His wife seems to prefer the shadows.
Posted on 05/15/2011 7:11:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Says Andrew Stiles of NRO, “Newt Gingrich’s appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ today could leave some wondering which party’s nomination he is running for.” DrewM at Ace’s site thinks it’s yet another illustration of Newt’s loose-cannon lack of message discipline, but I can’t believe that; he surely must have considered how this will play in the primaries, especially after the pounding Romney just took on the right for his health-care speech. What’s his strategy? Maybe he’s decided his shot at the nomination is so long that his only chance is by Mediscaring seniors, who famously turn out in high numbers at the polls, into backing him. Paul Ryan’s budget has played remarkably well with the 65+ crowd thus far, but an AP poll taken late last year, before he introduced his plan, found even Republican seniors opposed privatizing Medicare to the tune of 71 percent. If professional Smart Guy Newt Gingrich is now warning them that Ryan’s gone too far, their jitters about reform may make them inclined to believe him. It’s desperate, but since he’s not going to win with support from the GOP’s right, why not pander to its left? I just hope he’s prepared for the relentless beating he’ll rightly take in conservative media for kneecapping Ryan at a moment when deficit hawks are frantic to move national opinion on entitlement reform via a unified party message. He’s handed the left a campaign commercial here and they’re already using it.
As for his point about mandates, Gregory’s question was presumably inspired by this recent HuffPo piece. Here was Newt’s chance to climb down from his previous Romney-ish rhetoric about our individual duty to buy coverage. But … nope. He’s still all for it — not for a mandate specifically, mind you, but for variations on it, like having to post a bond. What his strategy in the primaries is in taking that position, I have no idea. If anything, it gives Romney a bit of cover by now being able to claim (a) that the mandate isn’t as fringe as conservatives would like to believe and (b) that Mitt’s the more responsible of the two since at least he doesn’t want anything like this at the federal level. Any theories on what Gingrich was thinking here? I’m mystified.
Update: Via NRO, a pointed rejoinder from Ryan’s spokesman:
“The solutions offered by Chairman Ryan and advanced by House Republicans make no changes to Medicare for those in and near retirement, while offering a strengthened, personalized program that future generations can count on when they retire,” Sweeney says. “Far from claims of radicalism, the gradual, common-sense Medicare reforms ensure that no senior will be forced to reorganize their lives because of government’s mistakes. The most ‘radical’ course of action on Medicare is continue to cling to the unsustainable status quo.”
“Serious leaders,” he adds, without naming names, “owe seniors specific solutions to avert Medicare’s looming collapse.”
I agree with everything you’ve said.
The party is in a sad state of disarray. Where is the new voice? I’d say it actually resides in two women. Maybe a certain renegade Congress-critter out of Tejas. Certainly not with retreads like Newt, Mitt, (what is with these names? Are there no Rons out there? Well, there is one.)
I have a terrible time being polite to the phone solicitors for the RNC. It is everything I can do not to resort to profanity in describing why I haven’t donated to it (the RNC) as opposed to sending contributions to individual candidates.
I am finished with them and this nonsense from Newt is one of the reasons why.
I agree with everything you’ve said.
The party is in a sad state of disarray. Where is the new voice? I’d say it actually resides in two women. Maybe a certain renegade Congress-critter out of Tejas. Certainly not with retreads like Newt, Mitt, (what is with these names? Are there no Rons out there? Well, there is one.)
I have a terrible time being polite to the phone solicitors for the RNC. It is everything I can do not to resort to profanity in describing why I haven’t donated to it (the RNC) as opposed to sending contributions to individual candidates.
I am finished with them and this nonsense from Newt is one of the reasons why.
I am continually amazed at how tone deaf and stupid leaders in the Republican party can be.
Agreed. Newt has made some photo ops, and commentary that may haunt him.
He does understand long game though.
Them: Send us some money.
Me: I'll send money to the candidates of my choice, thank you.
Them: Why don't you send it to us?
Me: Because I don't trust you.
Them: Uh...
CLICK!
That’s a really big “if”.
His wife seems to prefer the shadows.
“And don’t forget his outstanding judgment in stubbornly supporting RINO Scoouzafabba in NY 23 special election up to the point where she dropped from the race and endorsed the Democrat over the Conservative. To this day, I’ve not heard Newt admit a mistake on that. This guy is toast.”
_________________________________________________________
Great point! I had forgotten about that.
I think we’re making the point that this man (while great in 1994) is not the same man, and cannot be trusted! The RINOs are not only a cancer on our party, but even more so on this country.
Just wait, soon enough Newt will be using the words that are included in the lexicon of all RINOs: “Bipartisanship,” “Big Tent,” and “reaching across the aisle.”
Just go away Newt...you’re a RINO fossil.
Hey Newt! Just shut up and go sit back down with your gal pal Nancy “Old Drumface” Pelosi.
Good grief!
And people wonder why I can’t stand the Republicans anymore.
For all those dismissing the chances because of glaringly unpopular defects of Gingrich, Romney, or whoever else the RINO establishment ends up pushing , I have but two words for you: John McCain.
If you don’t like the GOP, then do something about it. Change it.
Newt is trying to make John McCain look like less of an idiot.
I doubt if a single freeper has changed his mind about Newt because of this interview.
I've gone from wanting him involved in the process because he does offer an interesting perspective to many issues, to wanting him to STFU because he is undermining real conservatism.
Boof us!
A variation?
Well then.....F**k Off
“If you don’t like the GOP, then do something about it. Change it.”
There is not one damn thing I can do about it.
The only way to change the Republican party into something good is to continue to pressure them into becoming more Conservative. They resist that at every turn.
I have made it clear that I will not support them in any way as long as they continue to be “Democrats Lite”.
I will support Conservative candidates. When the Republicans run such candidates, I support those individuals.
I DO NOT and WILL NOT support anyone just because they are Republicans.
Sorry but I gave up on the Republican Party a long time ago. They are not a Conservative’s friend.
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.