Rick Santorum Stands By Comment That Obama Is 'A Snob'

Making the rounds of the Sunday news shows, Rick Santorum reaffirmed his criticism of President Barack Obama as "a snob" for supporting a platform of universal higher education.

The former Pennsylvania senator argued that Obama's encouragement of students to go to college ignored both the reality and ambitions of those who wanted to pursue more technical careers. In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," he sounded a more conspiratorial note. Two days after calling colleges "indoctrination mills," Santorum suggested that the president's encouragement of college degrees was a back-door effort at philosophical base building.

"Barack Obama is a person of the left," he said. "He is someone who believes in big government. He believes in the values that are, unfortunately, the dominant values, and political values, and overly politicized values, and politically correct values that are on most college and university campuses."

The appearances by the on-again off-again GOP frontrunner laid to rest any question as to whether he would back down from his criticism of Obama's education policy (he clearly isn't). But they also did very little to clarify the source of Santorum's objection.

It's unclear whether Obama ever said that every child in American "should" go to college. Nor is it evident that he has said he "wants everybody in America to go to college," as Santorum claims he has. The president did say in a recent speech that "every child deserves a great school." He also has said that "higher education can't be a luxury -- it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford." In August 2010, the president pledged to "make sure we've got a world-class education system for everybody."

The Huffington Post asked the Santorum campaign for the comment that the former senator found objectionable, but did not get an immediate response. But if the aforementioned comments by the president constitute snobbery, than Santorum seems to be guilty as well. In the education section of his 2006 campaign website, Santorum lists the following under "Commitment to Higher Education."

In addition to Rick's support of ensuring that primary and secondary schools in Pennsylvania are equipped for success, he is equally committed to ensuring the every Pennsylvanian has access to higher education.

Santorum wasn't asked about his old website on any of the shows. But he was pressed on the point that, in a modern economy, students should be encouraged to pursue higher learning. He said he didn't disagree with the concept. However, he drew a distinction between his approach and the president's.

Instead of wanting everybody to go to college, he said he wants "everyone to have the opportunity to go to college or any other higher level of training skills."

Comments

[anitaroosevelt]

10:59 PM on 03/12/2012

I really am just baffled that there are people like Rick and Mitt out there as front runners for the candidate of a major political party in America.

I just popped in from the "No More Podiums" article.

I just thank God that the G0P candidates are tackling the big issues. ;->

[jtthomas240]

09:55 AM on 02/28/2012

The guy just doesn't back down from anything, no matter how crazy.

[jtthomas240]

09:55 AM on 02/28/2012

"Santorum suggested that the president's encouragement of college degrees was a back-door effort at philosophical base building."

As a college educated moderate liberal who typically votes Democratic, I take that as a compliment. I'm glad Obama is attempting to contribute to the education of America - lord knows we need it.

[CRanapia]

04:58 AM on 02/28/2012

I'd like to thank law school graduate Mr. Santorum for dropping his elitist pants and taking a dump on every working class parent - like mine - who worked every hour God gave and sacrificed so I could have a "liberal indoctrination" he could only dream of. I wish I could damn the man as an idiot, but he's something more dangerous - a very smart man who will say anything for a vote. My father had words to describe people like Santorum - very few of which are fit to repeat in public.

[non fiction]

01:49 AM on 02/28/2012

Now that he's been cornered, Ricky is saying exactly the same thing the President has been saying since his first State of the Union Address.

[StevenWells]

01:12 AM on 02/28/2012

"President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college."

- A lie.

"What a snob.”

- Stupid. Just plain stupid.

"...some liberal college professor trying to indoctrinate them... He wants to remake you in his image."

- Paranoid delusion.

So, to recap:

L ie
S tupid
D elusional

Well, that could explain it, anyway.

[Vatcha Thinkin]

01:07 AM on 02/28/2012

From Obama speech to congress 2/24/2009

And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country –- and this country needs and values the talents of every American.

[Vatcha Thinkin]

01:11 AM on 02/28/2012

Apparently Santorum thinks this is aiming too high.

[jtthomas240]

09:56 AM on 02/28/2012

What's your point? I don't see anywhere in there where Obama insists you have to go to college. Do you know what an apprenticeship or vocational school is?

[Vatcha Thinkin]

03:04 PM on 02/28/2012

I wasn't making a point. Just providing facts. Santorum claims Obama said everyone should go to college. I've included what Obama actually said. I figure anyone with basic reading comprehension can assess the validity of Santorum's claim.

[Carrie Harris]

11:50 PM on 02/27/2012

Rick Santorum big government for your pants. Republicans Big government for your pants, no government for corporations. You be a breeding mill birthcontrol is bad for u. u don't need no education to make babies, you just work hard for that slave wage and you might get a raise. U kids can join the military and fight for Americans and maybe one day one of those oil companies will hire your kid so as he can take care of you in your old age.

[Carrie Harris]

11:45 PM on 02/27/2012

LOL I can't take it any more, going to the onion so i don't laugh so hard

[Carrie Harris]

11:44 PM on 02/27/2012

Rick Sanatorium wants big government for your pants. Republicans want Big government for your pants, no government for corporations, and banks to keep everyone uneducated breeding mills for slave workers and oil war troops.

[Wa1111]

11:15 PM on 02/27/2012

Mrs. Santorum also stands by her comment that Tricky Ricky is a wackjob. The Early Word On Michigan AND Arizona.
Thoughts at 3 A.M.
http://thoughtsatthreeam.blogspot.com

[Azterix]

11:08 PM on 02/27/2012

The trolls are nowhere to be found here. Thanks to Santo...for the beginning of the end of the GOP circus.

[ChaCubed]

10:30 PM on 02/27/2012

Take a positive statement or action, lie about, twist it, and distort it into something negative: Rovian politics.

[lost grrl]

09:03 PM on 02/27/2012

I don't even know where to start! The GOP front runner is saying that it is somehow bad that the President wants everyone to go to college. If this doesn't tell you everything you need to know about this man then I don't know what will. He implied that Obama thinks that the "good, decent men and women who work hard" but did not attend college are somehow less than when obviously the President never said that. In fact, he didn't even say that he wanted everyone to go to college. What he actually said was that every American should have at least one year of "higher education" and then he specified that he was referring not only to 4 year schools but community colleges, vocational schools, certificate programs, apprenticeship, etc. Leave it to the modern GOP to find fault in that.

[EBF]

06:41 PM on 02/27/2012

It seems totally logical that Rick Santorum would make the comment he made about college and Obama being a "Snob". I am a first generation college graduate. I am from a very poor family, I am white, and very religious. I really think the Republicans are on a different planet. It seems they want a permanent servant class. A servant class that had no government subsidies to go to school, no food stamps to help feed themselves, no birth control so their numbers remain high and expendable, no medical care which ensures a roll back in the life expectancy, and no chance to raise out of their class. Worst of all is an overwhelming belief that God blesses certain people to be born into wealth and class and if you don't have wealth your not a good Christian. The Republican's have forgotten Matt 19:24 "It is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God". If they're truly as religious as they believe when it came to paying taxes they would remember how the Pharisees came to Jesus looking for an excuse to not pay taxes and Jesus responded, "Pay back, therefore, Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God. (Matt. 22:15-22).

[Joe Gobell]

10:03 PM on 02/27/2012

EBF, Thank you.