How Newt Roared Back
Newt Gingrich has had the wildest ride in a primary season since Bill Clinton weathered womanizing charges in 1992.
Based on his strong performances in the numerous Republican debates, the former House speaker soared to a double-digit polling lead in Iowa in the fall of 2011. But a $4 million onslaught of negative ads by Mitt Romney’s allies sunk Gingrich in Iowa. After his disappointing fifth place finish in the New Hampshire primary, even conservatives began to write him off. National Review endorsed anybody but him, and Rush Limbaugh criticized his “desperate attacks” on venture capitalism. A coalition of Christian conservatives endorsed Rick Santorum the week before South Carolina, and Newt’s candidacy looked dead. Indeed, the post-New Hampshire Rasmussen Reports poll of South Carolina gave Romney a 35-21% lead. It looked like the multi-millionaire businessman was about to close his biggest deal ever. Yet less than six days later, Newt Gingrich came back to win the South Carolina Republican primary by 40-28%. Evidently, the rumors of his political demise had been greatly exaggerated.
How did Gingrich do it? Sure, his debating skills helped, but those same skills didn’t stop his early January collapse. The “friends and neighbors” effect of a Southern primary was probably worth five points or so, but not the full amount he made up in less than a week. The answer is that he kicked over a revolt among conservatives by punching away at two extremely potent themes: 1) that the establishment media is chronically biased against Republicans; and 2) welfare is a failed program that discourages work. As we shall see, those two themes have resonated in the conservative movement since the 1960s.
Republicans have been suspicious of the Eastern media dating back to the 1960 campaign when they believed the press favored John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon. (In his classic The Making of the President, 1960, JFK fan Teddy White admitted the charge was true: “There is no doubt this cultivation of the press colored all the reporting that came from the Kennedy campaign…”) Four years later, Republican suspicion became sheer hostility when the Eastern press openly attacked Barry Goldwater as a racist mad bomber who’d abolish Social Security. Former President Dwight Eisenhower spoke for many Republicans when he denounced “sensation-seeking columnists” for writing the “tommyrot” that Goldwater would start a nuclear war. Surveys of journalists showing that over 80% of reporters for the biggest media outlets voted for Clinton, Gore, and Barack Obama have only added fuel to the conservative fire.
As for ideology, Republicans often lost on economic issues from 1932 to 1964. However, the GOP began to re-group in 1965, when, after the passage of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs, many cities were hit with riots, crime soared, and taxes went up. The new programs simply didn’t seem to be working. Ronald Reagan in 1966 became the first staunch conservative elected governor of a big non-Southern state by attacking a “welfare queen” who received over a dozen checks by using fake IDs and drove a Cadillac (an issue he would later use in his successful presidential runs). Two years later, Nixon won, in part, by running against “the national welfare scandal,” saying his approach was “work, work, throw ‘em off the [welfare] rolls.” From 1965 onward, Republicans ran on small government and low taxes – and opposition to social welfare spending, winning most national elections until 2008.
In fact, welfare was unpopular across party lines: polling done by Gallup in the late 1970s and early 1980s showed that over 75% of white Democrats favored making able-bodied welfare recipients work for their benefits. This issue hurt the Democrats so badly that Bill Clinton in the 1996 campaign was finally forced to cut a deal with (ahem) Speaker Gingrich to reform the system and take the issue off the table.
These two old themes – welfare spending and media bias – surfaced in the week before South Carolina voted, and Newt shrewdly used them to resurrect his campaign.
this race just got really interesting.
A few astute remarks from a recent Belladonna Rogers column tell it all:
From: “At The Rubicon”,
“And now for the rest of us, when any liberal makes some snide remark about Newt’s past, the reply should simply be, “You’ve already demonstrated that you have no problem with the behavior. You’re only problem is that he’s a Republican.”
Also… from Mr. “L.G. Davis”. (Slightly edited for clarity.)
“…..Ted Kennedy, John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Joe Kennedy Sr., Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton….. Al Gore…. for heavens sake, Ted Kennedy left the scene of an accident leaving a young girl to drown, (Mary Jo Kopechne, at Chappaquiddick Island), and it was ‘all good’ with the press, after all, the man had been drinking. -(snip)- Let’s not forget Barney Frank and his (homosexual) ‘houseboy’ (who was running a homosexual escort service right from Barney’s house), episode.” And his homosexual lover, Herb Moses, who was appointed to an executive position at Fannie Mae and paid a fortune to carry out the liberal agenda. http://foro.univision.com/t5/Dem%C3%B3cratas/Barney-Frank-s-Homosexual-Lover-Herb-Moses-Was-a-Senior/td-p/288192498.
Damn,,, You can’t make this stuff up.
