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Why Newt Gingrich won’t last
Washington Post ^ | November 15, 2011 | Dana Milbank

Posted on 11/16/2011 3:23:30 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

....The public got a taste of Gingrich’s relative moderation in May, when he disparaged PaulRyan’s budget plan, which House Republicans embraced en masse, as “right-wing social engineering” and “too big a jump.” He quickly retreated from this inadvertent honesty, uttered in the same “Meet the Press” interview when he defended his previous support for an “individual mandate” requiring health insurance — the part of Obamacare that conservatives find most objectionable.

...In 2005, he sat down with then-Sen.HillaryClinton to make common cause over health care. He said he and Clinton “have the same instinct” on health care and praised the notion of a health-care “transfer of finances” from rich to poor. “I risk sounding not quite as right wing as I should,” Gingrich said at the time. “I’ve spent enough of my life fighting,” he added.

In 2007, Gingrich appeared with JohnKerry and conceded that humans have contributed to global warming, saying, “We should address it very actively.” He complained about “the absence of American leadership” on climate change, pitched incentives to reduce carbon emissions and said: “I am not automatically saying that coercion and bureaucracy is not an answer.” Gingrich called for a “green conservatism.”

In 2009, Gingrich met in the OvalOffice with President Obama and the Rev.AlSharpton and emerged to proclaim that “education should be the first civil right of the 21st century.” Soon after that, he appeared on Capitol Hill with BillClinton and Trent Lott for an unveiling of the former Senate majority leader’s portrait, lamenting that “we wasted so much energy with controversy when we could get so many more things done.”

At one point during his dalliance with the Democratic establishment, Gingrich joked that “one can gradually rebuild almost any reputation if you pander enough to the authorities that write columns and show up on TV.”....

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: gopprimary; moderate; squishy; talker
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

First of all, don’t tell me I am confused, typically people without credibility turn to insults. Perry can barely make it through friendly debates, one has to wonder what he would do in a combative debate situation. You don’t like the smartest person in the room? Then stick with “Duh” Perry, at least he’s pretty.


61 posted on 11/16/2011 6:38:18 AM PST by Toespi
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I defend the truth, while striving to point out the lies and hypocrisy. And unlike you, I try to be civil.

I save civility for those who deserve such. Partisan hacks carrying liberal hatchets on FR don't fall into that category.

62 posted on 11/16/2011 6:50:24 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Even with regards to those ideas Newt has that aren’t as conservative, he has ambitions to do them generally with as much private sector involvement and/or minimal expense as possible.

While not necessarily the ideal, it’s a far cry better than what we have now.

Not to mention, when you consider the things Newt actually DID get done, he’s done more for the conservative movement than anyone since Reagan.

Yeah, he likes to talk, and sometimes says boneheaded things, but he might just be the right guy at the right time.

Perry, OTOH, has had some really great ideas lately (tax plan, the other things that came out a few days ago about cutting/shrinking departments), but I’ve reached the conclusion that he just can’t play in the big leagues this time around for some reason.


63 posted on 11/16/2011 6:51:26 AM PST by RockinRight (One year from now, we have an opportunity to take our nation back.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Gov. Rick Perry is the conservative who will be the best president for our country.

Is there a string in your back that someone pulls to make the various talking points come out?

64 posted on 11/16/2011 6:52:06 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: South40

Are you lucid? Newt is definitely a king Rino. He sat on a couch with Speaker Pelosi and spewed AGW crap. Who else has done that on our side? Newt threw Ryan under the bus for his “radical” plan to cut spending earlier this year. Newt puts everybody to shame in the RINO and feeding at the federal trough department. What other republican candidate had Freddie Mac pay them $300K? Newt is the ultimate DC insider. He had a large hand in causing the problems we are currently paying for. When push comes to shove, Newt is a moderate and I believe that is how he would lead.


65 posted on 11/16/2011 7:03:01 AM PST by jospehm20
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To: MNJohnnie
"Churchill was a man of unshakable principals and leadership skills. Gingrich is a political opportunist and a great talker."

Actually, as stated in the referenced article : biographer William Manchester records that he (Churchill) was seen as "impatient, arrogant and unfeeling… difficult," an "opportunist" whose "transitory convictions" always "inspired suspicion," a man who was "jaywalking through life." Politically he was thought incapable of party loyalty, stubborn and incapable of judging men.....,

Sounds to me like the Newt you're describing. The article is really an interesting read...

