Watch Rep. Ron Paul’s Jaw Drop As Rick Santorum Declares: ‘I Agree With Ron Paul’

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by Frances Martel | 9:53 pm, November 22nd, 2011

» 11 comments

While many of the 2012 Republican candidates align closely on most issues– they are in the same party, after all– no pairing of candidates represents the ideological divide within the Republican Party better than Rep. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, the most libertarian and socially conservative of the bunch, respectively. So when Santorum’s first words in the debate tonight, on a question regarding the War on Terror, were, “I agree with Ron Paul,” needless to say that came as a bit of a surprise, particularly to Ron Paul.

Santorum then paused slightly, as if expecting applause, but received almost exclusively silence. Particularly striking, and somewhat humorous, was Rep. Paul’s reaction himself, who, while Santorum explained that he did not consider the “War on Terror” a war– “terrorism is a tactic, we are fighting a war against radical Islam”– Paul appeared somewhat stunned to hear it as the camera shot to him. He then turned and wrote some notes as Santorum argued that Jon Huntsman was helping terrorists “wait America out.” Also funny? Watching Santorum wait after saying he agreed with Ron Paul, as if expecting applause, and getting scattered noises of confusion.

The moment via CNN below:

CNN, CNN Debate, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, War on Terror, Wolf Blitzer

Anonymous

Was it just me, or did Newt Gingrich say in a stage whisper off into the wings, “Call security”?
Rex the Wonder God

To be clear: it was – and is, on further review – obvious that what got that rise in reaction from Dr. Paul was Santorum saying ‘we are in a war with radical Islam’. There was no reaction at all from Dr. Paul to Santurum asserting there was ‘no war on terror’, except for it appearing that Dr. Paul was expecting that line to be followed by some other line than the on about being ‘in a war with radical Islam’. That’s how human conversational language works: we here the other person start a phrase that suggests another to follow, and our minds leap ahead in anticipation of where that phrase should be going. I didn’t hear Dr. Paul speak to that, but I would have appreciated Blitz [sic - per Creepy's re-baptism of the host, now apparently 'Blitz Wolfer', possibly the direct descendant of a colleague in the WWI Luftwaffe flying alongside the Red Baron, but in any even now definitely born-again as the single hackiest msm political show host not on Foxnewschannel] asking him what Dr. Paul had expected, because I think Dr. Paul’s opinion on such subjects is the only one worth having of every single one of the GOP Game Show contestants.

Also, I think Santorum said “I agree with Ron Paul” – to do what everyone, everyone that is except for Dr. Paul – among the contestants on that stage was trying to do, which was top everyone else, like here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo
in other words, to get attention.

It’s also possible Santorum judged that Dr. Paul was so much wiser than everyone else on this topic, it might prove shrewd to try to at least APPEAR to align with Dr. Paul. Santorum was obviously right on the premise, but wrong on the tactic.
America

I Agree With Ron Paul!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FJ3TMPXQUUYEQQNSGYX7NNR2KQ Homechicken

How can anyone not agree with Ron Paul. He is, after all, fighting for the Constitution. That little document that protects us from our own government.
Anonymous

Santorum said he agreed with Ron Paul, and then everything that followed from Santorum’s mouth was the opposite of what Ron Paul says and believes in.
The only way this makes any sense is Santorum was desperate for “points” and sees that everybody but RP is screwing up and going down.
GimmeABreak

“Exclusively silence?” Weird, because it sounded a lot like applause to these ears. Frances, just because you wish for something to happen in a certain way does not make it so. Sorry.
Anonymous

Rick is brave – he wants war forever!
Kid Dynamite

Ron Paul and the frothy one agree on a lot, including the denial of reproductive rights.
DJistheman

And Ron Paul wishes to protect us from brown people in resteraunts
http://twitter.com/lesterhalfjr Chris Hadrick

Eveyone has forgot about the insane anti islam terrorist guy. I’ve even forgotten where he was from. Holland?
Happy Paul

Ron Paul is the only one that will get my vote in 2012…