Dan Savage probably helped Santorum

The Ross and Burbank Show interviewed The Stranger’s Dan Savage about the popularity of Rick Santorum. MyNorthwest.com wrote up a story about the interview revealing this statement:

“I haven’t been really writing that much about this campaign. I’m just too mortified by how well Rick Santorum is doing,” said Savage. “I feel like there’s nothing I can say one way or the other that’s not going to help him.”

I think Savage was probably on to something there at the end. I think his infamous Google attack on Santorum (he is the activist encouraging an online redefinition of Santorum’s name to mean discharge after a certain homosexual act), is viewed by middle and center-right America as vulgar, mean-spirited, and a particularly uncivil political act. Conservatives tend to rally around other conservatives they feel are being unfairly attacked. Santorum doesn’t come across as a mean guy, so others probably have sympathy for him upon hearing about it.

The national attention the stunt has received has also elevated attention toward Rick Santorum. In the face of such pressures, other politicians have left the political fray, whereas Santorum stays in. It gives him a reputation of having a political spine.

I’m not saying that it is THE reason Santorum is doing well, but it seems like it could be one of the reasons.

Who knows? If Santorum ends up with the nomination, maybe he’ll thank Seattle’s Savage in his inaugural speech….