Posted on 06/16/2006 3:09:55 PM PDT by RWR8189
The Hon. Newt Gingrich's recent oracular rumble to a luncheon audience at the Brookings Institution, during which he threatened to seek the Republican presidential nomination if a "vacuum" remains in the Republican field, reminded me of an inescapable insight I suffered sometime in 1998. Mr. Gingrich is the Republicans' Bill Clinton. Being a Republican, Mr. Gingrich is not as hollow as the Arkansas huckster, nor as amusing. In fact, he can be boring.
Springing from the same late 1960s jugendkultur as the Boy President, Mr. Gingrich is the career pol, the hustling, self-promoting narcissist, the sempiternal fantasist. When he was Speaker of the House I should have called him the Boy Speaker. He made his exit from politics like a troubled adolescent: whining, blustering, and guilty as charged.
Had Mr. Gingrich measured himself scrupulously against those Republicans now mentioned as presidential contenders, he never could have spoken of a "vacuum." George Allen, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney are all sturdier candidates than the Boy Speaker whose House colleagues politely put a banana peel under his well-worn wingtips in 1998.
Doubtless there are many other Republicans who would be preferable to Mr. Gingrich. How about Tom Tancredo? What is it that makes Mr. Gingrich think he is a fit candidate to lead the nation? He prides himself on being an intellectual, by which he means being a policy wonk. This is another of his fantasies; he confuses wonkiness with learnedness and wisdom. This is a fantasy he shares with Clinton.
I once heard an English gentleman, fresh from bathing in Mr. Clinton's radiance, confide to the great British historian Paul Johnson that Clinton is "so intelligent." "Not intelligent," Mr. Johnson responded, "cunning." The word encapsulates Mr. Gingrich's thought process perfectly. Yet again, Mr. Gingrich is a Republican. He is
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
I guess that's why we have primaries. I like Newt better than any of those he mentioned.
I like Newt better than most of the possible candidates, but if he's up to it, I'd like to see him in any new administration in any capacity that helps shape policy. Maybe Chief of Staff at the very least.
Tyrrell sounds a tad bitter, no?
Newt isnt electable. Please remember why he got out of the politics game.
Newt has become like Buchanan. He is more concerned with his ego than the conservative movement or the Republican Party. They both need to be in the spot light.
He didn't lose an election. Social conservatives may hold a grudge forever regarding his previous marriage. That's a fact.
But as far as being able to articulate the conservative message regarding foreign policy, fiscal responsibility, and public policy, he's the best out there.
He may have been not guilty of those charges, but he's guilty of betraying his constituents of which I was one for many years. He said once at the outset of the BC debacle over lying to judges and grand juries (lower case because they don't deserve better) that he would " Hold President Clinton accountable for both legal and MORAL (as in Monica) malfeasance." He promptly was caught almost 6 months later with his own uh....member, dipping where it shouldn't have been. All the while NEVER doing what he said he'd do. Newt can stay in obscurity.
I consider myself a social conservative (as well as a fiscal conservative), and I don't hold a grudge against him.
I disagree with aspects of his personal behavior, but, as I see it, he's the only candidate out there with any name recognition that I can stomach on the issues.
>>>>Gingrich is the Republicans' Bill Clinton.
I'd say Rudy Giuliani is a far better comparison to Bill Clinton. Anyone who confuses Newt Gingrich with Bill Clinton doesn't know anything about American politics.
Newt was one of the binding ties in recent conservative politics. He came along at the right time and took a handfull of conservative ideas, forming them into the Contract With America. Newt was the driving force behind the GOP gaining control of Congress in 1995 and for his hard work and focused leadership, all Republicans owe Newt a debt of graditude to this man.
Emmett Tyrrell has been a forceful voice for conservatism through the years, but with this article, I think he's gone bonkers. Tyrrell's hatred of "Boy Clinton" was always on the edge and seemed way over the top on many occasions. Attacking the way he has, one of the stalwarts of consertvatism seems petty if not downright pathetic.
Newt Gingrich advanced conservatism like no one since Ronald Reagan. If Newt believes in running for POTUS he can make a difference for America, I say more power to him. Whether Newt will actually become a candidate for POTUS, is a different story.
At least Newt ran for public office and reached the third highest position in the government. For years Newt fought the good fight in the arena of political ideas, battling liberals like Tip O'Neill and Jim Wright at every opportunity. Through his leadership, Newt moved the Republican Party from minority status to majority control of the federal government. After 40 years of wandering in the political wilderness, the GOP was finally the party in power, and we have Newt Gingrich to thank for that happening.
Maybe Newt's day has come and gone. We shall see.
I've thought about it a lot and decided I'm probably not a "social conservative" because even though I believe in at least 80% of those positions, I have enough hesitation with the other 20% to get me ostracized.
Besides, I believe in forgiveness for behavior that is non-criminal. Ronald Reagan was divorced before he ran for President.
Besides, we're not seriously discussing electing a religious leader. We're discussing a political leader. Sometimes it's hard to keep those considerations apart, but it's still a fact.
Let's see if Mr. Newt gets into the Primaries. Vs. MCaniac and the rest of the golden boys. Newt can orate like few others (Keys is THE KING ORATOR)...he'd probably win the Patriotic Hearts and Minds...
I like him, I can forgive his private life issues since he wasn't doing it in his OFFICE--that we KNOW of... None of us really do know what went on there with his wife, the other woman etc...do we?
I want to hear what he has to say...
G
Newt Gingrich is Hillary's fantasy candidate. I can see her now, rifling in her filing cabinet, searching for Newt's folder. It's there. She knows what's inside. And he knows she knows. Probably no more than we already know, but day after day, 24-7 of Newtgate would just about Newtralize the Republican party. It's just not worth it.
NO he didn't lose an election but he has enough garbage in his past that it will rise up to haunt him over other candidates that don't have that history.
I would vote for Newt anyday
To the best of his ability, Newt Gingrich tried to keep his private life, PRIVATE. Which is more then can be said for Bill Clinton. Newt may not have led a perfect life, but who has. Newt's been married three times. From what I hear, his first marriage ended ugly. Clinton's been deceiving the public throughout his marriage to Hillary Rotten. I'm not sure if Newt would make the best POTUS, but he'd get my vote should the opportunity arise.
I wouldn't vote for Newt for dog catcher. Count me as another one of his Georgia constituents that felt betrayed when Clinton played him like a cheap fiddle because New was doing some double-dipping of his own.
He has too much need for public recognition. His personal life is his business, except that the gal he is currently married to was a staffer, so I assume the relationship began on my dime.
I also don't like him because he is too easily brought into the enemy's tent ( Hillary, for example) and also because he went to Hastert's side on the Jefferson FBI raid controversy.
He is unelectable as a presidential candidate. Period.
Mr. Tyrell nails it... I'm surprised. I would have thought he would be more of a Newt supporter than this blistering but realistic assessment. Newt has no charm and very little likeability. No leadership credentials of any consequence, even the GOP takeover of Congress. Yes, he fashioned a decent strategy with the Contract but then had no lasting leadership skills to pursue the Contract. Some might view that as "Presidential credentials" -- I would sorely disagree.
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