Rick Santorum, former Republican Senator and vocal advocate for conservative social values, announced today that he will run for president in 2012.
USA Today reports that Santorum made his official candidacy announcement at a Pennsylvania political rally, where he proclaimed a platform based on repairing what he termed the economic and moral decline imposed on the U.S. by the Obama administration.
The former Senator argued that President Obama has “devalued our currency and he’s devalued our culture,” citing economic mismanagement and the administration’s failure to uphold the Defense of Marriage act as principle causes of U.S. decline.
As a member of the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007, Santorum curried favor among social conservatives thanks to his staunch opposition to abortion and stem-cell research and support of traditional marriage. Santorum has also made headlines in recent months for his anti-gay political views.
With regard to the 2012 election campaign, Santorum told ABC’s Good Morning America that he is “in this race and we’ll be in it to win.” While Santorum currently trails Mitt Romney in the polls, he remains convinced that voters are looking for a candidate with his track record – one who “has stood by their principles in good times and in bad.”
