Rick Santorum's Anal Sex Problem

[Better Believe It]

Rick Santorum's Anal Sex Problem
Why Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum can't beat his Google troubles.
By Stephanie Mencimer
October/November 2011 Issue of Mother Jones

Rick Santorum would very much like to be president. For the past few years, he has been diligently appearing at the sorts of conservative events—the Values Voters Summit, the Conservative Political Action Conference—where aspiring Republican candidates are expected to show up. But before he starts printing "Santorum 2012" bumper stickers, there's one issue the former GOP senator and his strategists need to address. You see, Santorum has what you might call a Google problem. For voters who decide to look him up online, one of the top three search results is usually the site SpreadingSantorum.com, which explains that Santorum's last name is a sexual neologism for "the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex."

Santorum's problem got its start back in 2003, when the then-senator from Pennsylvania compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia, saying the "definition of marriage" has never included "man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be." The ensuing controversy prompted syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage, who's gay, to start a contest, soliciting reader suggestions for slang terms to "memorialize the scandal." The winner came up with the "frothy mixture" idea, Savage launched a website, and a meme was born. Even though mainstream news outlets would never link to it, Savage's site rose in the Google rankings, thanks in part to bloggers who posted Santorum-related news on the site or linked to it from their blogs. Eventually it eclipsed Santorum's own campaign site in search results; some observers even suggested it may have contributed to Santorum's crushing 18-point defeat in his 2006 campaign against Bob Casey.

Savage says his site hasn't been updated for years, yet it remains entrenched in the Google rankings. Not even Santorum's ascent as a Fox News contributor or his early campaign swings through the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire have managed to bury it. With Google results like this, what's an aspiring presidential candidate to do?

Savage has not forgiven Santorum for his seven-year-old comments: "Rick would have prevented me and my partner from being able to adopt my son," he points out. But Savage does have a deal for the politician. "If Rick Santorum wants to make a $5 million donation to [the gay marriage group] Freedom to Marry, I will take it down. Interest starts accruing now." Santorum may want to consider Savage's offer. Otherwise, he's kinda screwed.



Read the full article at:

http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/08/rick-santorum-google-problem-dan-savage

[SpiralHawk]

1. Sorry ass state of affairs

all things considered...

[MineralMan]

2. I sure am tired of this meme.

It was marginally amusing when it was started. However, it seems to me that we can find plenty of arguments against the man other than this.

I think everyone's aware of that Google bomb by now.

Just my opinion.

[Better Believe It]

3. "I think everyone's aware of that Google bomb by now." This is the first time I've seen it.

And bet I'm not alone.

[MineralMan]

10. It has been posted countless times on DU.

Perhaps reading the site on which you post so often might be of benefit to you. Did you suppose that this OP, based on an article from last year would not have been known here? I know for a certainty that it was posted when it appeared. Dozens of posts in GD have been about the Google bomb and the definition of Santorum. Just this week, there have been several instances of it being posted about.

As I said, reading DU a little more would familiarize you with its contents, I bet.

[MineralMan]

11. Here are some recent DU3 OPs on that very subject:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1204124

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002121005

http://election.democraticunderground.com/1002113168

This has been going on for 8 years now, since Dan Savage first provided the definition and the Google Bomb began to spread. I can't imagine anyone who is politically aware did not know about it. It's been on DU time and time again.

[justiceischeap]

14. Just like to point out that Savage asked readers for the definition

and he printed it and used it... often. It was smart at the time because no one was really Google bombing at the time but you're right, it is getting a bit old.

[MineralMan]

15. Right. He did. I thought it was very clever when it first

happened. It's a little out of date now, though. Now that we're in 2012, it's time to campaign on a reality basis, I think.

[tularetom]

5. I thought I was the only one

It's been beat to death by now. Even TV hosts make "wink wink nudge nudge" references to it. Song parodies have been composed. Unfortunately, regardless of what sort of deal Santorum makes with Dan Savage, if any, it isn't going to go away.

Besides, religiously fanatic Santorum supporters who might react negatively to the imagery are never going to hear it anyway.

It was briefly funny. It's trite now.

[Better Believe It]

7. It's trite unless you haven't seen it until now.

[GoneOffShore]

8. It may be trite but for some of us Pennsylvanians who voted Frothy out

it's always good for a giggle.

And yes, my level of humor occasionally drops to that of a sixth grader, but I'm ok with that.

And IMHO anything that makes Frothy look foolish in the eyes of voters is a good thing.

[wandy]

13. Yep, that frothey stuffs getting old. Time for a new meme. How about 'EASY TARGET'!

[Nye Bevan]

4. Disgusting graphic (nt)

[Better Believe It]

6. It's icky! I was highly offended when I first saw it.

I'm very fragile and not use to seeing poops from dogs, infants or adults.



And this YouTube video is disgusting!

I'm shocked that such things are allowed on the internets.

[GoneOffShore]

9. I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you.

I'm having an attack of the vapors.

I must go lie down and clutch my pearls.

[qb]

12. K&R - This illustrates the true power of grassroots on the web.

The novelty is gone, and it sure is icky, but there is value in how effectively it draws attention to Santorum's offensive statements about gays.