Posted on 12/03/2011 10:22:20 AM PST by TBBT
Over the last couple of days, several well-regarded Republican pundits have taken it upon themselves to educate Republican primary voters about the many shortcomings of Newt Gingrich. As I read them, I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln's reaction to the series of military and political experts who warned him that Ulysses S. Grant was an overly ambitious, incompetent drunk. When these experts demanded Grant's removal after the then-unprecedented casualties at Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, Lincoln acknowledge Grant's shortcomings but responded, "I can't spare this man; he fights." Many of Grant's critics were enamored of George B. McClellan, a parade ground general who consistently overstated the strength of his Confederate opposition and who had long fancied himself the presidential frontrunner for 1864. The bottom line was that while McClellan considered himself the next Napoleon, it was apparent to Lincoln that it was Grant who actually had the rare 2 o'clock in the morning courage Napoleon himself so highly valued. In 1863, during Grant's siege of Vicksburg and amid his own growing unhappiness with the series of generals rotated through the leadership of the Army of the Potomac following McClellan's dismissal, Lincoln's reply to the incessant complaints of Grant's critics was even more pointed.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Here’s the catch. Romney can throw the conservatives under the bus because they haven’t supported him at all during the primary—and everyone knows it. So when he’s President he can run left and say everyone knew I was really a lefty.
Newt on the other hand will have to deal with the backlash of losing his soft support from conservatives. Right now Newt is the safer bet.
The one thing Romney has over Newt though is that he’s actually ran something before. Newt did a good job recapturing the Congress for REPUBLICANS (not necessarily conservatives though).
Too bad Bachman didn’t live up to her potential. But who knows things may swing back around to her if she can speak in motivational sense and not get sucked into the press tricks. That’s the one reason I like Newt he appears to now be able to talk over the press and get his point across without getting stuck in their games.
Oh yah, some debate. Newt will end up agreeing with Bambi on nearly everything; he quivers in the presence of mighty liberals.
The folks at Club for Growth have white papers on all the GOP candidates summarizing their public records and does a pretty objective job. Looking at Newt’s I really was struck by how conservative Newt’s actual voting record was (which of course was mischaracterized by Jennifer Rubin, who I think must have been offered a post in a Romney administration. How else do you explain her going full spittle in support of Romney and anti-Newt?)., with most of the worrisome aspects of his record coming from speeches AFTER he left public office. This is pretty much the exact opposite of Romney, who has a very questionable record from his limited time in elected office, with most of his conservatism coming from campaign speeches. Anyway, let’s look at Newt’s actual record:
Voted YES on the Reagan tax cut of 1981
Voted YES on the Reagan tax reform bill of 1986
Voted NO on the George H.W. Bush “Read My Lips” tax hike in 1990.
Voted NO on the Clinton tax hike in 1993.
Voted YES on the capital gains tax cut in 1997.
Voted NO on the Chrysler bailout in 1979
Voted YES on the Gramm-Rudman balanced budget bill in 1985
Voted YES on a balanced budget amendment (as part of the “Contract for America” effort that he led) in 1995
Led the effort and voted YES to cut $16.4 billion from the budget in 1995.
Voted YES on welfare reform in 1996
I also decided to look myself at how much federal spending increased while Gingrich was Speaker of the House (1995-1999). By my calculations, Federal spending rose an average of 3.1% a year while he was speaker. When you compare it to the Presidential terms from Reagan on, this is the lowest rate of spending growth over the last 30 years. Under Reagan, spending grew an average of 7.6% a year. Under George H.W. Bush, 6.7%. Under Clinton, 3.3% (it would have been much more if he got his single payor health care plan through, also he was restrained by Newt later). Under W., it as 6.6% and under Obama, a whopping 8.6% a year. Also, under Newt, Federal spending as a % of GDP fell from 21% to 18.5%, a whopping decline in 4 short years.
Is his record perfect? Nope. Not even close. But the point is that on the big issues, he voted Conservative and helped champion balanced budgets and tax reform. Focusing on that actual voting record really makes me more comfortable with him. Especially when his main opponent is someone whose main accomplishment is a massive government healthcare program.
I will vote for Newt if he is the nominee!
You’re right. The reality is that Obozo’s chances of a second term just went up.
You just gave me the best reason I have seen for voting for Gingrich.
I think Newt will lose by about 1% greater margin than Romney will lose by.
Vote for Obama. Or you could stop listening to the MSM and GOP establishment.
I don’t understand your post. I would never vote for Obama and my opinions of the candidates that I mentioned are my own, not of the msm or the gop establishment.
[Don’t blow a gasket....]
Something tells me he will anyway.......
We had a strong conservative promising a strong conservative agenda and delivering. The conservative Gingrich Republican Revolution of the 1990s was a continuance of the conservative Reagan Revolution started in the 1980s. Newt was an integral part of the first and the author of the second. I would challenge the Newt-haters who insist that Gingrich is some sort of liberal to name the 3rd most important conservative political figure in modern American politics. You can’t. It’s because Reagan is #1, Gingrich is #2, and everyone else is so far back everyone else is essentially tied for last.
