Posted on 12/08/2011 12:14:45 PM PST by TBBT
I just returned from the belly of the beast, Washington, D.C. There is not a more parochial or insular city in the country. While there, I had a conversation with two members of what can be described only as the Republican establishment, one in the print media and the other a K Street lobbyist. In short order, the conversation turned to Newt Gingrich and his surge to the top of the ladder.
There is no one more reviled in Washington than Newt. If anyone believes he is part of the establishment, he or she is mistaken. In fact, it would not be a terribly great stretch to say some in the Republican wing of the governing class would prefer to see Obama re-elected than Newt in the Oval Office. However, the vast majority of this class are now in a panic as the preordained choice, Mitt Romney, is truly threatened by the rabble in flyover country constantly looking for anyone but Romney. These people have settled, so it seems, on Gingrich. The increasing volume of commentary of the Beltway insiders and attendant vitriol toward Newt has become a near-hysterical tidal wave rehashing and embellishing Newt's supposed failings and personal "baggage."
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Agreed
That's very interesting. Maybe it explains Newt's cozying up to Hillary and Nancy--trying to regain the power he'd lost?
The author has been fooled...and likely a supporter of Mitt or Newt
Newt ain’t for Tea Party principles either. He’s as establishment as you can get.
Conservatism is dead. If they win, either Romney or Gingrich will also be one term presidents, because they will immediately run away from conservative principles, and will contimue the Obama policies, if at a slower speed - amnesty, more spending, appointment of “moderate” judges, etc. It will mark the end of the Republican perty.
I got your nightmare right here
Newt loving CARD CHECK!!
http://www.examiner.com/county-republican-in-dallas/gingrich-blasted-by-national-right-to-work-committee-over-support-for-scozzafava-ny23-race
On Amnesty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_vrNm4DJoI
First Amend, NOT!!!
Newt Gingrich Co-Sponsored the 1987 Pro-Fairness Doctrine Bill
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/04/29/newt-gingrich-co-sponsored-the-1987-pro-fairness-doctrine-bill/
Howard Dean Endorses Newt
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-25/politics/gingrich.dean_1_newt-gingrich-gingrich-candidacy-howard-dean?_s=PM:POLITICS
Stop the Insanity say no to Newt
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-10/politics/30381368_1_newt-gingrich-conservatives-herman-cain
Too many liberal BS positions to list
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/11/newt-gingrich-no-conservative?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_
Newt with his BFFS Princess Nancy, Kerry and Al Sharpton
http://www.mofopolitics.com/2011/11/09/friendly-reminder-newt-gingrich-is-a-rino-wimp-and-a-scumbag/
Newt loves HC mandates always has
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/05/13/newt-gingrich-long-time-supporter-of-health-insurance-mandates/3/
Newt Flip Flops on Libya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXPLmbrefI
Professor Cornpone
Ethanol lobbyist Newt Gingrich and us—and the future of the GOP
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704698004576104682930044012.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
Newt Gingrich on Bailout: “Reluctantly ... Yes”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJb2NfqwghY&feature=related
As you said: Romney is simply unacceptable.
Newt doesn't thrill me either, but he will side with capitalism or with non-governmental solutions more often than either of the leftists we are choosing him to stop. That is close enough. It's nowhere near the enthusiasm I had for Cain, or for Bachmann, or for DeMint, or for so many others (especially for you-know-who from Alaska), but I'll print up the Newt bumper stickers and put one on my car:
This means that if he were to become POTUS, members of his own party and administration would be leaking stuff to undermine Newt every second of every day. They are about that grade-school petty inside the beltway.
Also:
Being reviled doesn’t make one “not a D.C. insider.” If you’re an insider, it just means you’re a reviled insider.
Newt is the penultimate typical — even stereotypical — Washington pol. He’s not an outsider. Rather, he’s an outcast. And that is far different from being a true outsider.
Vote for Obama then. Thanks!
