Posted on 11/17/2011 2:25:24 PM PST by TitansAFC
As the debates accumulate, it becomes more and more evident that Newt Gingrich’s intellect, experience, articulateness and depth of knowledge elevate him to the top of the GOP field. Anyone should be happy to pay admission to watch him duel with President Obama in debate! He’s not as charismatic as Herman Cain or as smooth as Mitt Romney, but boy, does he have a brain!
Ever since the campaign started, Newt has always gotten in his own way. Now he has graciously stepped aside and let his creativity and intellect shine through.
Earlier in the debates, he bit the questioners’ heads off in a pique of surly crankiness. No longer. Now he just answers the questions as they come, often hitting them out of the ballpark. His perspective and insights are penetrating and his condescension has vanished (or at least is sublimated).
Unfortunately, he does owe some of his current surge to the unsubstantiated and vague charges against Cain. While Republicans generally dismiss these charges, they worry that they will hurt him in November should he win the nomination. Herman will recover. His positive solutions for our economy will lift him back into the top tier of contention. Michele Bachmann might also come back, lifted by a tide of opposition to any tax increases embedded in the deficit-reduction supercommittee’s recommendations.
But any recovery by Cain or Bachmann will not bump Newt from the top tier. The likely result of the debate process is to bequeath to Iowa three or four contending candidates and leave it to them to sort out.
If Newt is the candidate, will his personal baggage drag him down? It will hurt, no doubt about that. His marriages will be dissected by the media, and his family will be deluged with questions and well-laid traps.
His ratings will decline as the inevitable baptism of fire begins. As with Cain, he will experience a few bad weeks. But, as with Cain, his positive strengths will carry him through the fire and he will come out the other end.
But once Newt survives the process, he will be inoculated against the charges. He will have immunity against the issue.
And here is the core of Obama’s problem. All of the Republican candidates will be so thoroughly vetted — and purified — by the brutal process they are going through that they will be immune to his charges against them in the fall.
John Kerry never went through that process. His quick knockout of Howard Dean and the tepid challenge mounted by John Edwards did nothing to vet his claims of hero status in Vietnam.
Obama, on the other hand, survived the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers charges in the primary. When the general election came, they were old hat and had no electoral punch. Similarly, Bill Clinton got the nomination only after he had survived Gennifer Flowers and the accusations of draft-dodging. In November, those charges were spent bullets.
That’s the good news for Republicans. The nominating process has been so combative and the media scrutiny so searing that the candidates have been pre-screened. The FBI screening process is nowhere near as intense as the negative-research capacities of the media and political opponents.
If nominated, Romney will have survived the accusations of flip-flopping, Cain will have overcome the sexual harassment charges and Newt’s marital history will be yesterday’s news. And then we can get on with the business of winning the election.
And win it we will. Obama cannot survive his 60 percent disapproval rating on his handling of the economy (the highest ever recorded by CBS during his administration). Under his leadership, Gallup reports an almost 10-point edge for the Republican Party on handling the economy. Against a generic opponent, Obama draws only 43 percent of the vote. With the personal negatives on the Republican candidates aired and used up during the primaries, there will be nothing for Obama to hide behind.
Shades of the Parliamentary assault on Winston Churchill! I didn’t know you were such a student of british History.
As for Newt, all I can say is, “Talk is cheap.”
Newt is not a conservative. He is a moderate-just like Mitt Romney.
He may be the smartest guy in the room, but he is also the best maniupulator in the room.
Hmmmm, let me see if I can think of someone....oh wait, can't have him because he doesn't have any insider political experience.
Guess the TP was a waste of time if it is to be forgotten so soon.
What did you think of Reagan’s liberal political baggage? You know, amnesty, anti gun legislation, tax hikes, signing the first ever abortion rights bill in California, endorsing RINO’s, etc.
Are you consistent?
But as I said earlier, I would vote for Newt if he’s the nominee.
Isn't that the truth!
When Newt starts talking, it's like a master class and a feast. I just told my husband this morning, "Won't it be a relief to have competence in the White House?"
Nobody here denies that Newt talks a good game....but he doesn’t walk the talk.
Seems many people disagree, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2809123/posts?page=1
Look up simson misoly act, Congress went back on their word
tax hikes
Nice try, look up TEFRA and see above regarding Congress.
signing the first ever abortion rights bill in California,
That was before he left the DEM party and changed his view to Pro Life.
Why are you spouting leftest talking points on FR?
Has Little Dickie Morris gotten his grade for accurate predictions out of “F-” territory yet?
I’m not in anyone’s camp. I’ll vote for not obama. I get miffed why some of the solid conservatives didn’t toss their hat in. Paul Ryan, I got kids and won’t run, is a LAME excuse. Sorry Paul, our country needs you now. Why did you get into politics if you couldn’t handle the pressure and didn’t want to put yourself out there. He’s not my rep, he’s in the district next to me. But, really? That’s your reason. People in WI are ticked about this. He was ready, and he didn’t want to fill that void. I’m really sad he didn’t step up.
Now, we’ve got another host of wannebe’s trying to be the next candidate. They all suck.
But Newt G’s stand on immigration is scary!
He would do no better against Obama than McCain and probably a lot worse.
I’m holding out for Scott Walker, I just hope and pray the Unions and their willing accomplices in the media don’t destroy him. And if the GOP doesn’t have his back, I’m done with them for good.
I’m hardly spouting leftest talking points, just pointing out the hypocrisy. And get your points straight. Although Reagan was pro life, he signed the abortion bill as a REPUBLICAN governor. It was part of a compromise which he later regretted, but he signed it none the less & California has never looked back.
Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest presidents of all time, & certainly the greatest of my lifetime. However, he didn’t have a perfect conservative voting record that some here seem to expect from others. That’s the point.
Exactly. Obama must be defeated or the Republic is toast.
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