Duggars Want Jesus for President, Settle for Endorsing Rick Santorum

Reality family treks to Iowa to stump for GOP hopeful in advance of the state's all-important caucuses

By Gina Serpe Jan 03, 2012 3:24 PMTags
Jim Bob Duggar, Michelle Duggar, Rick SantorumKris Connor/WireImage; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Nineteen supporters (and counting) down. Just 270 electoral votes to go.

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum received the least Hollywood Hollywood endorsement for his campaign over the weekend, getting some grassroots campaigning help from none other than 19 Kids and Counting's Jim and Michelle Duggar and roughly a dozen of their kids.

The reality family joined the ultra conservative in Iowa in the run-up to the all-important caucuses. So...what, exactly, did they do?

Well, for starters, they readily admitted that he wasn't their top choice for Republican presidential candidate.

In their eyes, that honor instead should go to someone who's not exactly eligible for the position.

"You may not agree with everything that [Santorum] has done in the past," Jim Duggar said. "But you know what, you're not going to find the perfect candidate unless it's Jesus Christ running." But Santorum, to him, is the next best thing.

"He's somebody that doesn't take a poll to know where he stands. I'm asking families, Christians all over America, to get behind Rick Santorum for the next president of the United States."

Duggar made his comments while stumping in Iowa yesterday, where he arrived after packing up a dozen of his kids in a big tour bus, which had been freshly repainted to include Santorum's name (which was misspelled on one of the doors) and website.

His wife, Michelle, recovering from the still birth of their 20th child, remained in Arkansas, though is still doing her part for the cause, recording robocalls which will be sent out on behalf of the campaign.

Jim later spoke with CNN, telling them that he particularly admired Santorum's anti-abortion stance and religion. That they both have proven particularly virile (Santorum has seven kids to Duggar's 19) probably didn't hurt, either.

"He has a proven track record," Duggar told the cable net. "He's a proven Christian Conservative. He has always done what's right.

"He is somebody that goes and really just votes from his heart and votes on his convictions, votes on things based on the Constitution of the United States and the Bible. And that's the kind of man we want to support."

So much for separation of church and state.

Incidentally, though the devout Christian family is backing the former Pennsylvania senator, the Arkansas-dwelling family won't actually be able to vote for their chosen candidate in the Iowa caucuses.