Santorum Cites the Francis Effect as Paradigm of New Evangelization for Conservative Politics

Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is widely known as a traditionally oriented Catholic. Thus it was surprising when the former (and future) GOP Presidential candidate cited Pope Francis at CPAC as an example of spreading "The Good News" for conservatives who work the American political fields. 

Since Pope Francis was chosen by the College of Cardinals a year ago, the secular mainstream media has had a platontic love affair with the New World pontiff, projecting their perceptions that Pope Francis will change Catholic disciplines and doctrines to please progressives on things like married priests, contraception, abortion and same sex MARRIAGE.  Senator Santorum keenly discerns that Pope Francis is engaged in the New Evangelization.  

Pope Francis "selfie" with faithful at St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis has a much more pastoral style than his predecessor, Pope (emeritus) Benedict XVI, but he has not changed a single policy.  Even the 265 page Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" which supposedly slammed "trickle down economics" was not much different than Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate", but the press paid more attention because they saw what they wanted to see from the new Holy See.

Senator Santorum rightly points out that conservatives should not be proselytzing Christianity.  But reintroducing bedrock principles in more engaging and inviting framework can better spread the conservative Good News.  For example, Santorum cited the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa where there was a parade of business owners on the podium to refute Mr. Obama's exclamation "You didn't build that".   Santorum lamented that among the personal examples, there was not one waitress or little person testifying how individual entrepreneurship created their jobs and their livelihoods. 

Senator Senatorum is clearly positioning himself for another run for the Republican Presidential nomination.  He organized Patriot Voices as a vehicle for inspiring and engaging patriotic Americans to educate the public on our Founders.   At CPAC, Patriot Voices hosted Our Sacred Honor (2012),  a documentary film  by Citizens United featuring Senator Santorum, that explored the origins of our rights stemming from documents from our Founding Fathers.   This sort of documentary is a noble educational effort but it does not reach out to apathetic audiences as a conservative  New Evangelization ought to do.

Another way which Santorum has tried to change culture is through his own faith based film studio Echolight.  Unfortunately, the power of prayer could not save the studio's first film "The Christmas Candle". The timeless holiday film for the entire family only grossed $1.6 million in two weeks of release. It was critically panned as being a throwback TV movie genre film which was stiff and hollow. The marketing mistake may have been using a theatrical release strategy thinking that strong box office would proliferate the message.  Echolight's next release is a western film "The Redemption of Henry Myers" which will premiere on the Hallmark Movie Channel on March 23rd.  

Santorum's remarks at CPAC show that his niche for the 2016 race will revisit the blue collar conservative theme as well as appealing to traditional values voters.  The blue collar conservative might be trying to reach Reagan Democrats a generation after the initial appeal.   Considering the precipitous decline in manufacturing jobs in the nation, this demographic alone would not be enough, especially to win the GOP nomination.

The other angle which Santorum's proto-presidential campaign seems to be targeting is traditional values voters.   This year's CPAC had a noticeable lack of organized appeal to the religious right, with no pro-life panels being held.  The problem with Santorum's strategy is he is not the only one tilling the value voters' field.  If  former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) suspends his successful Fox News Channel show for another run at the White House, the Baptist minister will also appeal to this demographic.  Moreover, if Dr. Ben Carson succumbs to the "Run Ben Run" draft efforts, Carson's candidacy would also be competing for this evangelical audience.

If Santorum and conservatives really heed the example of "Frankie goes to the Vatican", they need to outreach to unevangelized ideological audiences with messages which appeal to them which (re) introduce bedrock conservative principles.  Hallmark Channel styled films will not expand the base,  putting blue collar conservatives et ali.  front and center might but there has to continued and substantive outreach.   Outreach is one strategy but capitalizing on social media is key in contemporary campaigning.  Returning to the "You Didn't Build That" controversy, answering with a pop infused message in a timely manner (rapid response) through alternative media platforms likely would have been more effective.

And Pope Francis still has his honeymoon with the mainstream media.  When they stop projecting their progressive desires on the new Pope and figure out that the New Evangelization invites people to bedrock beliefs, the giddy gaggle of coverage will end.  A message for "The Good News" of conservative politics will get no such honeymoon with either the Lamestream Media or the comfortable Cocktail Party elites who do not want to rock the boat in the District of Calamity.