In Santorum speech, where’s the fire on social issues?

Rick Santorum, who emerged during the primaries as the favorite of social conservatives, did not end up spending very much time on hot-button social issues during his address to the Republican National Convention.

Santorum alluded only once (and briefly) to the issue of abortion and only obliquely to the issue of same-sex marriage. Instead, consistent with the night’s theme, Santorum focused on the virtues of hard work and the dangers of dependency on government.

On marriage (from Santorum’s remarks as prepared for delivery):

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The fact is that marriage is disappearing in places where government dependency is highest. Most single mothers do heroic work and an amazing job raising their children, but if America is going to succeed, we must stop the assault on marriage and the family.

And on abortion:

I thank God that America still has one party that reaches out their hands in love to lift up all of God’s children – born and unborn – and says that each of us has dignity and all of us have the right to live the American Dream.

I imagine that some social conservatives might be disappointed that their standard-bearer did not carry the flag of opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage higher or longer during his speech. He certainly was no Buchanan-esque culture warrior. (Perhaps Mike Huckabee will touch on social issues tomorrow.)

I think the downplaying of social issues likely reflects an effort by the Romney campaign to keep the focus on economics and the size/role of government. It also may reflect the sense — especially post-Akin — that the GOP is vulnerable on abortion. (The issue certainly doesn’t win the GOP many Jewish votes.)

Commentary’s John Podhoretz deemed Santorum’s speech "disastrous," not because of its substance, but rather because he thinks the former Pennsylvania senator used a clumsy metaphor — hands! (There goes the metaphor maven vote!)