66 posted on 11/16/2011 7:05:10 AM PST by Reo
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To: Voter#537
NEWTIE BABY has two chances. 1. Very Slim. 2. NONE. . . . .

And 'Very Slim' just left town.

67 posted on 11/16/2011 7:09:00 AM PST by dfwgator (I stand with Herman Cain.)
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To: noprogs

Yeah, Newt might be an asset in a new administration as long as he was under the control of a strong conservative.


68 posted on 11/16/2011 7:11:03 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Don’t worry, CW. I’ve scanned the anti-Perry posts and they are all still struggling to attain an IQ of 90.

Good luck, you guys.


69 posted on 11/16/2011 7:12:32 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: xzins

Shouldn’t common sense have told Newt waaay back in 2008/2009 that global warming was a farce? I saw that myself and I have no inside info.

Whether he changed because of studies or because of conservative opinion, it was late and has he really changed.

It’s important that our candidate is firmly opposed to stifling EPA regulations because of the phony global warming thing.


70 posted on 11/16/2011 7:16:34 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: dirtboy

I think Perry has made the case for himself and is continuing to do so.

I heard an ole boy call Mark Davis yesterday (local conservative talk show guy in Dallas - subs for Rush sometimes).

Anyway, Mark knows Perry pretty well.

The ole boy says, “I’ve voted for Perry in every election he’s run in and I still don’t like him.”

After some discussion, it turns out that caller thinks Perry is a dam pretty boy.

Funny.

Can’t deny that he is pretty.

Mark went on to outline all the various things that people who are against Perry don’t like. You know the list.

But he went on to say that Perry has been consistent and true to his beliefs. And he has. We can’t say that about Newt.

As far as ‘the list’ goes, much of it is wrong or exaggerated. Believe it or not, Rick Perry does not control the southern border, nor does California or Arizona.

We need a president who will and Rick would.


71 posted on 11/16/2011 7:23:16 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: Toespi

You’re confused.


72 posted on 11/16/2011 7:26:54 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: altura

More of the country believed in climate science than didn’t prior to East Anglia exposure in 2009. That is beginning to reverse. Saw a poll the other day where only about half the nation thinks it’s an important issue now. That’s a big step down.

Of course there were a number of us out there saying we weren’t buying it, but we were reading the scientists opposed. There was nothing unethical about someone buying into the majority science opinion of the day.

What would be unethical, in my view, for those people to refuse to take East Anglia into account.

Newt did, and he came down on the side of “agnosticism” about the whole issue.

Will he stand by those convictions? I think so, but I also think that Gingrich has always looked at the implementation side of any scientific fact or idea. I would expect his question to be: How can you go after all the energy possible and do it in an environmentally sound way?


73 posted on 11/16/2011 7:27:44 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: dirtboy

Yeh, lets not let Dana Milbank and the WaPo define our candidates for us.


74 posted on 11/16/2011 7:32:24 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: dirtboy

You might like this. Everyone should read it and reap.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2808187/posts


75 posted on 11/16/2011 7:56:27 AM PST by b9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_hd23sdf4CE)
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To: xzins

Well, I listen to Rush and have for years. He saw through this whole scam from the beginning and I agreed with him.

Not saying this is a deal breaker for most people, but it kinda is for me. Ridiculous regulations and all the green crapola has been a nightmare for industry and for us.

Look at small things ... say, the light globe fisasco. And they try to Green everything. I just bought a new washing machine and learned that EPA regs prevent manufacturers from making good washing machines. Just tiny examples.


76 posted on 11/16/2011 8:02:46 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

I agree, but we all know Dana Milbank and shouldn’t be afraid to read what he is saying, since a lot of other people are reading it.

He will certainly slam all the Republican candidates, except maybe one.


77 posted on 11/16/2011 8:05:07 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: altura

“You’re confused.”

LOL, you people just fall right into it don’t you? “And I will tell you, it is three agencies of government when I get there that are gone. Commerce, Education, and the... what’s the third one there? Let’s see.”


78 posted on 11/16/2011 8:09:18 AM PST by Toespi
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To: Toespi

Oh, lighten up. I was just funning with ya. But, you are a little confused.


79 posted on 11/16/2011 8:13:15 AM PST by altura (Perry 2012)
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To: altura

Yep.


80 posted on 11/16/2011 8:17:33 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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