More principles, consistency and humility than Ron Paul? Alana Goodman thinks this not-Romney isn't like all other not-Romneys: Yes, he has plenty of his own flaws, and they shouldn’t be glossed over. But so far, his baggage doesn’t seem to be of the fatal sort. There’s no history of adultery, no sexual harassment charges, no problems with articulation, no shoot-from-the-hip attitude. Santorum’s debate performances have been excellent, and he’s shown a notable grasp of foreign policy issues. He also has impeccable social conservative credentials.
Yes: he's for criminalizing all abortion and nullifying my civil marriage by constitutional amendment. He's also for a Judeo-Christian global war against Islam, government-directed industrial policy, and torture. His "notable grasp" of foreign policy is revealed by his unique belief that Iran is seeking national "martyrdom" by engaging in a nuclear war with Israel. But Paul is the paranoid candidate.
On the culture-war front, Andrew Kaczynski dug up video of Santorum claiming that Obama should be pro-life because he's black. Steve Benen notes that the Romney campaign is treating Santorum pretty similarly to other rivals. Bob Costa profiles Santorum's Iowa operation.