My gratitude to the commentary at PJM for their long memories and attention to detail. You help make clear the real issues we face as we attempt to curb the excesses of the Democrat elite.
In short, GOP’ers have very little to apologize for, while the liberals have much to be ashamed of for continuing to elect this kind of trash to high office year after year.
Conservative Republicans are their own worst enemy now, unable to see which way the wind is blowing (and everyone is mostly just unsure, and disbelieves in the very existence of such an animal as a “good politician”). But, with regard to character, and comparing the Republican candidates with Obama — who has no character (as the Rev. Wright episode clearly showed any competent voter), and does nothing but run for President, even as President — the most unstable and emperor-like (which is to say, the most like Obama) is Newt Gingrich, as those of us know who have been around long enough and watched him at all closely in times of stress. I can even understand why John King fed Gingrich that sterling opportunity to smash out at the media (and of course the media deserve it, royally and in spades): Because his ex-wife’s lurid claim is so on-the-money in illustrating Gingrich’s own elitist character (which still shows itself, on a regular basis, despite his claims of religious conversion and “forgiveness” of himself). I know those who are emotionally imprinted on Gingrich, or Santorum, or Paul (I am one of those who, in a more ideal world where the electorate wasn’t so divided and biased, wanted to see Sarah Palin as President) will take my words as coming from emotion, and will respond with emotion, but I am speaking as a robot, looking with cold logic at a situation demanding a tough choice for any voter this year. The key to a good President is true character, and character alone (advisors can provide the rest that is needed). And with Obama in the White House, it is a proven fact that the electorate can’t judge character worth spit — this is the real problem, folks.
Character or no character. Newt is still the only person since Calvin Coolidge who has managed to cut government spending and create a balanced budget.
THE ONLY PERSON!
More people have been to the moon. There has been a billion electable citizens since Coolidge, thousands of congressmen hundreds of senators, 14 presidents. Yet Newt Gingrich is the only one who has been able to actually cut spending.
Remember the hopes people had for Scott Brown? How did that go? And countless of other people. They talk like fiscal conservatives. But when push come to shovel, they do nothing.
If that is true, then none of them have good character, so it’s down to intentions, direction, and energy towards the same.
Romney, to go by what he has never flip flopped on, wants us to have gun control, unending bailouts for wall street, carbon controls to fix AGW, and government controlled healthcare.
“Conservative Republicans are their own worst enemy now, unable to see which way the wind is blowing ..”
No. I would surmize many conservatives knew which direction it was going for a long time, but its just that most of us dropped the Republican affiliation a while ago as the GOP simply stopped being conservative. On the flip side, all the Reagan democrats are mostly dead and there are no more Zell Miller’s or Joe Liebermann’s in the democrat party– only the progressive party faithful.
there ya go.
American swing voter are totally about character. They demonstrated that in spades in 1992, 1996 and 2008.
We should just ignore the marxist takeover of the country and focus on Mitt’s marriage, beautiful family and cutthroat capitalism. That will lock up Utah for us, and Utah is the cornerstone of a sweeping victory.
While Newts performance at the debates was stellar, especially compared to the others, it was really Gov. Perry’s endorsement that took Newts dalliances off the table. Perry effectively defanged all the medias attacks by reminding southern voters of forgiveness. His statement, aired repeatedly, in a very christan southern state made even a mention of the ABC story not only tasteless but rallied many voters to his side as a show of support.
In last night’s victory speech Gingrich announced that he is not running as a Republican, but as an American. He seemed to be positioning himself as a Ross Perot.
Newt attacked the “elite media”, the Washington and New York “insiders” and “San Francisco” Democrats. The crowd went wild.
I think he’s on to something.
Excellent commentary Mr Reddy. I live in Virginia and will be voting for Mitt (only Romney and Paul are on our ballot). That said, for me, I like seeing Newt’s offensive assault on the press and their fellow democrats. He’s nothing short of a pit bull. Pit bullishness is what we will face from the Democrats in the general election. They will play nasty and Newt will give it right back. Mitt is simply milk toast. David Axelrod will destroy him like he did to John McCain.
I will write in Newt Gingrich even if the courts give the establishment cover to not count my vote. The sin is theirs.
That’s exactly what I would do if I were a VA voter. I wonder if the state will have the courage to publish the number of Gingrich write-in votes that will be cast on its primary day.
It is my understanding that all write-ins will be classified as just that and nothing more. Even if ‘write-in’ wins, the election (and delegates) will be given to the actual winner between only Gov. Romney and Rep. Paul.
Isn’t it amazing that the first “two-man” race will be between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney? What a screwed up primary Virginia has created for itself.
Thanks for the compliment!
