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
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That is why the press has been trying to portray this war as "just like Viet Nam." And that is why I don't think Hillary Clinton will win the democrat nomination.
I remember the old 'Big Chicken' and the "Burger Chef" on Roswell Street, when 41 was called the 4-lane (only one around).
If the primaries were as you describe, McCain, not Bush, would have been nominated in 2000.
But, he wasn't, was he?
If you spot a likeable candidate, let me know. :-)
But seriously, likeability is important, but there are other factors that are also prerequisites to winning the nomination. Giuliani, Rice and McCain are lacking in those other factors.
Allen may prove successful, but he has no national name ID. On the other hand, neither did Clinton, two years prior to being elected. It's very early yet.
I'm pushing Newt right now mainly to get him out there, talking about core conservatism and fiscal restraint, so that at least, maybe some other candidates will pick up on such themes.
Gingrich is full of himself and out of touch. He's not going to be the candidate.
Sums it up.
I'd like to know more about Newt divorcing his first wife -- WHILE SHE WAS TERMINALLY ILL WITH CANCER.
I do remember, when asked about it, he refused to discuss it in any way.
Does anybody have information about that divorce?
His first wife, Jackie, obviously did not have terminal cancer, as she is still alive today. Note how these stories become exaggerated.
What is more shocking to me is the fact that they began dating while she was his high school teacher and that they stayed married for 18 years.
It would appear as though some FReepers agree with "R", and are also not of sound mind. LOL
In any event, there is no annoited candidate in the hopper this time, and I suspect the establishment will gravitate to either McCain or Guiliani over time. That is the critical difference.
You forget that the reason mccain put up such a 'strong' challenge was because democrats and indies were crossing over to stick it to bush. There was no contested primary for dems in 2000 so they were free to cross over and that is what put mccain over the top. Among republicans bush beat mccain 2 to 1.
In 2008 democrats will have a contested primary so they wont be able to cross over and vote for mccain.
Guliani, McCain, electable? I doubt it.
But the point is nearly moot. Neither are even remotely "nominatable." This I don't doubt.
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