Posted on 01/26/2012 2:05:25 PM PST by JerseyHighlander
Politico’s homepage top headline is The right drops a bomb on Newt featuring photos of Ann Coulter, Tom DeLay, Elliot Abrams and Matt Drudge.
Just like in December, the rise of Newt has caused panic in Republican circles.
In December the charge was led by National Review, and now it’s being led by Matt Drudge, as reflected in this image from Marooned in Marin:
For several days Drudge has been running almost around-the-clock negative banners against Newt, hyping negatives and burying news which contradicts the Romney campaign narrative that Newt was anti-Reagan.
Against the anti-Newt crusade stands a wealth of counter-viewpoints of people who were in a position to know and who share very differenct recollections of Newt and Reagan, via Josh Painter in the comments:
Reagan Nat’l Security Advisor Bud McFarlane: http://bit.ly/zd9eAF
Reagan Economist Art Laffer: http://bit.ly/xEDETi
Reagan WH political director Jeffrey Lord: http://bit.ly/zw2ZMb
Reagan Policy Analyst Peter Ferrara http://bit.ly/zq1QxI
Reagan media consultant Richard Quinn: http://on.msnbc.com/y2sPM2
Reagan’s Speechwriting Dir. Bently Elliott: http://thedc.com/xOkDvA
Reagan’s older son Michael Reagan: http://bit.ly/yYVy7L
Reagan’s beloved wife Nancy: http://bit.ly/zrWvAw
I’ll add to that Peter Robinson, former Reagan speechwriter, who wrote the historic Berlin Wall address in which President Reagan urged Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall!”:
Newt shared the frustrations of many conservatives, including, from time to time, me, that the President permitted the bureaucracy to prove persistently feckless, undermining his program–as you’ll recall if you’re of a certain age, conservatives were always insisting that the President’s staff should “let Reagan be Reagan.” If Newt mouthed off, giving vent to these frustrations, so be it. He was in Congress. That was, in a sense, his job. And at one time or another, every conservative of any standing felt exasperated or worried–and urged the President not to go soft either on Communism or on our own bureaucracy. Newt’s comments here place him in the company of William F. Buckley, Jr.–WFB vented his frustrations more artfully, but he vented them–and I’d have thought that for our friends at NR that would be quite good enough.
Drudge has 30 million visits a day on his side. We have history on our side. Make it known.
Update: David Kenner of Foreign Policy magazine:
Wow, I never realized how thin skinned Newt’s followers were. If Newt takes a little heat let’s boycott, sound like the far left. I’ll be sure to visit Drudge 20 times a day instead off 1/2 times to make up for some of my over emotional friends on here.
It has got to be based on money!!
This obvious carpet-bombing of Newt the past 72 hours or so, had to be orchestrated with some sort of meaningful kick-back for this spite filled little piss-ant!!
It's not thin skinned, it's called voting with your feet.
Drudge has crossed over from journalism into prince of the power of the air territory.
“What was the epiphany and that moment when Newt realized his duty to the Nation was to run for this office?”
My guess is its his grandchildren, and the thought of what awaits them in the future unless the usurper is thrown out of office.
I know how you feel. It has been years since I have given to the party. I'll give to individual candidates. I feel sorry for the kids that the RNC that call me begging for money. It is not a pretty conversation, in fact it is not a conversation at all.
Bump!
Same thing with Bret Hume and company.
I haven’t followed this closely enought to know whether some of Drudge’s headlines/articles are outright fabrications. If they are, then in my opinion Drudge has crossed the line. His history is that he doesn’t do that. What he does do though (but less than the MSM) is latch onto stories that are factually correct, but through clever wording or emphasis lead the uninformed to a distorted version of “reality”. Ususally Drudge engages in these subtle distortions to the benefit of or in order to pander to conservatives.
This is essentially Rush’s position as Rush states that he can’t say that some of the quotes/stories attributed to Gingrich are not incorrect, but these quotes/stories misrepresent the “totality” or “reality” of Gringrich’s position/disposition regarding Reagan/etc.
Having said that, if Tom Delay, who I consider pure as the driven snow when it comes to true blue conservatism has second thoughts about Gingrich’s conservatism, that’s a pretty big black mark. Bottom line for me is you have to look at what some has actually done and base judgments on their actions - on that basis Gingrich isn’t a true conservative. But taking into consideration current political philosophies, electability, etc., he may be the our best chance.
Drudge has all the appearance of Ann Coulter behind the scenes. She has a one woman crusade here.
Funny how these people think that if Romney gets the nomination, we are going to like, forget? We’re going to rally around him?
Don’t think so, Ann. You’re finished in my mind as having any insight to anthing really.
I’ve donated the few CDs and books of yours. I’m off the Coulter ping list. I don’t read your columns anymore, and I turn you off when you’re on the radio or tv.
I think you have mental problems, and probably other demons in your head.
In short, you are totally out of line in bashing even before the first primary of another candidate solely on personal terms.
I don’t know how the rest of the people here feel about you, but I’m thinking the majority agree with me.
If Drudge meant to do Gingrich electoral harm by trumpeting RINOs raging against him, it may have just the opposite effect.
We have seen the same BS happen to all our conservative contenders this cycle, and I don’t know about everybody else, but I’m getting mighty damn tired of the RINO Royalty attacking the conservative standard bearers.
No way Romney is getting my vote, in the primaries our in the general.
Drudge is trying to manipulate the election and get a RINO in there. I get most of my news from Freerepublic and from a list of hundreds of conservative blogs listed at http://www.cafenetamerica.com
Check out this article. Marooned in Marin is mentioned.
[Mr] T
I am through with drudgereport.
Stopped visiting the pansies site years ago.
I said they went from fourth estate to fifth column because the media have, as you're indicating, changed from a "news" media to become a social change agent. Ditto many professions anymore it seems.
If it's just another rino, win or loose won't matter too much. Maybe Newt is a good choice.
Welcome to the first TEA Party presidential election.
GO NEWT!
Is there another similar news site that is better than drudge?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2838281/posts
Some mentioned here, but read the thread. I still say FR is the best and quickest place for news.
Thanks TR! I’ve already removed Drudge, National Review, SE Cupp and Coulter from my blogrolls.
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