Santorum Mixes Academia Into Campaign Trail Pitch

Rick Santorum is running for president but his campaign speeches sometimes sound like he’s working toward tenure.

The Republican quotes Irish statesmen and French historians, traces word origins and explains Islam to the Christian conservatives who have great sway in South Carolina’s Saturday GOP primary. He recommends books, cites academic studies and doesn’t shy from footnoting his own unscripted remarks.

At times, Santorum’s events more closely resemble a somber college lecture than a raucous political rally — informative, if not always inspirational.

“After I left the United States Senate, I wrote and lectured around the country about Iran,” the former Pennsylvania senator said to one audience here last week. So, he argues, vote for him “if you’re looking for someone who has some understanding and knowledge and has had success in trying to shape Iran policy, someone who has that experience to be commander in chief and has the ability to go out and look at and lecture on that country.”

At another point, Santorum explained how the American and French constitutions differ.

Read More at OfficialWire By Philip Elliott, OfficialWire