Posted on 05/10/2007 6:46:08 PM PDT by SJackson
The 2008 presidential campaign is like a reality show, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says.
"There are a lot of smart people who are running very hard," said Gingrich, who is considering getting into the race. "But they have allowed themselves to be talked into a consultant-driven model, which is the equivalent - it's a mixture of 'American Idol,' 'The Bachelor' and 'Survivor.'"
Gingrich said recent candidate debates "were ludicrous."
"In the debate the other night, the Republicans averaged seven minutes and 20 seconds apiece, split up into 25- to 30-second answers," he said. "The television celebrities dominate these things. They cut people off. They treat them with disrespect.
"The potential president of the United States, the most powerful governing office in the world, shrinks with each appearance in these shows, and we don't have a national discussion."
Gingrich has been arguing for a different style of debating than the rules, time limits and moderator that come with traditional presidential debates.
"Whoever the two nominees are, they should agree in advance to 90-minute dialogue - time keeper, but no moderator - 90 minutes a week, for nine weeks, from Labor Day to the election. Let the American people have in their living room a chance to see two adults." He was interviewed on "Face the Nation" on CBS.
ping if the list is still active
OK, Newt, since you brough American Idol into this, lemme call you the GOP’s Sanjaya. Please, stay out of the race.
I heard Newt say this on the Hannity radio show today. One thing he mentioned about the new French Prez was that he has plan where all overtime pay would be tax-exempt. Newt and Sean seemed to like that idea.
Something about confronting ideas I suspect.
If Gingrich sucks, and many here have told me a man with a zipper problem can't be the nominee, he should be easy fodder for FR's issue based critics.
I'd suggest attacking him on his "green" agenda. It's actually quite creative, but not particularly well developed, thus something I wouldn't support.
No, more like confronting the reality of how much baggage the respective candidates are carrying. Newt needs a train of porters for his.
Hannity probably figures anything over three hours is overtime. Forbes is right on the tax issue, but as a Guiliani person I shouldn't mention him here.
I don't know if Newt will run, I'd like to see it, but he has a minor case of the Alan Keyes disease, he frequently postures as a Professor speaking to the class. In itself not fatal, but he bounces ideas off the class as well. That's a problem.
He's drunk the global warming koolaid.
But what made me realize he had gone Beltway native was his standing with Hillary a few years back and calling for a new federal program for improved medical records.
If I've learned ONE thing on FR, you NEVER let a Clinton anywhere NEAR private information.
Who needs baggage! (I think Paris Hilton said that first)
Seriously, I'm not all that interested in the mudslinging.
I am.
I'm sorry, but I have no desire to have a guy who went after Clinton's infidelities when he was engaging in infidelity himself.
My step-dad says about Newt: "The guy just can't keep his c0ck down. If he could do that, he could be elected POTUS."
LOL -- I don't care who you are, that's an "interesting" way to put it!
In the context of the upcoming elections, that’s not a problem for me, but I understand your position and wouldn’t attempt to dissuade you from it. It narrows the field for you, one that I suspect won’t include Newt.
Newt had an affair, cheated on his wife. He divorced his wife and married the woman. This is very poor but people are forgiven if they repent. You said he would need many porters to carry all his baggage. He had the affair. What is all the other baggage?
You said Newt went after Clinton’s infidelities. You know the Republicans impeached Clinton for law breaking and being a liar while excusers claimed it was just about sex.
Newt has a lot more problems than just that.
But he, like Rudy, would give the Dems the hammer to hit him with.
Just tonight I was on a local Philly website and the had some kind of "Survivor" type poll to vote for a candidates. I voted for the guy I liked and then when I checked the results, I see that I voted him "off" the list.
oops! I'm a "Reality Moron" and proud of it.
Not our guy!
Blood rushing into... other areas of the body reduces total bloodflow to the brain.
If everyone who bemoans the lack of a strong candidate would pay closer attention to Hunter, he’d be in the top tier already. We are gonna have to get him there the old fashioned way, work our tails off.
I ask again; What is his other baggage?
Why did you say he went after Clinton’s infidelities when we all know that isn’t true? We need to evaluate candidates honestly.
Of course Dems will hammer Newt. They hammer all conservatives mostly with lies. If that’s an excuse, no one would ever run.
But he, like Rudy, would give the Dems the hammer to hit him with.
I don't think he would have to. You seem perfectly willing to use the hammer on any candidate who isn't Hunter. There is a cult mentality developing among a few Hunter supporters that is not unlike that of the recently purged Rudyphiles. I suspect many are former Buchanan supporters who see only their guy as the "pure" candidate.
BTW, I am on the Hunter and Thompson ping lists. I don't think the nation will be hurt by more candidates. I am not a cultic follower of one candidate who seeks to tear down anyone else who I perceive as a threat to my guy. I don't like it when the Bushbots do it, when the Rudyphiles do it or when you guys do it.
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