Rick Santorum, the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and failed 2012 presidential hopeful, is gearing up for another run at the White House in 2016.
The Washington Post reports that Santorum is retooling his message, hoping to appeal beyond his socially conservative base and reach blue-collar voters who are being left behind in the economy.
Santorum has previously denounced same-sex marriage rights, saying in 2012 that he supports a federal constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, and under such an amendment, all existing same-sex unions should become “invalid.”
He has also advocated for sodomy laws, pledged to restore “Don’ Ask, Don’t Tell,” and said he doesn’t believe in hate crimes based on sexual orientation.
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During his last presidential campaign, Santorum signed on to an anti-gay marriage pledge drafted by the National Organization for Marriage.
“America loves an underdog. We’re definitely the underdog in this race,” he told the Washington Post Tuesday. Santorum added that being underestimated — again — “has given me a lot of latitude.”