The pretentious Protect-and-Promote-Obamesiah-at-all-costs MSM are now going to engage in a rear-guard (cover their lying & biased rear ends) action to try and convince the American citizen that they, the MSM, are objective truth-seeking journalists and not just Make-a-Difference! journo-listas poured from the pages of Alinskys Rules for Radicals. Good luck with that.
I have been waiting for the day when the lying, biased Leftist scum known as the MSM is seen by the average citizen as just that – lying biased scum. Once understood as such, the more the MSM plays its little tricks and manicures the “news” to comport with the world as they wish it were, the more people will realize how dishonest and utterly corrupt they really are. I think we are finally seeing the propagandist chickens come home to roost and they are gonna crap all over the MSMs glossy but ugly veneer of respectability, a veneer that has worn thin under the abrasive lies and distortions of the MSM themselves:
Its just about sex. It depends on what the meaning of “is” is. Pubic hair on a Coke can. Giving respectability and endless coverage for women making sexual allegations about conservatives, but spiking any similar stories about Libs and then going hard after anyone who doesn’t honor the “hands off all Libs” policy of the Lyin Leftist MSM. The remnants of the MSMs respectability has been circling the drain and perhaps now what remains of it will return to the sewer from whence it came – The Seppos of Modern Liberalism.
.
We got us a horse race now. The MSM will continue to overplay its hand to shore up the very weak and flawed “favorite son” in the WH. Many of them seem to be running for the “Baghdad Bob Award”–hope that PJ Media or Limbaugh will accept nominations from its audience.
Newt is playing well here in the heartland, many people need a second chance and are working to get a better job. Many things can be said about Newt–and will be–he appears to be running for President because he wants to do the work. To represent all the people. He’s not after the perks of the job (what the hell is a “body man” anyway, a paid companion?) and there won’t be any secret hollywood parties or endless articles on how attractive his wife is or how toned her arms are. Newt will not bow to other world leaders.
There is a long way to go in this race and it is shaping up to be a good one.
From the distance of a foreign land, it appears that Newt is the only one actually running for President.
Good article – fair content. Whether Romney or Gingrich, I find this battle good for the ABO party.
If Mitt Romney wants to win not just the Republican nomination, but far more importantly the Presidency, he needs to learn a lesson that Newt Gingrich just taught Romney in spades.
Playing it safe in this election is not enough. Allowing the media to frame the issues is disaster. To not speak loud truth of Obama and liberalism is utter failure and the height of irresponsibility. The MSM is our enemy and it is high time that the battle for truth was fought in the public square, exposing the duplicity, the hypocrisy, the mendacity of the sycophants and waterboys of the Democratic party – with the battle fought on a national stage for all to see.
Being mealy mouthed and milquetoast like Romney will not cut it to win an election. The attention span of the typical voter is a soundbite. And being a coddling “gentleman” while residing in a pack of hyenas will only get you eaten alive.
Romney desperately needs to toughen up and speak absolute truth if he is to win this election that cries out for desperate measures. For the first time in my 50+ years, I actually fear for America if Obama wins reelection.
I want to see wheeling and dealing at the national convention, not a coronation. So here’s hoping the Newtster can keep it alive.
…punching away at two extremely potent themes: 1) that the establishment media is chronically biased against Republicans; and 2) welfare is a failed program that discourages work. As we shall see, those two themes have resonated in the conservative movement since the 1960s.
The themes resonate strongly, but there are other factors…
Gingrich Wins
In his SC speech last night, Newt articulated about 4 clear points that juxtapose his worldview to that of the community organizer in chief.
Who knew that 40% of South Carolinians were anti-capitalists? When a guy like Newt has a Reaganesque surge in the last week against a convincing conservative convert like Romney, there has to be some really nefarious explanation.
But somehow, even that doesn’t explain the overwhelming victory, nor does the anti-media or anti-welfare theories (although one might argue that Mitt getting 2% more than his normal 25% means that he is gaining steam. Surely we’ll hear more about that this week from the conservative make believe media).
There must be more to it.
So I chatted with my Ruling Class buddies last night and we figured out that voting against Mitt is also proof that a person is anti-marriage.
Because, like they spun me last night, if you don’t support the hand-picked candidate they have been grooming for 5 years to lose to obama then it has to be an indication of some really really deep-rooted hatred of American values. After all, Mitt is the only guy who can return America to the halcyon years of Bush I.
“It’s a close call as to what is more unpopular among the Republican base: welfare or the “elite media.” But Newt got to smash at both of them in the same week and it hit home in South Carolina.”