Has Newt Gingrich said and done some less-than-conservative things, both privately and publicly? Absolutely. So did Ronald Reagan, by which we all measure a politician’s conservatism. Reagan brought us Sandra Day O’Connor, amnesty, and some other mis-steps, but the good things that he has done so far outweigh his mistakes that we revere him today. Do you Newt-haters also hate Reagan? If not, why not? Because of Reagan’s overall record? The one that Newt helped make possible? How is Newt’s overall record any less conservative than Reagan’s? It’s not. Again, the 90’s Republican Revolution was getting the 80’s Reagan Revolution back on track after having been derailed by Bush I and Clinton.
Well said!
Newt would be Grant only if Grant awoke from hibernation during WWI, not realizing the Civil War was over and that we were fighting a different enemy on a differenct continent, and proceeded to commandeer a division of Marines and initiate a scorched-earth campaign to capture Atlanta.
Newt is hopelessly out-of-touch, fighting the wrong battles, and has a nasty habit of opening the portcullis for the other side when there’s something in it for him personally. He also alienates independents in a way few other politicians do. Us running Newt for prez would be about as bright as the Dems putting Pelosi at the top of their ticket.
I agree. If Newt is our guy we lose the 2012 election. Obama will win with ease. What a nightmare. I can’t believe this crew was the best the GOP could come up with.
If we could only have Barry. Barry Goldwater, that is. Just one thing I want to see: Barrack Obama defeated. I would take, without hesitation, any of the GOP bunch over Obama.
Well said! The Newt bashing is not helping anyone except Obama. The only goal we should have is to beat Obama. There are those who say they would rather see everything just blow apart rather than see Gingrich elected. That is pure and utter nonsense. The same attitude was co-opted with McCain and resulted in getting Obama elected. That has not worked out too well has it!
Reality is what we have - barring something unforeseen, that’s Newt or Mittens.
Mittens has installed Socialist health care in Mass - no reason to think he’d block obamamamcare....for starters.
He’s never had to scrap for a living and hasn’t a clue what it’s like for people who do. He echoes his “I know what it’s like to run a business” but just what business has he ever started and run? Isn’t his expertise buying up companies in trouble and doing massive layoffs?
He’s had everything handed to him all his life. He has been counting on this election being handed to him, without a lot of work - just show up and smile - by the Establishment because its “his turn.” He looks like a deer in the headlights because it doesn’t seem to be working out.
What’s his knowledge of foreign affairs? The military and what’s really happening in Afghanistan?
Newt is the only one I’ve even heard mention the disastrous obama ROE that have resulted in first doubling, then tripling and more - of our KIA’s in the ‘Ghan - the ROE that give the upper hand to the Taliban? Does Romney, any of the others or any of the mods even know what he’s talking about when he says we must change the ROE? No one follows up on it so I would say NO”
So Mitt’s business experience entails laying people off, while Newt has PROVEN track record of balancing the budget 4 years in a row - first time ever in our lifetimes - (and I’m in my downhill 70’s )- AND putting millions BACK to work.
Calling Newt a Socialist doesn’t make him one. That’s the Alinsky tactic.
Newt is a Constitutionalist - and he will cut the activist judges down to size. He knows this country’s history backward and forward and he loves this country. Ever do a search for some of his books on Amazon?
He has mentioned two names for his VP pick: Rubio and Col. West. Rubio has said he wouldn’t run but Col. WEst is open to it. Why would a socialist want someone like Col. West on his team?
West said he would have to pray about and discuss the opportunity with his family, but he promised: “If I can make a difference, then I’ll answer that call.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/196181-rep-west-cain-should-move-on-from-the-race
about judges this was in 2009 - - at minute marker # 2:40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtjfMjjce2Y&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLC7D974B6FCC388CF
You can say the sun rises in the west. Doesn’t make it so.
I have no way of knowing if you believe what you claim or are deliberately pushing misinformation. But you have access to a little of the truth that is available.
"Newt: The Sybil Warrior"
Right on! Newt will do the job, but he has to defeat obama first -
Newt - the headlights
obama - the deer
the deer will be gone!
Great post. Too bad more people don’t do their homework. So many read headlines and jump on some gotcha bandwagon. They won’t take the time to do any indepth research and seek the facks.
Seriously doubt a single one of them has read Newt’s book and it is a conservative take on the environment. As for global warming whether or not anyone believes it is happening..we all know at one time all of the UK was nothing but ice. We know that many parts of the world were uninhabited due to ice...the ice melted and migrants entered and settled. I don’t know what impact man has on global warming but I do know we have an impact on the environment. EPA has to go and Newt said it would be abolished...but there still needs to be some type of protection. Nothing “out there” or outlandish. Newt supports drilling, use of coal and biofuels. They can bash all they want...he supports energy independence. He explained the photo with Pelosi which they flash on every other site here...it wont change my mind. GO NEWT and cant wait to see the debates tonight!
Who cares what newt did on the 1990s before he messed up congress. The four most important issuedms today are amnesty, gw, spending/medicare reform and omabacare (especially ind mandate).
Newt is on wrong side on every issue.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.