Rick Santorum

Scary. When I was first introduced to Rick Santorum at a debate months ago, I thought to myself-he obviously wont go far. Why is he even running? How could he think anyone would vote for him in the republican primaries as a viable candidate against President Obama? At the time, Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain dominated the debates as well as most of the media coverage. But one by one, candidates dropped out leaving Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich-yuk and eww, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. When it was announced that he won the Iowa Caucasus I thought-Seriously? What are Iowans thinking?! But he kept going. Winning over voters all across the country even though they know he has a slim chance vs Mitt Romney to beat the president. In a recent poll they asked republican voters why they are voting for him. They said he seemed "most like them". A "regular" guy that can relate to their social issues even if not financial ones.
So why am I so appalled? At first it was his proclamation that sex should only be between a husband and a wife. That sex should only be for reproducing. Now as a 41 year old female that has never been fortunate enough to be married I think that stance is totally impractical. Are women like me supposed to die a virgin if we never marry? And if we do get married are we to have a Duggar family of sorts with as many babies as God gives us no matter the strain on the family or the cost? Or maybe we should be married but not have sex. Because Rick Santorum is also against birth control. I find it so crazy and such a contradiction that the same people that are so vehemently opposed to abortion are also anti birth control. It makes no sense. To reduce the number of abortions we must provide free and easy access to birth control. Oh but wait, I'm sorry. We should just rely on abstinence since 2 people should not be having sex unless they are married and since he is also against gay marriage that would mean those 2 people are a husband and a wife. He recently voiced his opposition to government mandated insurance coverage for prenatal testing including amniocentesis. He feels that amnios that detect genetic fetal abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome leads to more abortions. He does have a child with Trisomy 18 and feels the doctors tried to get his family to consider abortion. I do not know of any such statistics showing amnios leading to increased abortions but I do know that they help parents make informed decisions after genetic counseling and help them prepare to take care of the needs of these special babies.
And what about his views on revoking don't ask don't tell. He feels that letting gays serve openly in the military is a "social experiment" that we can not afford in a time of war. That same description was used to oppose Blacks being able to serve in the military. He feels that women who volunteer should not be allowed to serve on the front lines because the men would be so busy trying to save the women that they would lose their focus. Really?!
Although I don't attend mass every Sunday, I was raised Catholic but I have a very hard time agreeing with Mr.Santorum's antiquated views on sex and gay rights. I am also not pro-abortion but I am pro-choice and unlike Rick Santorum feels it is important to keep it that way for a multitude of reasons. One of which includes the enormous amount of unwanted babies already born in this country. After forcing a woman to carry a child-even if you cant force them to get prenatal care, not drink or smoke or do drugs while they are pregnant, take prenatal vitamins etc-then you expect them to either raise the child even if they are not psychologically or financially capable or give the child up for adoption. Often these babies are born premature and with illnesses from poor to no prenatal care and drug use and end up in the foster care system. A burden on tax payers. If Mr.Santorum and his supporters are willing to financially be responsible for all these unwanted babies that are born then so be it-we can reverse roe v wade. Oh but I keep forgetting-there wont be any unwanted babies because no one will be having sex unless they are married.
As for the military-since I personally have not served, I am grateful for anyone who is willing to serve our country and put their lives on the line whether they are black, white, gay, straight or otherwise.
In the end, I am confident that our country would never elect Rick Santorum as our president. Women vote in larger numbers than men. I am sure most women, democrats and republicans, do not want to end up solely barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen and eliminating decades of progress with women's rights under a Santorum presidency.
Thoughts?