For me it is the elite media. Finally, FINALLY, somebody is articulating our rage against the biased mainstream media. I’m sick and tired of the mainstream media using the Republican Party, and conservatives in particular, as a pinata for all of their childish, idiotic, far-left liberal jokes. Enough is enough. And the best person to go after the mainstream media is Newt. He refused to be crucified by them and by going on the attack. Does anybody today remember what his ex-wife said on Thursday? Not one bit. Take the battle to THEM. Make THEM squirm for a change. Hit THEM below the belly for once. It is time that conservatives stand up for themselves, and I’d rather have an imperfect candidate that fights and stands up for us, than an “electible” candidate that does not. And we all saw with John McCain how far we get when we take “the high road.” This is a different age than Ronald Reagan’s. It is crunch time and we need someone to play offence, for once.
I have argued for a long time that the entire problem in Washington DC turns on character, or lack thereof.
The Founders themselves wrote that once we’re saddled with charlatans and liars and dissemblers, the Republic is finished.
But what is character ? Somebody who has (at least as far as we know) been faithful to a spouse…a Pelosi, a Reid, an Obama ? (Michelle would eat his lunch if he stepped out
)
Someone whose chief gunslingers (“they bring a knife, we bring a gun”) are people like David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett ?
I want to say today that Newt Gingrich today is a man of character, despite obvious screw ups (no pun intended) of earlier years.
Newt has no character, puhleeze
Better No-Character Newt than Bad-Character Barky.
Nice rejoinder.
This has turned out to be a test of character. Not Newt’s but Mitt’s. (Newt vs. Mitt vs. Barack. Who would have ever thought that such a list of first names would have emerged on the presidential scene. Newt Jefferson, Mitt Washington, Barack Eisenhower?) If Newt has managed to to allow Mitt to overcome his fears of doing so and light a genuine fire in Romney and he goes on to adopt (with sincerity) Newt’s frontal assaults on the corrupt media and the disastrous welfare state ambitions of Obama then maybe we can get comfortable with Romney as a worthy candidate. However, if Romney now goes into panic mode and shows his lack of character and conviction by attacking Newt rather then the real issues then Romney will do nothing less than destroy the both of them. And this is exactly what the MSM and the Obama camp are hoping and working for. That is the real danger we face. For the Obama jackals the dream now is that the “circular firing squad tactic” has run to finality so that Obama can pick up the pieces and run America to finality.
Now that it’s down to two people, it’s time to really think about electability.
To really do it, we need Michael Barone, but people like ourselves can at leat least sketch out some themes:
- “character” won’t mean a hill of beans. It might be important in a Nixon/Kennedy type race where the candidates were idealogically similar, but not this year when so many peole believe the country is in desperate straits and when the contrast in the parties is so extreme.
- Newt will win the traditional Southern and Western red states hands down. But will Romney? It seems to me that he would be at risk of losing some of the less conservative red states.
- Romney will probably do better than Newt in traditional blue states, but can he actually win one? Not likely.
- The biggest issue is who will win the swing states like Pennsylvalia, Florida and Ohio. This is where Barone’s expertise is required. The way I see it is that the question is whether Newt’s ability to frame obama as a dangerous person will be more persuasive than Mitt’s assumed ability to offend fewer people.
All of the nonsense about who is more conservative will be a tiny factor. So will Newt’s personal foibles. What person who would normally vote for a republican is going to vote for obama because Newt was irresponsible 20 years ago? That attack simply won’t stick. But the ethics censure might, and they might be able to paint Newt as an idealogue. On the other hand, Romney’s cutthroat capitalism and Mormon religion are definitely going to be negatives in the general election. He’s an attractive guy, but I just don’t believe he has a powerful enough personality to counter those factors.
But the key thing is how the swing states will view Newt vs Mitt, and the biggest issue will be their ability to inform the public about just how dangerous obama has been and will be.
The Ruling Class doesn’t want you to think about these things.
Florida, gave up 1/2 of its electorates to the convention by moving the primary date. Still a pile of delegates but the main take away from that move is that the national party does not control the state party anymore. That people say the retirees will go for Mitt are wrong, really wrong. Most of them are not overly concerned about Newt’s past. My Dad is going for R. Paul and he is about as square and religious as they come at his age. He is pissed off by the party shenanigans and he works the polling place during every election. HE IS NOT ALONE.
As a Floridian and a perpetual primary voter, I suspect Newt will win in a squeaker with Paul running second and Mitt at the back of the Casino bus. Jeb stated he is remaining neutral and Rubio is as well.
Jeb holding his cards has to be a huge blow to McRomney.
Jeb’s sniffing a changing of the guard and wants to be on the right side of history.
But my hunch is that Newt will pick Mitt as his vp. Wouldn’t THAT be something. If he does, Mitt will accept because it will be his only ticket to potus after losing to Newt in the upset of the ages.
Newt’s pitch will be that he wants Mitt to manage the economy while he manages the roll-back of obamunismm, and he needs a person who can step in at a moments notice if necessary. What a way to pull the party together. Only Newt could pull it off.
