Goldberg: Sizing up a Gingrich-Romney showdown

LA Times ^ | 11-22-11 | Jonah Goldbert

[MNJohnnie]

Whether the matchup between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney is the final bout on the GOP primary card is impossible to know. The whole season has been more like professional wrestling than boxing, with weird characters sporting implausible hair appearing out of nowhere to talk smack and explain why they are the greatest in the world (I'm looking at you in particular, Mr. Trump).

Still, let's assume for the moment that it's a Gingrich-Romney contest.

It's quite a matchup. Romney has been brutalized for having too little personality, Gingrich for having way, way too much. Romney looks like the picture that comes with the frame. Gingrich looks like he should be ensconced in royal velvet as he gestures at you with a half-eaten turkey leg in one hand and a sloshing goblet of wine Gingrichin the other. Romney seems terrified of fully committing to any idea. Gingrich speaks as if he just text-messaged with God.

Gingrich would have everyone believe he is the winner of the anti-Romney mantle not merely by default but by hard-won effort and a well-deserved reputation for conservative steadfastness. Many in the media, meanwhile, think that since Gingrich's taking the slot once held by Palin, Bachmann, Cain and Perry, he is a conservative of similar stripe. And many liberals think that since they hate him so much, he must be really right wing. (They made the same mistake with Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, both of whom were far less ideologically conservative than their press clippings indicated.)

The reality is more complicated. For starters, it's not altogether clear that Gingrich is that far to the right of Romney.

[greyfoxx39]

Without reading the article or the thread comments, I betcha Jonah comes down in favor of Mitt. Part of the NRO fan club, donchaknow.

[RainMan]

Having just run ... let me tell you why he resigned to endorse Newt.

Most Tea Party groups are not organized so that they can give support, either in the form of endorsements or money, to candidates. Locally, I was vetted by the Tea Party, I spoke every month at their meetings, an and as individuals some contributed to my campaign, but the leadership could not tell the group they supported me, nor could they ask for volunteers to help with my campaign. If they did so, they would go to jail.

This was recognized as a major issue going into 2012 (someone somewhere made a VERY bad decision when organizing the Tea Parties), and you see a lot of Tea Party groups restructuring now so that they can actually participate in helping influence 2012. The problem is, that this takes time ... and so much like what Sarah did when she stepped down as Governor, to actually help the cause, you must be willing to step down. To criticize this (and pretend it is a reason to infer no real Tea Party support for Newt) is simply ignorance on your part, but now you know.

[Notwithstanding]

Newt’s Contract With America was about as Tea Party as one can get. Or do you disagree?

[SuziQ]

If the Republicans take back the Senate and hold the House, you could make the case that Romney is the better man for the job. Given his unpopularity with the base of his own party, he would be on a much shorter leash and be expected to fly Ryan's flag over the West Wing while making Republican proposals seem more reasonable to the public. He very well might be the technocrat in chief, implementing reforms not necessarily of his own choosing.

I'm not so sure about that, given the way he governed in MA. Granted, he had a Democrat legislature, but the public was behind some reforms, and he didn't even seem to attempt them.

[hosepipe]

[ Bad analogy, Joe Frazier is dead. :) ]

Duuugh... Boxing is dead..

[org.whodat]

Debate, that is stupid, the national election is not a debate. No matter what the liberals spin it their man won and the media will repeat it forever. I have no ideal what republican loser came up this crap. Willard and newt mean four more years of obummer. McCain 2.0

[Vigilanteman]

Newt is a great strategist and superb idea man.

Standard bearer? Not so much. He can't even control his zipper.

Herman Cain has both the likability factor and the great mind.

[annieokie]

Oh Boy!!!! lol

[Servant of the Cross]

Too funny. Never figured you for a LA Times reader, or for a fan of National Review/Jonah Goldberg (already in the tank for Romney). I guess politics does make for strange bedfellows.

So predictable. Libs attempting to pick our candidate. A presumably disinterested LA Times prints a column from ‘conservative’ Goldberg. A perspective from the enemy. Of course they want Romney. For the GOP, it is all about NOT ROMNEY. For the MSM/LA Times, etc., it is all about FOIST ROMNEY ON THE GOP.

Unfortunately, it would appear that 2012 will not provide an ideal GOP candidate, once again. It has been a process of elimination and it would appear that only Cain or Gingrich can defeat Romney. But, as Rummy said, you go to war with the Army you have. It is a very real possibility that the race comes down to Romney vs. Newt and if so, Newt is the army we have. The bigger victories needed are to regain the Senate and keep the House. But POTUS will select SCOTUS and remember some of the ‘stalwart’ GOPers we have in the Senate.

Had to laugh, even as Goldberg tries to push Romney by exaggerating Newt's warts, he can’t help but paint Romney for who he his though…

       * Romney looks like the picture that comes with the frame.

The portrait of a health care reformer

No Romney. Even if that means Newt.

[A'elian' nation]

You got to the heart of Goldberg’s article. In a previous post I postulated that I believe Newt has burned some bridges with the republican congress - past and present.

