I think to people such as his followers there is a certain appeal in seeming like a man of action, unafraid of confrontation. I can certainly see the appeal in that, though I am left of center. He wasn't terribly inarticulate in his anger, either; had it been me and I decided to lose my cool, I would have been stammering and drawing blanks.

Just playing devil's advocate, rather than hopping on the bashwagon.

Personally, I respect how Santorum told him off. I dislike the guy with every ounce of my body, but he's right--he was misquoted, and the media does this to create flashy headlines, often with dubious or political aims counter to the purpose of news media. The media should be the vehicle traversing the bridge between politics and the people, not the toll booth.