I like the way you think.A Newt-Mitt team would be AWESOME. That would cover all the bases. Let’s do it.
Dear Mitt Romney,
Outdated PolitiBots like you who cannot think for themselves and constantly rely on polling-committees for not-so-well-rehearsed script lines are doomed to fail…no matter how many dolla…err…I mean…batteries are stuffed up your backside.
But, go on, buy all the dirty smear ad spots you can, because you are incapable of convincing anyone you mean a thing you say. You even come off sounding guilty of your wealth. So much for all that Massachusetts influence!
Pity that your “inevitable” slogan, which was on the tip of all your advertisers’ tongues, sank like a lead balloon among those tested. I guess they just haven’t been fed the proper amount of propaganda. Silly, how some people believe they should think for themselves.
Be nice, and you still might get an invitation to Gingrich’s innauguration.
Could it be that a Republican candidate with many of the same traits as the current occupant of the White House makes conservatives nervus? Could it be that us commoners recognize the difference between a Banker and a Businessman? Could it be that Romney remained smuggly silent while his minions savage Gingrich? Was that the moral thing to do? Could it be that the Lame Scream Media (LSM) had coronated Romney the Republican candidate? The LSM would never try to slip a ringer in, would they? For many of us, out in the grasslands, ObamaCare=RomneyCare, no matter how many hairs are split. Romney’s handling of the reluctant, partial release of his financials gave appearence of a crook caught red handed. Romney’s defense of his tax rate was fine and would have been convincing if it had been given much earlier and unforced. More to the point he looks a lot like Warren Buffett!!! This will not go away! Does he have Democrats advising him?
I suspect the good people of South Carolina as much rejected Ronmey as favored Gingrich.
You can dislike Romneycare all you want, but in light of one core conservative value (federalism), it is NOT the same as Obamacare, for one very simple reason: Romneycare is state run, Obamacare is federal run. I dislike big gov involving itself in the economy, but if individual states want to run themselves into the ground, let them. We NEED states, though, to be the laboratories of democracy, and therein lies a very principled, and very conservative, tolerance of (and not necessarily approval for) Romneycare and intolerance of Obamacare.
“Romneycare is state run, Obamacare is federal run.”
Tell me the people of Massachusetts who don’t want it if they can tell the difference. Sure, they have the option to move to a state that doesn’t have it but I submit that they are as much a prisoner of it whether it’s state or federally run.
IOW, A distinction without a difference.
Could it be that Romney remained smugly silent while his minions savage Gingrich?
The savaging in Iowa was very troubling to me.
Newt should be Romney’s VP candidate. Romney has the character, gravitas, and disciplined approach to policy making (he’s even disciplined about his flip flops). And Romney has of late been cutting to one of the core issues in our modern government: crony capitalism, with elites moving in & out of government (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/288794/mitt-s-attack-crony-capitalism-larry-kudlow).
Newt’s lack of personal discipline (affairs) translates into a lack of career discipline (e.g. Fannie Mae’s historian) and of policy discipline (e.g. Newt ridiculously lambasting Romney for his time at Bain). Most of the rest of Newt’s ideas are great though, and it’s also wonderful to see him passionately advocating conservative values to Americans in the limelight of the media. To me, Newt and Romney would be a great team together.
“…Romney has the character, gravitas…”
Gravitas? Mitt? I am sooooo glad my mouth wasn’t full of coffee when I read that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! @ anyone who would have the audacity to put those two words in the same sentence together.
For some reason, I see either Tim Pawlenty or Mitch Daniels as who Gov. Romney would pick for VEEP. Perhaps Bob McDonald. That’s my short list.
As to Newt’s pick (other than himself?), I always thought Newt would be the perfect VEEP for Herman Cain. Presiding over the Senate as #2 would be a step up from presiding over the House as #3. I just have no sure feel at this time as to who he would pick other than it can’t be Sarah Palin. Too bad, too.
Mitt is showing the classic CEO signs that cause people to vote for smelly politicians over smelly business people. CEO’s are dictators in their worlds, and don’t have to sense the way the winds are blowing. Hence, Mitt tried the guillotine blow on Gingrich, not realizing that if the chop failed, the yard dog might escape the cage. It happened.
Mit isn’t a good politician. It’s obvious from his track record.
Newt, for all his faults has survived in politics for 30+ years. He has more enemies than he can count, but he survives. It counts.
Here he is once again feeling more than seing the way the winds are blowing.
One thing you overlooked in Newt’s comeback: one man’s $5 million donation to the pro-Newt super PAC. Thanks Citizen’s United!
