Former Senator Rick Santorum has voiced his dissatisfaction with the recent election losses suffered by Republicans, claiming that these losses demonstrate the flaws of “pure democracies” as a form of government.
The Republican Party experienced significant setbacks on Tuesday, with Ohio voters overwhelmingly choosing to legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights in the state Constitution. In Virginia, Democrats managed to flip the state House of Representatives, gaining control of the entire legislature. While the abortion issue was not directly on the ballot in Virginia, the future of reproductive rights in the state depended on which party controlled the government.
Santorum expressed his frustration on Tuesday night, stating on Newsmax, “You put very sexy things like abortion and marijuana on the ballot, and a lot of young people come out and vote. It was a secret sauce for disaster in Ohio.” He further added, “Thank goodness that most of the states in this country don’t allow you to put everything on the ballot because pure democracies are not the way to run a country.”
Setting aside Santorum’s unusual choice of words (describing these issues as “sexy”), his complaint seems baseless. Santorum appears upset that democracy is functioning as intended.
As Republicans continue to advocate for more extreme agendas, numerous issues such as abortion rights, marijuana legalization, and minimum wage increases are being presented as ballot referendums. In each instance, Republicans consistently lose these votes.
However, instead of learning from this pattern and proposing policies that resonate with voters, Republicans are obstinately holding their ground. Santorum’s objection, for example, revolves around the fact that young voters turned out in large numbers due to these “sexy” issues (again, an unfortunate choice of words).
Perhaps young voters are not simply following social trends; perhaps they genuinely care about safeguarding their rights.
Evidence of this can be seen in the long lines of young people waiting to vote at polling places near William & Mary’s campus. These individuals, many of whom were pre-registered students, are actively engaging in the democratic process, emphasizing the importance they place on protecting their rights.
Overall, Santorum’s complaint regarding the losses suffered by Republicans in recent elections holds little merit. It is essential for the party to reassess its policies and resonate with voters rather than dismiss the democratic process itself.
