Why is President Obama so rattled by Newt Gingrich?

The president has scoffed at Gingrich’s promise to lower gasoline prices to $2.50, while likening those who challenge his own love affair with alternative fuels to “founding members of the flat earth society.”

The president describes suggested measures that could bring down gas prices as akin to waving a “magic wand”; his press secretary Jay Carney accused anyone promising $2.50 gas of “lying”. How can Mr. Gingrich, who is nearly out of the GOP race, so rattle the White House?

There are good reasons for Mr. Obama’s discomfort. First is the almost immediate hit to the president’s popularity when gasoline prices go up. Rightly or wrongly, Americans hold him accountable. In fact, the president is vulnerable on this topic.

He has consistently portrayed fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas as energy products of the past while expressing an almost unimaginably naïve optimism about the potential of alternatives. His attachment to high-cost “green” energy has played well with environmentalists but for most of the country – the roughly 50% not concerned about global warming -- it is increasingly viewed as an expensive boondoggle.

.....Perhaps Gingrich’s most nettlesome issue for the president, however, comes from the notion that the former House speaker is, as the Washington Post describes him, one of the GOP’s “most visible and prolific idea men.”

Party aside, President Obama surely thinks of himself in this way. He is the new generation, he is the seer of the future, he is the most capable of embracing new technology.

The irony is that it is President Obama who is out of step with new technology......

I’m not certain if Palin will play a major role, but stranger things have happened in this primary. Personally I don’t think Newt needs Palin to “run” with him, but for sure she will have a role at convention.

Palin said she wouldn’t run for the Presidency....and I believe her. How she works the Conventin is yet to be seen.

BUT!!!! To Convention we go!!!!!!! Go Newt Go!

Could it be the same reason that King George might have feared the intellect and understanding of a Thomas Jefferson?

Jefferson, were he here, could articulate and summarize the principles and ideas essential to individual liberty, as opposed to counterfeit ideas of "we're taking care of you" and "we can't wait" (meaning, we can't be 'bothered' with the Constitution's restraints on our power).

Remember, it was Jefferson who said of such folks in positions of power, "bind them down by the chains of the Constitution."

One set of ideas leads to freedom for individuals, opportunity, innovation, prosperity, plenty, and "the pursuit of happiness" in a society.

The other leads to loss of individual freedom, dependency on political whims of political ideologues, accumulation of power to government, mediocrity, declining productivity, want and oppression.

Obama prefers a super-wealthy candidate who fits neatly into his already-created narrative of the 1% vs. 99%, and who will tinker around the edges, talking issues, not principles, and one who cannot bring about the "enlightenment of the people" necessary to turn back tyranny.

Although no current candidate may be perfect, only one displays the historical understanding of founding ideas, is quick enough in recognizing the cleverly-disguised ideas of socialism, aggressive enough to refute, rebuke, and unmask those ideas, and might be able to restore to what Jefferson called "the American mind" the ideas which might help new generations to rediscover the ideas of liberty.

"We have the greatest opportunity the world has ever seen, as long as we remain honest -- which will be as long as we can keep the attention of our people alive. If they once become inattentive to public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, judges and governors would all become wolves." - Thomas Jefferson

Because of decades of neglect, "We, the People" have become "inattentive" to the duties placed upon us by our Constitution as its "only Keepers" (Justice Story). The "wolves" have attacked, and we need a leader who can help us rediscover and restore the wall between them and us, and that wall is "the People's" Constitution.

The state party leaders control the process. For instance, Santorum’s victory in Iowa was squelched by a local leader, so that for days it seemed that Romney had won. The news that he had NOT made no impression on the country when it was made known a couple of week’s later. The virtual tie between Romney in Michigan was broadcast as a Romney victory, too. Nothing new about this. Gene McCarthy’s campaign in 1968 was sabotaged not only by Kennedy’s negative ads but by state party officials who undercut him in every way. McCarthy was so infuriated by the way that Bobby won in California, that he couldn’t bring himself to say nice things about the little thug after the assassinations. More importantly, Kennedy’s felt so angry about McCarthy’s refusal to step aside for their hero, that they took their support to McGovern, even though, as he showed in 1972, McGovern was a lousy candidate.

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