Now that Newt has momentum coming out of SC with such an impressive win, more $$ will come pouring into his campaign warchest. I would imagine too that he will start to get more endorsements.
If my political instincts serve me correctly, I firmly believe that the South Carolina vote showed the rest of America why so many people wanted Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey to run for President. And even though the pressure for him to do so was great, and even relentless… it was not to be.
Last night we turned from one bulldog to another.
And rightfully so.
Because there is an anger and a righteous indignation in this country that has not been seen in a really long time.
And because it’s also starting to sink in; America is moving towards a fiscal train-wreck and we are running out of time. The American people now realize that this is a cross-roads election like none other, and that all our futures are at stake. And they also realize that four more years of Obama may be impossible to fully reverse.
And for some time now, the American people have been yearning for someone to finally and forcefully stand up to the destructive left in Washington DC and in the media and to effectively articulate and educate others about our concerns and what to do about them.
Therefore as mentioned a few days ago, on January 31 in Florida, I will go and cast my vote for the Georgia Bulldog – Newt Gingrich, warts and all.
And this November I hope to march to the polls, with family and friends in tow, to send the Community Organizer back to where he came from… in a statement heard around the world.
“…America why so many people wanted Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey to run for President.”
When I hear him speak, I do like what I hear however he would have to stop being “Jersey” for the big stage [eg. his gun grabbing views won't fly west of the stateline].
As I recall, Hillary (the historical mommy victim warts and all for the angry white woman from Vassar) was the regularly scheduled Democratic candidate for president, until that other historical negro victim, Barrack, upset the minstrel show playing to white guilt and the angry ethnic males from Harvard. Like Romney/Bush, Hillary and Mr. Bill had a record, and no one much liked it, except for the established pols. Unlike Barrack the Magnificent constitutional lawyer in the beginning, Newt has a record, and it is a record more electable than Mitt’s or Barrack’s, the darlings of Wall Street movers and shakers. Newt ain’t a lawyer, but he knows where the skeletons are buried and how they got there, and politics is just successful blackmail by another name. I wonder what the elite Establishment’s reaction to their perceived loss of political control over the children will be? I suspect it’ll probably be some of the same characters arguing that Newt has no character. Time, that is to say crime and politics, marches on.
I think it all basically boils down to this: Newt fights. Period. Conservatives and non-Beltway citizens of this country are sick and tired of being ignored and insulted and discounted by the elites of both parties. Newt, for all his warts and faults (and there are tons of them) and despite the fact he used to be a card-carrying member of those same elites, strikes people as someone who will NOT sit still for that when it starts. His fileting of several mediots at various debates is only symbolic of this, not the entire phenomenon. If there’s ever been an election season in history when someone with Newt’s baggage can not only be the nominee but also win the presidency, this would be it. There are no good (maybe not even mediocre) candidates left on the GOP side. So people are saying, “well, we might as well vote for the guy who won’t lay down and be run over by the Obama, the DNC and their propaganda organ, the MSM if we’re gonna be stuck with one of this bunch.”
i must have a BULL-DOG PERIOD…not a poodle…end of story…thats it…nothing more..nothing less..the establishment can suck an egg…
My standard 80 pound poodle has bigger teeth than your short little bull dog. It’s a question of culture.
Mitt reminds me of Barack pretending to be above the fray, while Mitt’s super pac savaged Newt in Iowa. In the debates he comes off as Juan McLame with better suits and better hair. Wishy washy, mush mouth who can’t seem to defend himself in spite of running for the Presidency for 5 years.
And Gingrich is the only one who has some conservative wins under his belt: he & Kasich balanced the budget and passed welfare reform. What has Romney done to futher conservative issues in Taxachusettes? No, he passed Romnneycare and put liberal judges on the court. His romneycare funded abortions. And he will not disavow Romneycare.
Ok Gingrich has flaws/baggage/issues. You think Barack doesn’t have a few “issues”? Who of all the candidates who would let Barack wax on how wonderful his tenure has been for the country and not refute it forcefully? And fling the mud right back at Barack and his spinmachine, when necessary?
Its funny (or laughable). When Bill Clinton’s sexcapades were well known, the press and his sychophants said it was “just sex”. These same people now seem obsessed about Newt’s wanderings.
I think the memes that Romney has the advantage of “electability” money, and organizing hit a road block in SC. If the Newt surge continues, the volunteer base will grow, money will flow in and his debate performances will act as free advertising.
I can’t wait for Palin’s closing keynote speech at CPAC 2012 this February. I believe it could be a major game changer.
Gee. Where are all the PJ Media writers and their claque in the Comments bin reassuring us of the inevitability of Mitt now?
I saw a comment on Twitter yesterday, forgot who wrote it, talking about the Republican candidates, something to this effect: “The ‘electable’ candidate isn’t electable, and the ‘conservative’ candidate isn’t conservative.”
