Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) said Monday that, despite calls for the party to moderate on social issues and polls that show more and more Americans embracing marriage equality, the GOP will never endorse gay nuptials and warned that such a change in positions would be “suicidal” for Republicans.
“I’m sure you could go back and read stories, oh, you know, ‘The Republican party’s going to change. This is the future.’ Obviously that didn’t happen,” Santorum told the Des Moines Register. “I think you’re going to see the same stories written now and it’s not going to happen. The Republican party’s not going to change on this issue. In my opinion it would be suicidal if it did.”
The 2012 GOP presidential aspirant argued that the party shouldn’t let public opinion polling dictate its position on the issue. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released last month showed a new high of 58 percent of Americans supporting marriage equality.
“Just because some of those things happen to be popular right now doesn’t mean the Republican party should follow suit,” Santorum said.
Santorum was in Iowa on Monday to speak at a fundraiser for the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, a trip that will likely spark more speculation that he’s gearing up for another White House bid. He told the Register that he hasn’t made a decision yet, but last week he acknowledged that he’s “certainly leaving the door open” for a 2016 presidential run.
The efforts by some in the establishment GOP to moderate the party’s tone on issues related to gay rights has not been matched by all Republicans, with the likes of Santorum and state-based officials indicating that they have no intention to soften their stance.
