I actually started the primary season — so WAAYYY back then — incined toward Gingrich, and said so.
Of course, I had lived through his Speakership, but all I knew about what he had been up to in the interim was what I gleaned from occasionally catching him on Hannity or similar. He sounded great and I was more than willing to be open to his candidacy.
Then, like most conservatives, I remembered why he was a GOP outcast, for all practical purposes, when he inexpicably went on tv and called Paul Ryan’s plan “right-wing social engineering,” etc. This was at the absolute WORST time, just when that discussion was getting some traction. And Gingrich killed it.
His candidacy in the toilet at this point, I stopped paying attention to him, except for flakking for him as a good Vice President to someone who actually did get the Tea Party movement in his heart, not just as an intellectual exercise.
When Cain dropped out and people were looking around for the last not-Romney, I really started exploring Gingrich’s record. I was disturbed at the pattern I saw.
It’s not just his decades-long devotion to the individual mandate, there’s are many other things that are simply inexplicable from a person who is supposed to not only be an “intellectual conservative” (as Gingrich aptly described himself), but someone with conservative political instincts.
Will I vote for him if he gets the nomination? Yes. In the primary, I don’t know (but it won’t affect the outcome anyway).
However, I continue to voice my concern, even though that offends some freepers who think we should be all in for Gingrich at this point. I would want him to know that we’re on to his schtick, and if he tries that crap in the future, we’re watching.
Problem is it takes more than a few conservatives to hold this man accountable.
Interesting, today there was a link on Drudge to a story that 33% of GOP voters want “someone else.” That is not a good thing at this point for the Gingrich campaign. He ticks people off so easily as it is; I can see his “support” going back in the toilet about three days after he gets into the Oval Office.
I hope I’m wrong.
Newt comments today are nothing like 3 years ago. Today his comments is like music to the ears of conservatives. I ask myself, how can he have such a profound change. He can't... if he is true, honorable and trustworthy. Newt is a typical politician with lips moving in all directions. Sad we can't get better candidates.
I remember Freepers brag voting for Obama in the primary just so Hillary fails. Hillary would have been better than a community organizer. If Newt becomes President, Freepers will be wining about Newt in short order.