Posted on 02/23/2012 5:12:37 PM PST by Marguerite
Leadership: A great debater. Politically polarizing. Prone to error, but also prone to spectacular success. Steeped in history. Politically brilliant. Unorthodox. Audacious.
All these qualities were once used to describe Winston Churchill. Today, you might use the same words to describe Newt Gingrich. Sound absurd? Not when you think about it.
Churchill, like Gingrich, was a brilliant politician with a powerful sense of the occasion.
Sometimes prickly, often witty, but never dull, his career had lots of ups and downs — ranging from being blamed for the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in World War I to being credited as the father of the British welfare state — not exactly a compliment among conservatives, then or now.
Indeed, by Churchill's own admission, "The Conservatives have never liked nor trusted me." The same thing can be said of Gingrich, who has had a tortured relationship with the GOP's conservative wing, to say the least.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
Churchill, like Gingrich, stayed around long enough to acquire wisdom and insight about world affairs and the economy. From 1931 on, Churchill wasn't fooled at all by Hitler. "The Nazi regime," he said in a speech reprinted in "The Unrelenting Struggle," "is indistinguishable from the worst features of Communism."
Churchill was 65 in 1940 — quite old at the time, even to be alive. But after a long public career as a politician, journalist, author and soldier, when a weary and frightened Britain turned to him for leadership he was ready.
Newt, at 68, is also up there in years. Once the brash, even obnoxious Young Turk in Congress, Gingrich is today wiser and more experienced. He has seen what works in public policy and what doesn't."
“Both Churchill and Gingrich, in different ways, are men of letters and ideas. Avid writers, each has a deep sense of how current events fit into history.
At his death in 1965 after 90 years of life, Churchill had authored 56 books. Gingrich, who has a Ph.D. in history, has written or co-written 25 books and one film — and there’ll no doubt be more.
In Churchill’s day, it was British and American “progressives” who heaped praise on Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin. But Churchill knew better. He was right about Hitler and he was right about Communism — making his “Iron Curtain” speech in 1946 in Fulton, Mo., in which he clearly saw the outlines of the Cold War.
Today, American Progressives look to places like China, the Mideast and the socialized economies of Europe for their inspiration.
Gingrich knows the world’s future lies with freedom, not with party masters controlling the destinies of billions of people. He’s more likely to aggressively pursue the illogic and the inconsistencies in Obama’s statements in a head-to-head debate — and to take on Obama’s failure as a central element of his campaign.”
Good article.
Like Churchill, Gingrich had his “exile” years. But he spent them writing a ton of books. And teaching, and debating, and speaking whereever he could draw a crowd. At any gathering, out of any of the speakers who show up, Gingrich is always the one you don’t want to miss.
It’s the jowls.
"Gingrich: "We're at the crossroads. Down one road is a European centralized bureaucratic socialist welfare system in which politicians and bureaucrats define the future. Down the other road is a proud, solid, reaffirmation of American exceptionalism."
Both Churchill and Gingrich spent years in political exile. In both cases, those years were useful, giving each man perspective on events and world affairs.
As Steven F. Hayward wrote recently in the National Review, "The same negative qualities that kept Churchill from high office in the 1930s — his resolute stubbornness, his unconstrained and unpredictable imagination and occasional recklessness — paradoxically made him the best person to lead the nation when it reached the point of extreme crisis in May 1940. But the crisis had to reach the extreme before the Churchill option became thinkable."
With a president in office who, if not an actual socialist seems awfully like one in the statist policies he promotes, America is headed toward inevitable decline and an end to its ancient freedoms — unless, that is, our course changes dramatically.
In short, the Gingrich option has "become thinkable."
In 2012, there is NO other choice for president than NEWT.
He will make a great president for these times.
It’s rather something wrong with your brain.
My family will be in his (our Country’s) corner.
Ah, no sense of humor. Tsk, tsk.
I’m sorry, but one should be quite careful with these types of comparisons. I merely pointed out the most accurate comparison.
Well, unfortunately, he is completely being ignored on all news outlets.
Yes FRiend, he most certainly will.
President Newt Gingrich—”Our beloved republic deserves nothing less.”
This is a great story. Thank you so much for sharing.
I just read it to my better half. We enjoyed the read.
We are praying that Newt is our president. America needs him.
He’s gonna have look like Superman to get through the gauntlet of the next few weeks! The media will be piling it on...and gushing over their darlings, obama and Myth!