I think that’s a good and quite amusing description of Romney and Gingrich.
Stick a fork in Mitt, he’s done. If he can’t win with all that cash and half of Washington on his campaign payroll, plus the endorsement of the RNC and even National Review, to me it literally means he’d be a great Republican candidate, if only there were any actual Republicans who liked him.
No doubt that’s a plus in the eyes of the RNC, who in the past have been known to let their dislike of conservatives show. In years divisible by four, the RNC likes to ask, “Can we not run a Republican and say we did?” They’d really rather run a Democrat, only Joe Lieberman isn’t available and Zell Miller is too conservative. If the RNC issued currency, Arlen Specter would be on the dollar bill. Maybe Larry Craig would be on the $3.
But the RNC appears to harbor no love for Newt, who is just not satisfied to keep Republican snouts in the trough but occasionally does something alarming, like, e.g., disagree with liberals.
Of course, Newt doesn’t mind agreeing with liberals either. I figure he’ll treat conservatives like he’s treated his wives, vow to love and respect us until death do us part, but then fly Air Force One to that shack outside LaGtange and hook up with the sleaziest mascara-dripping liberal he can find. And when caught, explain to you convincingly how your own dirty mind is playing tricks with you.
The greatest debate never staged would be Newt vs. Newt. It would be like watching the Tasmanian Devil chase his own tail. If anyone can talk his way into the White House, it’s Newt. Of course, it’s even money on whether he’ll talk himself out of the White House instead.
But he does the one thing mainstream Republicans can never bring themselves to do: he looks liberals square in the eye and fights. The only times GW Bush ever squared off against someone like that, it was against his own base.
Tom Perkins
2012-01-22 06:37:12
I will write in Newt Gingrich even if the courts give the establishment cover to not count my vote. The sin is theirs.
Greetings Tom,
Might I suggest another option. Since the GOP establishment has seen fit to lock out the other candidates, to wit Gingrich and Santorum in order to
gaurantee the Virginia primary goes to Romney, the only practical way to defeat their plan is to vote for the NOT ROMNEY candidate on the ballot.
That would be Ron Paul. When you think about it, he’s the obvious choice.
Everyone knows that Ron Paul has no chance to secure the nomination. Indeed, he has as much said so. He sees himself as more of libertarian standard bearer, and as such needs suitable platforms such as the debates and the upcoming Republican National Convention to get his message out. He is afforded these venues because of a fairly large base of support, especially among the youth.
Even though winning the Virginia primary would have no real effect on Paul’s ability to secure the nomination, he can still play spoiler to Romney by denying him those delegates should he pull off an upset. Imagine the turmoil among the beltway elite should that happen, their mr. clean electability machine beaten by crazy old uncle, Ron Paul. I’m not sure Romney and the Republican establishment could ever recover from the embarrassment. Heads would roll! Mass hysteria would be unleashed.
Vote for Ron Paul in Virginia, then sit back and watch the fun begin.
I disagree with the author’s premise that a couple of issues caused Gingrich to go from double digits behind to a double digits win. I think he would have won Iowa if not for the $10 million in attack ads to which he lacked the money to respond. The Not-Romney vote, 75% of the primary voters, has been searching for someone that can represent them. It can’t be Santorum, because while he is a social conservative, he is a big government Republican who voted for new entitlements during the Bush years, and then lost by 18% as an Incumbent. It can’t be Ron Paul, because while he is a fiscal conservative, his foreign policy is ridiculous and would dangerously weaken us in a dangerous world. And it can’t be Romney because his political achievements are Identical to Obama’s and “actions speak louder than words”. So the voters were waiting to give Gingrich standing ovations at the least excuse, and since he didn’t disappoint they gave them to him. But the bar wasn’t very high and the issues could have been anything, the voters were just making sure he hadn’t folded from the pressure of the many attacks from everywhere, before anointing him as their leader.
This election is all but over, Gingrich will now go on to win, as Santorum drops to single digits, those votes will go to Gingrich. Ron Paul will never get more than 15%, although he will stay in for most of the race. And Romney, who could never break a 25% ceiling of support, will now lose support as the inevitability of his nomination melts away.
“then fly Air Force One to that shack outside LaGtange and hook up with the sleaziest mascara-dripping liberal he can find.”
Newt may have not been the most faithful but he has never struck me as a whore hopper either. He’s not even the same sort of cad Clinton is. I get the definite impression Callista has him on a short leash that won’t break a bit easily.
That was a metaphor, you know.
Yes, I know that. I thought it was tinged just a bit though with hyperbole. No big deal.
Newt has very little ground organization anywhere. He can thank Palin Nation for S.C. Let the games continue.
