. \u00a0What I care about is the results of his positions, not whether they accord with a third party checklist. \u00a0This kind of rhetoric is a way to slam the beliefs of an opponent without actually having to explain your critique. \u00a0It\u2019s just a faux-high minded iteration of normal political sniping.<\/p>\n
If you believe Santorum is actually following the instructions of the Church without reflection, and you do not believe the Church is an inspired institution, Santorum will inevitably be led into error, which you can then attack on its merits. \u00a0Don\u2019t talk vaguely about how agreement and loyalty betray a lack of critical thinking, prove it by showing his policy positions (however he arrived at them) are insupportable by anyone with data and a lick of common sense.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve seen this trick of attacking people for agreement instead of the merits of the thing agreed upon used by other pundits and commenters, and I think it\u2019s lazy and low. \u00a0Well, I suppose it would be an appropriate line of critique if what these people really fear is that the Pope is going to give Santorum mutable and unpredictable marching orders, creating a whole new kind of regulatory\u00a0uncertainty. \u00a0Maybe they should try lobbying the US Chamber of Congress to take up their cause.<\/p>\n
P.S. Of course, most of these concerns are moot, since there\u2019s not a snowball\u2019s chance Santorum will win the nomination. \u00a0As proof beyond the polling numbers: I went googling for a Santorum-related political cartoon related to his faith and found almost bupkis. \u00a0Looks like the cartoonists, if not the pundits, know a dead campaign when they see one.<\/em><\/p>\n
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