Posted on 12/02/2011 1:31:35 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Newt Gingrich is having an impressive national polling surge. His chances of grabbing the GOP presidential nomination have spiked up to over 30 percent at Intrade this week, and the media is full of stories about whether it’s time to start taking him seriously. Here’s my advice: don’t. None of the recent polling means he’s going to win the Republican nomination, nor does it even mean that he’s going to have a serious shot at it. Newt is still the same wildly unelectable candidate he was five minutes ago, and the polls that say otherwise are no better indicator of voters’ true preferences than a game of darts.
The reasons why we don’t have to take Newt seriously are many, but the most obvious is that, despite his recent polling, he’s still the same candidate with all the same baggage. He’s still got his history of deviations from party orthodoxy on practically every issue, and the ethics violations, and the marital problems. He’s still the same guy who wound up not being trusted at all by those who worked with him when he was in office. And he’s still got a long history of just not being very popular with anyone outside of the most intense of intense partisans—and even they are likely aware that he’s risky at best and more likely pure poison in a general election.
The lack of endorsements by party actors is the second factor working against Newt, and it suggests that the people who have the most at stake in the nomination see him the same way as I do. We’ve seen this year (Donald Trump?!?) and in the past (John Anderson 1980? Jerry Brown 1992? Rudy Giuliani 2008?) that practically anyone can get a rush of attention and therefore a surge in the polls,
(Excerpt) Read more at tnr.com ...
Well there you have it The New Republic said so. I assume Newt is closing up shop as I type.
The left media, in this case the mildly left, once again telling Republicans who can and cannot be their nominee. And Republicans eat it up.
There are more lefty articles posted here than DUmmieland.
I think I’d advise Newt to get a 2nd opinion...maybe from Susan Estrich....
Susan Estrich Yike!
If FreeRepublic is a barometer (and I believe it is); there was no candidate met with more skepticism than Newt. However, following the debates, re-examining his impact as SOH against all odds, and noting the lack of support from his former RINO colleagues (no cronyism there); Newt is being accepted as the most informed and most able individual to take down the incumbent.
FReepers who now support Newt are not ‘bowled over’ they are not cultists, they are not stupid - but realists.
That’s ok....I don’t take Obama’s Presidency seriously either.
I take his destruction of America seriously, but not his Presidency.
It’s only going to get worse in the coming months. When it becomes apparent to the LSM that Mittens is toast, their desperation will be something to behold.
FR will be an interesting place in the coming year. Hope it doesn’t get to the point where I need to take a sabatical, but on the plus side, that will free up a lot of my time to campaign for Gingrich.
>> Newt is being accepted as the most informed and most able individual to take down the incumbent... FReepers who now support Newt are not ‘bowled over’ they are not cultists, they are not stupid - but realists.
I agree. There’s a lot about Newt I’m not comfortable with, but I’m giving him a second look because:
a) He DOES have significant experience, and he’s bright and articulate;
b) He did a bang-up job in the debates, while my own favorite (Perry) shot himself in the foot; and
c) When counted out, he didn’t quit nor did he lose hope, he just kept at it and used his strengths to put himself back in the thick of it. Persistance and determination are traits I like to see in an executive.
Oh, and d) HE’S NOT MYTH ROMNEY!!!!
Thanks for telling me what I should do Jonathan...apparently you seem to think we are all just sheep out here waiting to be told what to think. I believe I’ll just go ahead and form my own opinion, and treat your advice with the respect it deserves. Buh bye now.
last election judy had a lock and was sure to win, mccain was in fourth. What happened.
A lot of the anti-Newt stuff on this site isn’t worth the bytes it’s written with. Out-of-context quotes, misrepresented positions, etc. But his history does suggest there are real issues with his day-to-day consistency with people and his ability to inspire trust. He’s got to project more humility and convince people he’s gained wisdom with age. Character is destiny and while I like Newt, I’m nervous that he’ll make a few mistakes and get “Borked” by the media.
Well I guess Newt will just pull out and go home. No point paying any attention to every poll out there showing him in the lead.
Where was Newt in 2000? Where was Newt in 2008? Why didn’t Newt help lead the charge against the commies instead of tucking his tail and running away? Is it because he was hypocritical...he had baggage...but now he is back... Can we trust him?
Many people on here despised him for years and still do. They used to wish he wasn’t on Fox News all the time. So after all is said and done we shall see now if Newt is the real deal. But I’m 50/50 on him. I like him and agree with some of the stuff he has been saying. But some people still are lukewarm to him.
And rightly so. He has done and supported things that conservatives don’t agree with at times.
You probably said the same thing last time when judy claimed it was his to lose.
You are truly getting to be a tiresome bore.
**FR will be an interesting place in the coming year.**
You are being diplomatic - it’s full frontal attack now!!!
Stay safe and sane;)
The poll results are what they are, newts support is 3 feet wide and as thick as a sheet of paper. That was the poll internals per fox news.
I don’t see how Newt will get the social conservative vote. Ever. I’m not even an evangelical and I’ll write in a name or vote third party before I help the Republican party sink even MORE into degeneracy, RINO-ism, and hypocrisy.
I can’t stand hearing ‘conservatives’ moan and cry about how they got ‘backstabbed’ when they knowingly supported a RINO. That’s not getting backstabbed, it’s getting exactly what you voted for. The biggest chunk of responsibility for stopping RINOs lies with US - stop voting for them, stop making excuses for them, and above all stop pretending to be surprised when they go all liberal!
I finally de-lurked here when the Giuliani Purge took place last time around, and now I see people defending the same scumbag, Rudyish antics? With almost the exact same arguments as the now-banned Rudyites used to toss around.
If Newt is nominated, the election is over. And frankly, it’s kind of a McCain Quandry - is it better to get a RINO elected so that we all get blamed for things getting screwed up, or let an incompetent dem president take the blame for screwing everything up instead?
So who does that leave to vote for? It’s looking pretty bleak. I’ll settle for anyone who isn’t a flip-flopper or serial adulterer (or both) at this point.
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