Rick Santorum Sounds 'Indoctrination' Warning Over Obama College Plan

Rick Santorum believes Obama wants to 'indoctrinate' students by encouraging higher college enrollment. The GOP hopeful sat down with Glenn Beck for a wide-ranging interview that aired Thursday, and he warned that higher education leads to secularization.

“I understand why Barack Obama wants to send every kid to college, because of their indoctrination mills, absolutely," he said. "The indoctrination that is going on at the university level is a harm to our country.”

Obama has recently doubled down on his efforts to boost college attendance, pushing to make schools more affordable and accountable.

Santorum told Beck that “62 percent of kids who go into college with a faith commitment leave without it,” but failed to say where he found that figure. He has said that parents should have control of their children's education, and vowed to home-school his seven children in the White House if he is elected president.

His wife, Karen, also talked with Beck and said that her husband entered the race because it was God's will.

"I did always feel in my heart that God had big plans for Rick," she said. "Eventually it was there, tugging at my heart. ... When Obamacare passed, that was it. That put the fire in my belly."

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Comments

[Ella-Phan]

11:10 PM on 04/03/2012

Rick's shot himself in the foot here- essentially what he's saying is that "the less educated the American people are, the easier it will be for me to brainwash them with my beliefs. Because no one with a sound mind would agree with the plans I have for the country".

I never thought I'd see the day when a presidential candidate actually believes that educated people pose a national threat. Then again, I guess Rick has to justify his astounding ignorance somehow, and making education and all who promote it "the bad guys" is the only way to keep his "doctrine" intact.

[EdemilsonLima]

10:39 PM on 03/11/2012

I see on the horizon the fall of an empire... An empire that has grown thanks to science, technology and a strong secular education. Sad, but true.

[mccullougs]

11:31 PM on 03/01/2012

Rick Santorom is just plain stupid and I didn't realize it until now. The reason other countries children are so far ahead of our children are because of people who think like this nut. I don't know any parent, black, white Asian, Latino or others who doesn't want their children to have a higher education and be as smart as Obama, well educated. This has nothing to do with race, color or anything. We all want the best for our children. We can let a dummy like this be our President. Educating my child is my number one priority. He himself have a MBA. I guarantee his children is going to college.

Rick Santorum is just plain stupid and I didn't realize it until now. How can he not suppose a higher education for our children. This is why other nations children are so for a head of our children because of people thinking like him. I think every parent, black, white, Asia,. Latino and other want their children to be smart like President Obama and

well educated

[elaineratrat]

07:14 PM on 02/29/2012

15th century thinking. It would be real scary to be led by a man with this type of philosophy. I really thought more of him. He's already told us that education isn't important to him, which ultimately means that he isn't concerned about our children or the future of our country.

[whynottellthetruth]

11:54 PM on 02/27/2012

maybe he should covert and become Amish, this seems where he's headed. Does anyone know where his 2 oldest are enrolled in college? I assume they are at Catholic schools. And his young daughter who has a severe disability? Will this child be home-schooled? I have a child with a disability and the saving grace for him was to be enrolled in school where he was able to receive all the special services he needed to make substantial progress and eventual mainstreaming in some classes for high school. Will they deprive their child of similar benefits?

[josinger73]

03:02 PM on 02/27/2012

Oh Ricky, Ricky. Did you not realize that you were on camera when you opened your mouth??? Good Lord, everytime this guy opens his mouth, he shows more and more of his mental instability. Right now he has pissed off women, Catholics, The Duggars, homeschoolers, colleges, etc. Does he think that this is going to help him win this election? My cousin in Switzerland made a pretty accurate observation about Santorum. He said that 'it's getting so that you can't tell the difference between a Christian Fundamentalist and the Taliban." How astute. The Taliban have the same philosophy about women and education. Keep them dumb and barefoot and pregnant. Let's go back to a time where women had no rights. You sir a disgrace and you need to keep your mouth shut! And as for Mrs. Santorum, shame on you for permitting your daughters to think that this type of treatment of women is ok.

[Jane Ellis]

11:44 AM on 02/27/2012

And here I thought college was supposed to open horizons, encourage dialogue, and learn to question. Oops -- that's what Santorum is afraid of.... independent thought and escape from the masses.

[Lambaster]

11:14 AM on 02/27/2012

Hmmm. More milky white s**t.

[GraceNotes]

10:39 AM on 02/27/2012

The great thing about colleges is that students have many choices of where to go. There are liberal colleges and conservative colleges. Just off the top of my head, Brigham Young, Bob Jones and Notre Dame are a few of the conservative ones.

[paulwl]

09:13 AM on 02/27/2012

It is time to call the Little Red Wagon! This man is paranoid! He will say ANYTHING, hoping something will arouse 'his kind of people'! Pity, for he really wants the U.S. to fall behind so this will be 1619 again, then he can have his bunker-mentality prevail. KEEP'EM BARE-FOOTED AND KNOCKED-UP, SO HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN CONTROL! Typical old white-male republican--a dying breed!

[onewhothinks]

08:58 PM on 02/26/2012

Obviously false. I went to a high school that turned out hundreds of conservative Christian graduates every year, but I myself became agnostic before graduating. Explain that with your conspiracy theories, Rick.

[sobaytransplant]

06:42 PM on 02/26/2012

There it is. The GOP end game plan. Keep them all under-educated and the GOP can keep getting elected.

[Superfelo]

11:45 AM on 02/26/2012

"Santorum warned that higher education leads to secularization."

He must not have done his homework.

[Kiffanik]

11:44 AM on 02/26/2012

Yes Rick, President Obama who himself was raised by a single mother and is only where he is because of the opportunities afforded by his education is a "snob" because he wants to ensure other determined young people who have the desire, drive, and academic fortitude have the opportunity to do so without bankrupting their families or other unnecessary societal barriers. Trust fund babies like Bush and Romney whose families could buy them into the best schools regardless of work ethic or intellect "earned it".

[Scurvydog74]

11:01 AM on 02/26/2012

Keep all young citizens ignorant and uneducated so you can better control and enslave them in the race to the bottom.