Ron Paul says social issues are a 'losing position' for the GOP

Ron Paul said he doesn't think that Rick Santorum can defeat President Obama in a general election. "I don't see how that's possible," he said on Sunday on CNN's State of the Union.

Paul also jabbed at Santorum for his aim “to control peoples’ lives” and what he framed as Santorum’s hypocrisy on the birth control issue.

Santorum admitted in a 2006 interview on Fox News that he supported Title X, a government program that provides funds for family planning services, including access to contraceptives. Santorum said he voted for it during his time as Pennsylvania Senator, and though he believes in access to contraceptives, he personally feels they’re harmful to women and that abstinence education is a "healthier" option.

"I don't see how anybody can get away with that inconsistency—pretending he's a conservative,” Paul said in reference to Santorum’s vote.

Paul dismissed the recent debate over contraception entirely, saying that while the other candidates discuss birth control, he's concerned with "the undermining of our civil liberties, the constant wars going on" and the debt.

Paul said the focus on social issues is a fundamental problem and an unwise fight for the GOP.

"I think it's a losing position," he said. "I talk about it because I have a precise understanding of how these problems are to be solved," on a state-specific level, he said.

It's sad that our country is so polarized that I have to question the motivation of people, even when they are on the right side of the issue. I hope this is not politically driven. I will givethe benefit of teh doubt. See below.

In a rare sign of bipartisan unity over a racially charged case, GOP presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum joined with President Barack Obama Friday in supporting a Department of Justice investigation into the shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch captain. "What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy,” Romney said. “There needs to be a thorough investigation that reassures the public that justice is carried out with impartiality and integrity." Santorum called it “chilling to hear what happened,” and said “hopefully the state attorney general and local community is reacting and responding.” Earlier, Obama called for “every aspect” of the case to be investigated and spoke of Martin's death in personal terms. "My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin: if I had a son he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said.