David Axelrod: Rick Santorum Takes 'Divisive' Positions On Social Issues

WASHINGTON--A top adviser to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has taken "divisive positions" on key social issues.

David Axelrod told "CBS This Morning" he believes voters don't yet know Santorum very well. And he declined to speculate on how tough a race the former Pennsylvania senator could give Obama.

"I think when people really examine his economic policies, I don't think the average working person in this economy is going to look at his economic policies and say 'yeah, that's the ticket for me. That offers great hope for me,'" said Axelrod, according to The Hill. "Secondly, I think many of the policies he's taking on social issues are quite divisive. Not widely shared." He added, "People don't really know Sen. Santorum particularly well and when they do we'll get a better sense of where he stands."

Axelrod said when people begin to look closely at Santorum's positions, "we'll get a better idea" of how well he'll do. The former White House adviser also says the GOP race has been overcome by "negativism" and that has a "dispiriting" impact on voters.

As for the Obama re-election campaign, Axelrod said: "We don't get exhilarated by good numbers. We're not devastated by bad poll numbers. We just stick to our knitting and keep going."

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