I agree. In his own way Gingrich does remind me of Churchill. As was said above he is definitely the man for our times. It will be a big opportunity missed if Newt is not President. GO NEWT GO!
You're so right.
I went to Newt's FaceBook page, and I wrote,
Tell voters, "I'll never be the media darling, but you can make me your darling. Please vote for me!"
LOL.
I agree also.....he will make a wonderful President.
“If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.”
— Winston Churchill
I think the article gave the reader much comparisons for a contrast to Churchill. It is surely nothing wrong with giving comparisons. I see many similarities in these 2 leaders. I think many of us know, Churchill was a brilliant man even with his flaws as Newt Gingrich. ( His past marriages are his past/ 50% of the public are divorced) His 2nd wife was involved with corrupt activity-a good reason to move on from her-first wife has better relationship to Newt and their daughters now)
Very cool! I inspired you! :)
P.S. According to one biography I read, Churchill was not very sexually inclined and Clementine sought another man's bed at least once.
I seriously question the legitimacy of the "GOP's conservative wing" membership. To who exactly are they referring?
I've read a great deal about Churchill over the years ... his mother was considered promiscuous by Victorian standards (perhaps because his father died from syphilis) ... but never Clementine. Both JFK and Clinton screwed around and so did their wives ... Jacki less so than Hillary ... so sexual drive (more or less) isn't relevant.
You know, I said something similiar in January... and had the collective wisdom of the Free Republic denigrating the comparison.
Says a lot, that does.
You’re only wrong by 100%.
Churchill spoke with authority from history about civilizations greatest truths with clarity and conviction. Newton echos and amplifies what he hears in grassroots discourse and repackages for popular consumption.
Churchill was magnificent. Newton merely wants to be somebody.
I’ve been saying this for some time (see my tagline). I’m re-reading Churchill biography and I see numerous parallels (negative and positive). The question is timing. Our great nation needs Newt NOW more than we realize!!
Sorry, FRiend, but you don't know what you are talking about. How many of Newt's books have you read? Newt not only knows history better than all of the other candidates (including Obama) combined, he can recall historical facts easily without notes.
If anything, he is the OPPOSITE of what you suggest. The fact is that most of the history he recites, the average "grassroots discourse" never heard of!!
Churchill also appeased the "grassroots" and addressed their concerns in his speaches. Newt IS somebody...too bad you aren't informed enough about American politics and history to know that...his name will forever live on in the history of this country.
You must never read Churchill.
I just found out recently that Churchill died the day I was born. Coincidence? Hmm.... :D
Obviously you haven’t done your homework on Newt and it shows.
You must never read Newt.
Gingrich nominated = Obama reelected
Sorry...
----
Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it.
www.AnySoldier.com
(An entirely free service)
If the Electorate is deaf, incapable of rational thought and Voting right after they get a Lobotomy, you might be right.
You just described the electorate that put the present occupant in the White House. It could happen again.
----
Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it.
www.AnySoldier.com
(An entirely free service)
I absolutely agree. I dread the state of the electorate and the nation as a whole is such that it will blithely miss the opportunity, never realizing what it had available to it.
In 2008, the Electorate thought Obama was their Knight in Shining Armor. Now (we hope) they realize they were seriously mistaken. The upcoming Election will show us if the Electorate has regained its Self Esteem.
As for me, I just drive around with my Newt 2012 sticker on the car, right next to my NRA sticker and my “Peace Through Superior Firepower” Peace Sign sticker. That way people know I'm the Cop, not the Abuser.
bump 29
"Newt may be just the guy with enough experience to pull this country back before it goes completely over the cliff and descend in to the abyss of socialism, . . ."
I'd like to agree but from where I'm sitting we've already gone over the cliff and are rapidly approaching the final impact. Newt is the guy who can ensure that we survive the impact because he's the only one who knows what the country has to return to as well as what it has to do differently in the future. Everyone else would use the impending impact as an excuse to wipe the slate clean and make an even bigger mess.
JMHO
Unfortunately you may be right, sorry and sad to say.
[ I merely pointed out the most accurate comparison.]
No, an intelligent comparison would be far too difficult for you. So you take the easiest route you relate to the most.
~Newt Gingrich
[[If the Electorate is deaf, incapable of rational thought and Voting right after they get a Lobotomy, you might be right.]]
You just outlined EXACTLY WHY Santorum is now in the lead!
Ah, little Psycho - you can’t make an effective rebuttal, so you go straight for the jugular, bypassing common decency and comity. Please don’t respond to my comments again, unless you can use at least a modicum of civility. Thanks!
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