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Stop Romney - GO NEWT!
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Posted on 01/27/2012 1:24:57 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The circling of wagons against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been quite a spectacle. Establishment dinosaurs like former Sen. Bob Dole, the Reaganite grande dame Peggy Noonan, the moderate agoniste David Frum, the reclusive Web guerrilla Matt Drudge, even the flame-throwing Ann Coulter—rarely do you see such a diverse array of establishment and movement conservatives in such united opposition to someone who's at least nominally conservative.
Myself, I'd rather see former Gov. Mitt Romney crushed under those wagon wheels.
And so, apparently, does former Gov. Sarah Palin. In an interview with Fox News Business Network, Palin opined:
"Look at Newt Gingrich, what's going on with him, via the establishment's attacks. They're trying to crucify this man and rewrite history, rewrite what it is that he has stood for all these years. So it's not just Ron Paul. I believe it's also Newt Gingrich that the establishment, that the liberal media, certainly that the progressives and Democrats don't like."
There's little doubt that, in her tiptoeing characterization of the opposition to Gingrich, she meant to include everyone I included above.
So it came as quite a shock to my system when I found myself saying, "Go Sarah!"
And then I mentally slapped myself across the cheeks.
Of course Sarah Palin is taking this tack. It's in her long-term political interest to see Mitt Romney bloodied and defeated in November. Palin and Rush Limbaugh are the figureheads of a subset of movement conservatives who scorn tactical pragmatism. And if President Obama wins, it will have been a sweet vindication for Palin and Limbaugh and the principled Romney doubters like RedState.com's Erick Erickson who believe that Republicans' failings—either in office or in the failure to win office—are almost always a retribution for the betrayal of conservative values.
It's hard to take totally seriously Palin's defense of Gingrich; if she had chosen to run, I imagine she'd have taken the same line against Gingrich that her congressional counterpart Rep. Michele Bachmann took (and which Romney is now taking to great effect): that the former speaker is a sleazy influence-peddler. It's easy to imagine because it's the truth.
But since she can't stop Romney directly, she undermines him indirectly—which is why she intervened in the South Carolina to help deliver the state to Gingrich and why she's speaking out on his behalf now. It's not out of love for Gingrich; it's simply to keep the race going, and thereby damage Romney.
As a short-term tactic, Palin's magic worked brilliantly. But only briefly.
I should note that I don't think Palin is acting purely from a position of calculation. She's more in touch with the conservative id than anyone in Washington; she knows Romney is a weak candidate precisely because of his utter fraudulence.
It's going to be interesting to see what how just how tightly she ultimately chooses to embrace the Romney candidacy in the coming months.
It’s always fun to make sarcastic references to “Former President McCain” and “Former President Dole”, those experts on “electability”. :o)
Having a family man, rugged, father of five, couldn’t hurt, could it?
Todd endorsed him. He is a handsome man and he is someone the guys...and the gals, like, right?
Exactly, and with two landslide wins, too, along with a Republican House after taking it away from the demonrat's decades of rule.
Someone needs to tell Romney the moon has riches beyond any dream of Bain but there for the taking. Travel to the moon would be expedited.
In RINO speak that means 'It's My Turn'.
Wasn’t it mentioned in another debate that Romney was quoted as saying he liked to fire people?
This is what happens to people like Scott Galupo after working in Washington. It becomes impossible for them to realize there are still people out there, like Sarah Palin, who are genuine and sincere.
Newt can use all the help he can get! He must gather all who wish to defy the GOP establishment to rally to his side now—its his only chance. He dared to strike at Mitten—if you strike at a king—you must strike to win.
The irony being:
The same saying, could be equally meaningful, to the RINOs.
Perhaps it is Newt, who is the king, and they have failed.
Just another thought.
Looking at what happened yesterday, that could be (exactly) what was the intention.
Certainly it looked like a strike at the king.
They deployed massive, sudden and coordinated attacks, seeking complete defeat.
That is not what they got.
Drudge has damaged his nearly priceless brand, and a number of very mainstream RINOs were discredited in the last 24 hours, in ways they may never recover from.
Newt was slowed down.
That is not what they wanted, or needed.
Their coup FAILED.
The king still stands. Long live the Tea Party.
Long live Newt.
That’s right!
They also have made Newt a martyer and some how I don’t think Romney’s stalwart lies in defense of Romneycare will sit well aftrer people begin thinking things through. I would like to see Santorum decide to get out of the race. He really can’t compete now though I thought he took it to Romney better than I’ve seen anyone. Also Romney was knocked back a bit when Nancy Reagan’s passing the torch to Newt exchange occurred. When the smoke clears I’m not all that sure that the Romney team will have accomplished what they needed to do and their clearly piling on attack across the board using surrogates hasn’t caused many to change there minds.
Newt still stands—their attack has failed—BUT the answer will have to wait til the 31st and the primary. IF Newt wins—he still stands—if he loses by ONE POINT he will have been toppled. Florida is a quirky state—it could go each way.
Now is not the time to relax—Ride to the sound of the Guns.
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