Political scientists are commenting on the rise of Rick Santorum and its relationship to the place of religion in American politics.
Professor Hunter Baker of Union University writes at The Jackson Sun:
The odds are against him, but Santorum has an interesting appeal. He is a social conservative with a message of interest to working people in America. His economic plan emphasizes a strategy to maintain and expand the manufacturing base. As a Catholic son of the Rust Belt, he has the potential to build a broad coalition.
On the other hand, he is arguably the most hated candidate by the gay rights lobby for his blunt opposition to both gay marriage and adoption. Those commitments alone practically guarantee extremely negative treatment for his campaign from cultural elites in the media and entertainment industries.
Santorum has been largely overlooked so far as he stood at the edge of the podium in debates, dismissed due to low poll numbers. When he was noticed, it was usually because he complained about how few questions he was getting. Sen. Santorum, the stage is yours for at least the next several news cycles. We shall see what you can do with it.The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:
SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson, who follows evangelicals' role in the campaign, said it's not out of the question that they will ultimately back Romney.
"Basically, the evangelical leaders are either going to have to make a last-ditch push for Santorum or make their peace with Romney so as not to appear irrelevant," Wilson said in an e-mail.The Financial Times reports:
“People are now paying attention to Rick Santorum and saying that he has a chance,” said David White, chairman of the political science department at Francis Marion University in South Carolina.
He might also be helped by local evangelicals’ unease about Mr Romney’s religion, Mormonism, and by the large Pennsylvanian population in the state as older people migrate south for the winter.
About 60 per cent of residents in both Iowa and South Carolina describe themselves as evangelical Christians, compared with only 23 per cent of New Hampshire residents.
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Andrew Smith, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire, said Mr Santorum would have a difficult time in the Granite State, where his messages about family and abortion would not gain much traction.
“This is not a very religious state and people are not concerned about social issues,” Mr Smith said. “But his bigger problem is that he has no money and he has no organisation. He has to rely on media attention to reach voters.”
