Comments on: Why it’s never smart for a politician to whine about how badly he’s treated

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:19:28 +0000

“@Richard Rush, Erin and Priya Lynn:

Straight people have anal sex, too.” …And that makes it ok to use childish personal attacks because…? Again, Santorum is vile and deserved what Dan Savage has done to his name, but every time Dan Savage goes on tv or makes an internet video or writes a blog about why it’s wrong to denigrate gay people, the far right has what he did to Santorum to show the people on the fence about the issue. It’s those people we should all care about, and we should be trying to win them over with civil discourse. No, we do not have to be silent and pretend Mr. Santorum does not engage in hate speech when it comes to us, but we don’t have to sink to his level either.

By: Mark F.

Mark F. — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:15:47 +0000

Yes, Dan Savage didn’t help things with this stupid “joke.”

By: Soren456

Soren456 — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:55:12 +0000

@Richard Rush:

You’re not the only one. I’ve thought it unfunny and unhelpful since it began. I couldn’t believe the giggling immaturity of it.

A definite lapse of judgment on the part of Savage.

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:06:27 +0000

In the same way that Donald Trump is known as “The Donald,”
couldn’t Rick the Dick Santorum just be known as The Dick?

By: tavdy79

tavdy79 — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:26:43 +0000

Here in the UK we have a word for people like Santorum. It’s “pillock”.

(Interestingly, I just checked the etymology and apparently pillock comes from the Norwegian word pillicock, meaning “penis”. This is, rather obviously, the meaning of the other short-form of Richard Santorum’s first name. Rick by name, dick by nature!)

By: Tone

Tone — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:44:03 +0000

Dan Savage has managed to keep alive and well the “ick” factor that so many people default to when thinking about the mechanics of anal intercourse. I do not have such issues but many people still do and this wasn’t really all that helpful in the long run, funny as the whole thing has been.

In the film version of Celluloid Closet Quentin Crisp gives the best explanation I think: “And when you contemplate what people do, you think of yourself doing it. And they don’t like that. That’s the famous joke: I don’t like peas, and I’m glad I don’t like them, because if I liked them I would eat them and I hate them.”

Well said Mr. Crisp.

By: Stan Wright

Stan Wright — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:43:02 +0000

Rick Santorum doesn’t have the wit to prevail in a google showdown against Dan Savage.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:55:13 +0000

Yes, I know Rodolfo, I’m just not sure reminding people of the messy details of any kind of sex between any two people is going to get a postive response.

By: Rodolfo

Rodolfo — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:50:50 +0000

@Richard Rush, Erin and Priya Lynn:

Straight people have anal sex, too.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:29:11 +0000

Richard said “I’m apparently the only one who feels this way:”.

Well, you gave me something to think about. I originally thought the definition of Santorum was a great joke, now I’m not so sure.