Gingrich is not only flawed, he’s a loose cannon. In previous years, I would have never considered him as a choice.
Realistically, there are 3 choices, Gingrich, Romney, or Obama.
Obama is out of the question. He’s a communist, and his vision for America is simply evil.
Romney is better than Obama, but would be business as usual. Obamacare would remain intact. Romney would just be so thrilled to be president that he would do whatever he had to to make the government establishment happy.
Gingrich is a wild card. He’s pretty smart, though not as smart as he thinks he is. He’s more conservative than both Obama and Romney by an order of magnitude. And while Gingrich may have some crazy ideas, and say inappropriate things, I think he’d be a positive force, on balance.
So... I’ve decided to ignore the trash talk about Gingrich. Ignore his baggage, for Gingrich’s baggage is far lighter than Obama’s, and the MSM managed to ignore all of Obama’s flaws.
That is why, despite the fact that he is a loose cannon at times, Newt is the guy to take on Obama. Bachman maybe.
I applaude your realism. Those who don’t share it will be very shocked when Newt makes good on his promise that one of his first acts as President will be to “reach out to Democrats.”
Personal opinion here but Obama must not win.
I’d take Biden to Obama because the puppets controlling Obama couldn’t control an idiot.
Your opinion is as far from reality as Obama is from being pro-American!
I met Newt as part of a delegation of top conservative grass roots leaders in Connecticut on July 14, 2010.
For two hours we exchanged views and listened to Newt.
He strongly encouraged us to take over the CT GOP!
He offered to help.
He said that the Tea Party is the only hope for restoring America!!
I believe Newt will embrace Tea Party principles and appoint hundreds of Tea Party activists, if he becomes the 45th POTUS!
Google my name to see my impact and input in Connecticut in the past three years.
I know what I say is true!
I was all for Sarah Palin, but then went to Cain.
Many of us have been brainwashed into believing what we see on TV, although we know bettter!
Discarding the yoke of conformity is perhaps the most difficult task we can achieve!!
There is no "perfect candidate".
I prefer to go with the person who most scares the status quo ruling class establishment.
In 1980 that was Ronald Reagan.
In 1992 that was Pat Buchanan.
Gingrich is the first statesman since Reagan, flaws and all.
WOW...
I am speechless...forget his record...forget his lobbying...
Just listen to a politician on what he says he is going to do and all will be well!!!
Newt Gingrich is 100% progressive establishment...HE HAS EVEN SAID IT.
Get your head out of the sand...time is running out. Dig out the truth and you will see the only two candidates so far that are true conservatives for small government are Bachmann and Santorum.
BTW...I have spoken to Newt personally well, and Cain and many of them...speaking to them personally has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on their actual records.
Newt is an insider..his stand on immigration and global warming show his core.. but the current resident also holds those views and many others that Newt would not agree with.. so pragmatism says Newt is OUR insider and he will get my vote even though I have strong reservations on many points
I don't take Newt at his word on that or on most of what he says. I believe he will "reach out" to the Democrats, but I'm not convinced it will be sincere, particularly if we send him to DC with a strong conservative Congress. I am comfortable trusting him about as much as I would expect his third wife to trust him - and I imagine he will be as loyal to his voters as he was to his first two wives . . . faithful significantly more than half the time. It's sad that this is the best our party can attract to public office, but most conservatives prefer to do something useful and are in private enterprise.
Bull Crap, newt is an insider, but the people up there knows he would sell his own mom down the river for a fast buck. In short, they do not trust his word is better that a bucket of spit.
" These words were not greeted warmly by my two acquaintances, but as it has been often said: the times are a-changin. Those now safely ensconced within the Beltway are being sent a warning. It is not the deep emotional desire to choose Newt Gingrich that has changed the landscape of the nominating process in 2012, but what he represents -- a threat to the establishment."
