Santorum raised eyebrows Feb. 25 when he called President Obama a 鈥渟nob鈥� for promoting higher education. He was speaking three days before the primary in Michigan, a state with a large working-class population.
鈥淣ot all folks are gifted in the same way,鈥� Santorum told a crowd at an Americans for Prosperity forum in Troy, Mich. 鈥淪ome people have incredible gifts with their hands.... President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob.鈥�
Santorum鈥檚 populist rhetoric has resonated with some conservatives, but has also met with push-back from top Republicans 鈥� and Mr. Obama.
In remarks to governors a few days after Santorum鈥檚 comment, Obama said that his vision for high school graduates is broader than just traditional universities.
鈥淚鈥檓 not only talking about four-year degrees,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also talking about going to community college to get a degree for a manufacturing job where you have to walk through the door to handle a million-dollar piece of equipment.鈥�
Republicans also rejected Santorum鈥檚 characterization.
鈥淚 wish he鈥檇 said it differently,鈥� Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) of Virginia, a Romney supporter, quoted in The Washington Post. 鈥淲hen you look at what鈥檚 going on in other countries, China, India, the premium they put on higher education 鈥� we鈥檝e got to do better if we still want to be the global leader we are.鈥�
Speaking on Fox News two weeks later, Santorum said he should have called Obama鈥檚 comment 鈥渟nobbish,鈥� rather than calling the president a snob.