He was forced out of the Speakership by his own party.

Ryan is the face of the new Republican Party, and I do believe Ryan and Romney could work together better than Ryan and Gingrich.

I am far from a Romney supporter. I’m just saying if it comes down between Romney and Gingrich, the Republican leadership would rather work with Romney.

What I find way more interesting and compelling is how the Republican leadership would deal with a President Cain.

[CommerceComet]

Goldberg makes an interesting point near the end: if conservative GOPers take the Senate and hold the House, Romney could be “controllable” while Newt could be a wild card. To be clear: I think the point is interesting, but I’m not advocating for Romney.

Isn't it possible that Newt's time in Congress has impressed on him the importance of Congressional cooperation if the President's agenda is to get accomplished?

[nhwingut]

Gingrich looks like he should be ensconced in royal velvet as he gestures at you with a half-eaten turkey leg in one hand and a sloshing goblet of wine Gingrichin the other.

As smart as he is, Gingrich still comes off as a fat blowhard. Sorry.

[big'ol_freeper]

With the exception of Bachmann and Paul (shudder) every other candidate has had liberal-leaning oopsies documented here on FR. Perhaps Bachmann has too, but if so I missed it. And Paul is simply mentally unstable. And Sarah ain’t running.

Since neither of those two will win the nomination, where does a tea partier plant his or her flag? Cain? Newt? Perry? Santorum (he won’t win either)? Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

[katiedidit1]

The facts on Newt and his resignation: Ethics Investigation

In 1999, after a 3 ½ year investigation, the Internal Revenue Service (under President Bill Clinton) concluded that Gingrich did not violate any tax laws, leading renowned CNN Investigative Reporter Brooks Jackson to remark on air “it turns out [Gingrich] was right and those who accused him of tax fraud were wrong.”

Eighty four politically motivated ethics charges were filed against Newt when he was Speaker of the House regarding the use of tax exempt funds for a college course he taught titled “Renewing American Civilization.” Eighty-three of the eighty-four charges were found to be without merit and dropped. The remaining charge had to do with contradictory documents prepared by Newt’s lawyer supplied during the course of the investigation. Newt took responsibility for the error and agreed to reimburse the committee the cost of the investigation into that discrepancy. In 1999, after a 3 ½ year investigation, the Internal Revenue Service (under President Bill Clinton, nonetheless) concluded that Gingrich did not violate any tax laws, leading renowned CNN Investigative Reporter Brooks Jackson to remark on air “it turns out [Gingrich] was right and those who accused him of tax fraud were wrong.”

[katiedidit1]

I think it is an inane analogy made by a man attempting to be humorous. It has so many errors that an attempt to dissect them all would take up too much time.

[katiedidit1]

Here is Jonah Goldberg on Hermain Cain and it is not flattering..since you prefer to use him to attack Newt..turn around is fair play and there are more by your source, Jonah Goldberg on Cain. Herman Cain’s Performance

May 22, 2011 2:50 P.M.

By Jonah Goldberg

For a couple weeks I’ve been hearing from people that I have to take a fresh look at Herman Cain. I was happy to do so. I watched his appearance on Fox News Sunday. From his answers on the budget and flat tax to his clearly flummoxed response on the Palestinian “right of return,” I have to say I was underwhelmed.

Update: As I expected, Herman Cain supporters are emailing me asking me to give him a “fair chance.” I am at a loss as to how I’m not. If he did great, I would say he did great. But he didn’t. Here’s PresterJohn in the comments:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/267826/herman-cains-performance-jonah-goldberg

[katiedidit1]

and here is Jonah Goldberg on Cain...not very favorable...there are more..since Goldberg is being used as the source to attack Newt...may as well use him as a source to attack Cain and btw...I DO NOT like Goldberg. Herman Cain’s Performance

May 22, 2011 2:50 P.M.

By Jonah Goldberg

For a couple weeks I’ve been hearing from people that I have to take a fresh look at Herman Cain. I was happy to do so. I watched his appearance on Fox News Sunday. From his answers on the budget and flat tax to his clearly flummoxed response on the Palestinian “right of return,” I have to say I was underwhelmed.

Update: As I expected, Herman Cain supporters are emailing me asking me to give him a “fair chance.” I am at a loss as to how I’m not. If he did great, I would say he did great. But he didn’t. Here’s PresterJohn in the comments:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/267826/herman-cains-performance-jonah-goldberg

[A'elian' nation]

Thanks for your reply, and I agree with you.

I know Newt was railroaded and eventually vindicated.

But politics is still politics. Newt’s party wanted to move on, and that is how it is sometimes. Even Churchill was voted out of office after WWII only to come back again.

It is sickening. Embassies around the world can buy and pass out Obama’s book. Hillary Clinton gets a huge 8 million dollar book deal weeks before becoming a senator.

Rules are different for democrats. I hate it.

[MNJohnnie]

I see, we whould not bother the Cult of Newt with tough questions about Newt because it merely annoys them.

[MNJohnnie]

I see, we should not bother the Cult of Newt with tough questions about Newt because it merely annoys them.