Santorum’s position on contraception conforms with a doctrine that most Catholics ignore: that sexual union must serve the purposes of procreation.

“It [contraception] is not okay because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be,” Santorum said. “They are supposed to be within marriage, they are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal, but also procreative.”

Santorum’s most extreme position is his belief that abortion shouldn’t be allowed even when a pregnancy is the result of rape—a position that could become law in some states (i.e. Mississippi).

“I think the right approach is to accept this horribly created—in the sense of rape—but nevertheless a gift in a very broken way, the gift of human life, and accept what God has given to you.”

Prescribed contraception is probably here to stay. The critical question to ask regards the philosophies of judges that Santorum—or Mitt Romney, who has been driven to the right by a party dominated by extremist voters—would appoint to the federal bench.