If I decide to vote for Gingrich, this will be the reason. That also assumes that neither Bachmann nor Santorum have a chance in Hades, which seems like a foregone conclusion at this point.
Fine, believe what you want to believe.
Oh my goodness, I love your bumper sticker! May I borrow it?
I also agreed with every word of your post as though I had written it myself.
“Reaching out” in itself means nothing, it’s what you say while doing it.
Obama reaches out to Replublicans regularly, stating “get on board and comply with my wishes or I’ll blame you for everything”. Thankfully, our House majority has saved us from his Socialist gavel (for the most part). If Newt “reaching out” means pretty much the same and we still have the majority then I am OK with it.
Woo-hoo. Excellent post. We need a “Bull Moose” to stir up Congress and turn things around—not another establishment nominee.
Remember what I wrote in 18 months.
Santorum couldn't get elected dog catcher in Scranton!
An idiot whooped him badly in 2006.
The brilliant architect of the Democrat's comeback, Howard Dean, helped select Dems that appeared more conservative than Republican incumbents that year, enabling them to take back Congress.
Bachmann is a stalking horse for Romney.
If he gets the nomination, she gets a big cookie.
Santorum had won two elections previously in a heavily democratic area where the GOP doesn’t win. He beat the Carville gang and yet he got beat a third time but no one expected him to win at all.
Look at Santorum’s record. Look at what he did.
It is up to us NOW during the primaries to pick the candidate to oppose Obama.
If you think Romney or Gingrich are an answer to Obama you are not informed - PERIOD. In fact it is because of the progressive right (Bush, et al) that we got Obama. Who do you think will be next after Gingrich or Romney? Obama 2.0 and that person will be 10X’s as bad as Obama.
Voting for a progressive is not a WIN for America.
That’s the point. We either make our stand now and save our country from the progressives or they win. This is the end game.
Pollster1, yours is a reasonable response. It is basically: “Trust but verify and then verify again, and then verify somemore ...” But, finally, is this not what we should be doing (should have been doing) with every GOP president? So, I say, elect Newt; and then lean on him continuously to do the right thing. Demand that he choose a solid VP running mate. Insist that his cabinet and advisors be sound, level-headed conservatives who plan to return home to their communities and want to be able to look their neighbors in the eye without shame or embarrassment. Work to get real conservatives into the congress at every opportunity, and real conservatives into the state and local governments at every level. Assume that unwatched conservatives sent to Washington or any state capital are like well-intentioned policemen who go to work in Chicago. They need to be watched and supported, in that order, for the temptation to corruption is strong.
His congressional experience gives him the best shot at undoing obamacare, if, in fact, he wants to.
All in all, probably our best choice.
He also would be the beat president at manipulating congress since Johnson (spit).
I like Ron Paul.
He should be appointed as Secretary of Education to dismantle it.
And then in order, reappointed as Secretary of Commerce, HUD, Energy and Interior to do the same job.
If he could accomplish all that in four years, he should get a medal!!
Make that big government and amnesty. I noticed today, that Rush said there was a lot of room for someone to move to the right of newt, bet that makes you middle of the road and lefty types happy.
Newt's style is much more pedantic, as befits a professor. What he most lacks is Church's focus. Newt is all over the place, with opinions about everything, but he is far from being a polymath, more the dilettante. The real question is: does he have Churchill's ability to stay the course on the great issues confronting the country?
Lincoln had that ability. He focused on the war and left the secondary matters to Seward, Chase, and the Republican Congress. One impression I got from Palin--as governor--is that she had that ability. She had strength of will. As president, she might have brought the same focus. But as a genuine outsider, with pedigree or polish, she could never win over the Establishmentarians. Lincoln did, at least enough. We forget how much he owed to Horace Greeley. Greeley not only polished his debates with Douglas --the ones we read today were redacted by Greeley's paper-- but brought him East to give the Cooper's Union speech which was wildly applauded by the elite audience there.
