the national interest

Santorum Definitely Taunting Us Now

PHILADELPHIA - JANUARY 8: Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) gestures while speaking at the Justice Sunday III rally on January 8, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Family Research Council, the rally was held one day before the start of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)
Please join Americans Supporting Santorum. What? What’s so funny? Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

Maybe you didn’t believe me when I speculated, after Rick Santorum created a Conservatives Unite Moneybomb, that he is actively provoking liberal media elites to snigger about the double-meaning of his name, calculating the cultural backlash will redound to his benefit.

But how else can you explain his decision to campaign yesterday in Cumming, Georgia? What possible explanation is there other than Santorum is going out of his way to create headlines that will pair his name with disgusting sexual neologisms? The irony is that Santorum may have set out to restore traditional values, but the basic effect of his campaign is about the same as if Larry Flynt had run for president.

Santorum Definitely Taunting Us Now