Mr. Reddy,
If you could have say before the election that anti-media and anti-welfare themes would win for Gingrich, I’d have been impressed.
But after the election, everybody knows what won for Gingrich. You don’t impress me much.
I’ll try to do better in my Florida preview…..
These aren’t just Republican themes, and they aren’t some sort of game. Newt’s point that our nation is harder to govern because of the viciousness of our media is true. It seems that, from time to time, our media needs to be reminded to stay on point. That’s how the the old rhyme “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa? Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha” came from.
The point about welfare is a bit narrow, as stated. We have an economy in the tank, and awful unemployment numbers, and administration that refuses to waste a crisis, but also refuses to deal with it rationally. Our prolonged unemployment misery is important, and not just a Republican theme.
These issues are important to Democrats, too. Newt can win.
Sara Palin was mean, but, mean like an iron fist in a velvet glove. She was a candy-coated counterpoint to Newt’s meaniacal persona. He will not generate a ‘sympathy’ vote when the turdle-pie splatters his lack of character across the TeeVee screen. He has only the 27 per cent……however…….
All bets are off if we have a domestic incident scary enough to elect someone meaner than Obama.
Which is worse, meanness or evil? Personally, I’ll go with the former. As for Sarah, she’s a flake, but she is not totally dumb. She is doing right now what she needs to be doing: Being a cheerleader for the pols on our side. She’s a mixed bag, saying things at times that are music to the ears, then doing things that disappoint: saying she’d as a SC voter would support Newt, falling short of endorsing him outright (all the while teasing us with the news that the “first dude” endorsed Newt). Please, Sarah. Shit or get off the pot.
Regarding the issue of federal welfare, imagine how the MSM would have treated this quote from the father of the US Constitution, James Madison:
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents….”
I wish to finish reading “How Newt Roared Back” and peoples’ reactions.
Newt Gingrich is corrupt… you wanted a core? Now you have a corrupt one.
Can a private citizen demand the congressional record that Gingrich sealed be unsealed.
Shouldn’t we know exactly why his fellow Republicans kicked him out as Speaker?
Isn’t anyone curious? Newt Gingrich was corrupt then and he is corrupt now.
But you don’t really warm to Romney? Oh… good reason to put a completely corrupt, bi-polar, narcissist in instead!
Gee, Anne, that canned, regurgitated pablum might be a tad more impressive if you had something like (oh, I dunno) a couple of facts on your side.
Pity you don’t.
FYI, Newt was slapped with 84 charges back then; convicted of 1. Said conviction was later overturned when the IRS ruled his online class didn’t break any laws.
We now return you to the real world.
Remember… GOP voters hate the media more than they hate Congress. And while they may not like Newt, they hate Obama. AtlasShrugs.com’s Pamela Geller writes that Gingrich “…may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch. And we need a son of a bitch to defeat the snake in the White House.”
I think scottK highlighted a good point with respect to Christie. It’s not just “bashing’ the MSM, or going after welfare. It’s about fighting back. Christie fights, Newt fights (Cain fought, but got slimed out); Romney plays it safe.
Right now I’m rooting for all the candidates. I’m very happy we have a real race, instead of a coronation.
Just remember what Newt said last fall during one debate: anyone on that stage would be better than Obama; his version of the “syphilitic camel” approach.
Watch Herman Cain deliver the Tea Party State of the Union at http://www.TeaPartyExpress.org ! The live stream starts on Tuesday, January 24th at 10:30 EST/7:30 PST.
I still think Newts personality is unsuited to be the president. Like obama he always has to be the smartest guy in the room, is also a meglomaniac, also has no executive experience, and is a one man show that cant pick capable advisors and wont listen to them. Newts debating skills might allow him to win, but they wont be enough to overcome his weaknesses and govern.
The one benefit I see in Newts surge is if the competition makes Romney into a more energetic candidate, who is not afraid to defend himself. If that happens, then Newt will have done us all a service.
Mind you, if Newt wins the nomination I will still vote for him over Obama. My concerns are that Newt might be a bad president, but I already know for a certainty that Obama is a bad president.
richardk40
My friend, here’s why I think your analysis might be off regarding Newt’s ununsuitability for the big job.
As I see it, Newt’s like the 3rd army’s (WW2) George Patton. On the one hand he’ll slap a soldier who’s too sick to fight. On the other, he’ll beat the hell out of the enemy.
Obama is like Hitler. He’s doesn’t give a tinker’s nickel for freedom, honor, duty and country. He’s a disciple of Saul Alinsky; a Communist disguised by a progressive title who’ll drain this country dry of everything from its money to its freedom to its safety. When Obama took the oath of office, the last two sentences gave him 90 million frequent liar miles.