Palin is not capable of finely crafted speeches. Lincoln had a love and a gift for the language that Palin lacks. But, as Elizabeth I, said on a famous occasion, She might have the heart of a woman, but she has the stomach of a king. Does New have the stomach? I don't mean the self-confidence, but the courage to go against elite opinion when it matters. Neither Bush really had that. Reagan did.
The tactical problem with Newt is he just doesn’t know when to shut up. The way to run for president is to paint a few ‘Big Ideas’ in broad strokes and then give out details with an eye-dropper. You just know that Newt is going to P- off ever significant constituency in BOTH parties before this thing is over. If he can survive that and get elected in the face of Obama’s billion-dollar warchest, then it would be a miracle.
You can’t escape the fact that Newt is pro-amnesty (yes, it’s amnesty), pro-TARP, and pro-global warning.
That is as far from Tea Party principles and Constitutional governance as you can get. Are we to hope that as Newt’s head spins around on these important issues he will eventually stop in the right direction?
Question: How many of Newt’s 10 points in the 1994 Contract With America survived? And who was in charge to make sure they survived?
Um, fightinJAG, “penultimate” means “next-to-last”
From a LIBERTY perspective Ron Paul nails it.
BTW as far as I can tell only Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann do not participate in the insider trading that goes in DC...
That's a given.
“If he can survive that and get elected in the face of Obama’s billion-dollar warchest, then it would be a miracle.”
I’m totally pessimistic, mostly because of the electorate coupled with the biased media coverage.
However, I have noticed that Gingrich really, is getting under the skin of the liberals. I suspect part of that is that they fear Gingrich as an opponent. I certain they fear him as a president.
I think Romney would oppose Obama the same way McCain did, and the way the RNC says to approach Obama, that is, no direct assaults, be nice.
Gingrich is our best chance, and if he implodes, or if he just doesn’t get the job done, God help us all.
Use it early. Use it often. Feel free to sell it for a profit.
Put another way, Newt will die the death of a thousand sound-bites. Democrats can get away with wonkish behavior and the Media lauds them as the smartest in the room. If a conservative does that... well, let's just say they won't allow it.
To compare Gingrich and Reagan in the same sentence exposes what you don’t know.
Gingrich is NOT a conservative. He is a progressive - self admitted progressive. Maybe that is what you mean by the “modern movement” - maybe you are really a progressive and not a true conservative either.
Gingrich had a lot to do with Obamacare, with the medicare reimbursements for the death panels. Newt co-sponsored over 400 bills with Pelosi and was happy to do it. Newt was all cozy over global warming - a true hallmark of the progressive movement.
Newt is BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG SPENDING ALL DAY LONG.
A victory for Romney, Gingrich or Obama in 2012 spells the end of America.
Funny how you had to go back over 30 years to find something good Newt did. Yeah back in 1984 and 1994 I was a huge Gingrich fan and supporter but the cancer that is DC got the better of him.
Look at what he has done since...
Thanks, it’s a good one. :-)
The problem with putting a true conservative in is nothing will get done. To get what you want, you would need 60 Republican votes in the Senate to approve anything. At best, we can hope to get the majority in the Senate, but 60 is a little out of reach. A true conservative would also have more trouble winning the general election. You have to look at this more strategically. #1 priority is to replace Obama. To beat Obama, you’ll need to win back the Independents. The further you are to the right, the less chance you have. It might align with what you want, but you have to be happy getting some of what you want - most importantly replacing Obama.
However, the vast majority of this class are now in a panic as the preordained choice, Mitt Romney, is truly threatened by the rabble in flyover country constantly looking for anyone but Romney.They're not panicked enough. I want the center-right political classes so panicked that even they turn on Romney.
What would you have done in 1775?
Worked with the Tories or with the Patriots?
Would you have said we can’t beat the British it is better to work with the Tories...etc???
Guess what it is 1775 ALL OVER AGAIN!
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