Posted on 12/11/2011 7:33:52 AM PST by nikos1121
The Bambino stands in the center of the stage, untouchable, uncatchable, unbeatable. He is Newt Gingrich, and he has become the Sultan of Swat.
It is Saturday night at yet another Republican debate and — wham! wham! wham! — Gingrich keeps blasting them out of the park.
Mitt Romney claims he should be president, because, unlike Newt, Romney is not a “career politician.”
“Let’s be candid,” Newt replies. “The only reason you didn’t become a career politician is that you lost to Ted Kennedy in 1994.”
Wham!
Newt, like the real Bambino, Babe Ruth, is a man of appetites. For food and for women, to name just two.
But when the moderators at the Yahoo/ABC debate in Des Moines ask all the candidates whether “marital infidelity” is important as an issue, the new Bambino does not quiver or quail. He does not flinch. He does not duck the pitch even though he has had three wives and admits to having been an adulterer.
“It is a real issue,” Newt says firmly. “People have to look at the person to whom they are going to loan the presidency.”
Loan the presidency! A wonderful phrase that lingers in the mind. And now the Bambino steps into the pitch.
“I have said upfront, openly, I have made mistakes at times and had to go to God for forgiving,” he says.
Whammo! It is out of here!
It is an answer that is perfectly acceptable to almost all Christian conservatives. Who can be against redemption? And do we not love the sinner more than the saint because who amongst us has not sinned? (Only the media, that is, who constantly cast the first stone.)
In earlier debates, Newt has appeared haughty and above it all. But with that answer he returns to earth. He has feet of clay like the rest of us and asks the Almighty to forgive him. And so the fidelity question does not destroy him, but makes him.
And, make no mistake, what he is doing this Saturday night is difficult. Mitt Romney, who had done so well at staying above the fray in previous debates, crashes and burns in this one.
Romney lets Rick Perry get his goat. Rick Perry, who has as much chance of getting the Republican nomination as Luke Perry! Or Perry Como!
When Rick Perry insists that Romney has changed his position on something or other, Mitt angrily sticks out his hand and says, “Rick, I’ll tell you what, ten thousand bucks? $10,000 bet?”
Way to go, Mitt. Remind America that $10,000 is chump change to you.
And when Michele Bachmann says that Mitt and Newt are just clones, Mitt decides to be cute. It is a mistake.
“I know Newt Gingrich,” Romney smirks. “And he is a friend of mine. But we are not clones.”
Yes, Mitt, you are tall and handsome standing there next to Newt. We can all see that. Newt looks like a sack of doorknobs compared to you.
But what does that get you, Mitt? How does that make you presidential?
Newt eyes Romney like the Bambino used to eye a high fastball. He will soon gets his chance to whack another one.
Gingrich, an historian, has called the Palestinians an “invented people.” Nobody asks him whether Americans “invented” themselves in 1776, however.
Instead, Romney says that Gingrich has gone too far and that he should let Israel negotiate for itself.
Newt stabs the lectern with his finger as he roars back. “These people are terrorists!” he says. “They teach terrorism in their schools! It’s fundamentally time for someone to have the guts to stand up and say: ‘Enough lying about the Middle East!’ ”
The audience, as audiences do, goes wild.
If it were four years ago, I would be writing that as soon as Newt wins an actual caucus or primary, the Republican establishment will rise up and stop him. But, today, there is no Republican establishment. It has been washed away by the Tea Party.
And the Tea Party likes a long-ball hitter.
Saturday was Newt’s night. A few more nights like this — and a few actual victories at the polls — and it could be his nomination.
Roger Simon is POLITICO’s chief political columnist.
For Mitt, $10,000 is chump change.
Great line.
Come on, Ann, you got to love the Bambino, too, after last night!!!!!!!
Funny how the rise of Newt and the rise of Tim Tebow occured at the same time.
In both cases the pundits, experts, critics say after each performance the equivalent of “he’s not likely to repeat that performance again.”
Then they do.
That debate last night was actually thrilling television. I’m not a Newtbot, and actually thought Perry was going to be in command last August and stay there until now. The other five can’t compete.
Hee Hee, it's only funny cuz it's true...
For the Newtlist...
“Newt, like the real Bambino, Babe Ruth, is a man of appetites. For food and for women, to name just two.”
Haahahahaha!!!
THE BAMBINO!!!! This is going to stick. Please, moderator post this article on the side bar!!!!
And Santorum all but endorsed Gingrich!
He absolutely annihilated Romney. The Hair was stammering, stuttering, and making ridiculous remarks about how he would "call first, before I said anything that might be construed as inflammatory."
WHAT???? That's what we have in the White House right now!!
I turned it off, knowing that in a just world, that ten minutes should have been the end of Mitt Romney.
But it won't be.
Yes, another great line. We should post this article over and over today unless it gets on the side bar, and use the phrase, Bambino, until it sticks...
It just caught my attention too, that Newt’s weight is going to resonate with the over weight American public. All the jumbos out there, who’ve been laughed at and sneered will now be in, as they’re compared to Newt.
Yes, and it’s playing nicely into Newt’s hands.
Newt=Tea Party
Obama=Flea Party
Yes, and it’s playing nicely into Newt’s hands.
Newt=Tea Party
Obama=Flea Party
My favorite moments:
1. “What’s the difference?” when responding to the Arab Street threats because of his remarks earlier in the week regarding Palestine.
2. “I’m a Reaganaut.” Enough said, but basically saying that Reagan defied the puindits calling USSR the “Evil Empire” and “Tear Down the Wall”.
3. “This is not amnesty.” This is the subject that is most dangerous to him, but he has the courage to address it. He is gambling that Hispanic America will respect his courage more than fear his treatment of them in the coming years.
C2K
You and I have been on this forum a long time now. I agree with you, last night’s debates made for thrilling TV.
I thought the moderators were quite good. They asked good questions and let the group go at it.
I like this. There is no place to hide in a debate. Obama is a poor debater. He has nothing but sound bites.
I think he will avoid the debates as much as he can. Newt will go after him. They guy is great.
I was thinking that he was going to back down, but no, he gets up there and Wham! Wham! Wham! Swatting hard liners on change ups and curves.
“Pops” Romney versus the Bambino!
Is there anyone here on FR who can can photoshop Newt as the Bambino?
LikePalin, Newt is already pre-disastered
There is nothign they can say about him that hasn’t been heard or answered already
That is why I wish Palin would have run and why I like new.
They could do lke the Clintons used to do, The Clintons would answer ONCE to a friendly reporter, and then any time they were asked again they would only reply “That’s old news” and move on (often, whether or not statute of limitations had run out)
There are times that Newt can be downright Churchillian.
And here we see the not so "great" fraud worshipping Politico as an arm of the Ci-cago machine showing through. The invention of the Palestinian state in the 1970's bears no resemblance whatsoever to the spirit of 1776, particularly as to the belief motivated by the establishment burden of the Church of England in disestablishment that was part of our Revolution. The so-called Palestinian people, by contrast are devoted to the mind numbing idiotic bias of killing all the Jews and forbidding all other religions save their own with its all encompassing Sharia dead end.
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