That's the problem with Newt Gingrich: It's all true....The question isn't what it is, but: Do you want it?
Ethically dubious? True. Intelligent and accomplished? True. Has he known breathtaking success and contributed to real reforms in government? Yes. Presided over disasters? Absolutely. Can he lead? Yes. Is he erratic and unreliable as a leader? Yes. Egomaniacal? True. Original and focused, harebrained and impulsive—all true.
December 9, 2011
California bumper sticker: "California: It's All True."
A proposed bumper sticker, deemed brilliant by Peggy Noonan, who adapts it for her column "Gingrich Is Inspiring — and Disturbing":
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72 comments:
And you don't know which one shows up on any particular day.
Gingrich is the last major federal politician to successfully cut government. I like that, but yes, he scares me. I like that he has been admitting mistakes, but if he was President he would have made those mistakes and stuck us with them.
For political leaders it's nearly impossible to just say that due to new information, you changed your mind. They just push mistakes through, because they can't look weak.
The fiscals are just beginning to see some sunshine from behind the religious on the right. Electing Gingrich has the potential pitfall of shoving us back into the shade.
The New Newt is going to be challenged to bite his tongue and stay in the jovial Father Christmas role used by the New Newt, as Romney and his GOP insiders cadre go after him with a journolist type operation hoping to incite him to implode.
The Old Newt has all the attack dog cred he will ever need among the Conservatives. Now the SOB has to win over the voters who hate those verbal kill shots that the Old Newt was famous for making.
It's like watching the Flying Wallendas walk a wire across the gorge. Stay tuned.
Of course, Romney won't even admit his mistakes, and Obama doubles his down.
We've tried the perfect vanilla people who have nothing in their histories which someone could make fun of. By the time you find someone bland enough to have almost never erred publicly while living a terribly public life, you've disqualified anyone who might actually be a true leader. Personally, I'm sick unto death of people who have very openly and obviously been preparing for their presidency since college, building credentials and avoiding all controversy.
Did the press ever cover how Obama got his lecturing job at law school? How a rich donor was simply working on building BO a set of credentials so he could run for national office later? No? Well, the rules that say Newt is disqualified also say BO is qualified. So much for the rules.
Greece: It's All True
(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
I see California is getting No Love in the poll, either rejected WITH Gingrich or just rejected….
Said it before, say it again, Newt is too clever….clever people, and I am one, are always looking for the next “neat thing.” Add to it Newt’s ego, and I don’t really like him as a candidate OR POTUS. I prefer him to Romney or Obama, but that’s not really saying very much.
"My cell phone must be dying...Newt just asked it for a divorce"
Please, please, please nominate Newt Gingrinch!!!!!! (and maybe the Quitta from Wasilla as a running mate?!)
Oh, this Gingrich stuff is killing me. You guys, he is just not good at this leadership stuff. Yes, he speaks very well. Yes, he's clever and fun to watch in the debates. Yes, he's good with ideas. But his history is clear that he is a terrible leader.
(Of course, that doesn't mean he's not 1000 times better than Obama, but we're not at that challenge yet.)
I would welcome four years of competent boring.
That is not Gingrich.
Great article at NRO comparing Gingrich to Churchill.
Unconventional, stubborn, unpredictable, reckless..."a strange mixture of radical and conservative..."
Mr. Romney seems like a very nice man. Niceness ain't going to cut it.
A proposed bumper sticker, deemed brilliant by Peggy Noonan...
Deemed brilliant by Peggy Noonan? Never mind then...
If only they had all done this kind of vetting and soul searching with Obama about his lack of experience and non-existent potential!
California was pretty cool until it reached welfare state critical mass, when the fringe exceeded the bedspread. I'd say "Yes!" to that old California. And, the more I think about it, Gingrich, warts and all, might be the most capable candidate out there.
Sideways on the topic: My great-uncle was the poet laureate of California (in the 1920's) and wrote a book of poems called "Just California" - taking his title from Teddy Roosevelt's remark: California is not the West, it is west of the West, it is just California.
Hey, it all connects up!
What disaster did Gingrich preside over? Erratic he may be but a malevolent Urkel not.
What about his wife Candy?
I love her.
(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
What disaster did Gingrich preside over? Erratic he may be but a malevolent Urkel not
The 1995 Government Shutdown, and then the “Line in the Sand’ on a “clean” disaster relief bill-where he caved to Bill Clinton. Also, he claimed to need to be “de-toxified” after each meeting with Clinton, which I took to mean that he was *wowed* by Clinton’s “brilliance, oratory, and willingness to strike the Grand Compromise”-and then renege on it IMMEDIATELY. In short, Newt was REPEATEDLY taken by Clinton….
Churchillian to the nth degree on steroids. I'd vote for him just for the sheer spectacle and amusement. It can't be any worse than what we have now. And it would certainly be a lot more fun.
"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead."
The problem with Gingrich can be summed up with in a statement he gave during an interview with David Brody last March:
"I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate."
Do we need yet another president who is a self-proclaimed victim of circumstance, not the master of it?
Is she referring to Blazing Saddles? "It's twue! It's twue!"
(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
Do we need yet another president who is a self-proclaimed victim of circumstance, not the master of it
I am amazed at the constant erudition and wittiness shown by the various” “Joes” on this board…..Well said, Sir, well said, indeed.
Gingrich's term as Speaker was terminated primarily by a hit campaign from the Democrats, who (1) hated his guts, and (2) wanted payback for the taking out of Ft. Worthless Jim Wright, among other partisan grievances. Gingrich could've handled it all better, but he wasn't a disaster and he did not self-destruct.
The "disaster" that Gingrich caused was the closing of the Washington zoo and the Washington monument. Clinton with the avid assistance of the media outflanked Gingrich. When the govt. "shut down" Clinton and the media interrupted what should have been a national party with images of children crying at the gates of the closed zoo. Gingrich was toast.
"I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate."
One thing I do not do is trust isolated and cherry-picked quotes taken from the leftard media (who have no interest in being fair to any Republican). Let the question be asked of Gingrich in real time, in the open sunlight, in the crucible of the primaries, perhaps one of these "debate" formats, and let's see what he says then, how he handles it, how he portrays it, then make an assessment.
Joe, there's a difference between losing a propaganda war against Gingrich waged by Clinton and the MSM and Gingrich presiding over a disaster. And I don't think that's splitting hairs.
(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
Joe, there's a difference between losing a propaganda war against Gingrich waged by Clinton and the MSM and Gingrich presiding over a disaster. And I don't think that's splitting hairs
We backed down, and “lost”….now was the ENTIRE period a disaster, “No” but Gingrich is no Master Strategist/Leader either.
"California bumper sticker: "California: It's All True.""
My favorite bumper sticker on the subject was from the late 70's as i recall.
"Don't Californicate Oregon!"
As a born and bred Northern Californian, I could understand the sentiment. I bet DBQ has several on her truck now :)
PS: the "Northern" part is very important in the para above, for those who don't live out West. and I'm not talking about SF as being "Northern". The City is in its own N dimensional space.
"I would welcome four years of competent boring. "
But that's not one of the choices.
I think I'm like a lot of conservatives/libertarians in that I think we are so far out of balance that the remedies are going to need to be what seems radical, but really are just letting go.
It's been a long time since we had two egos like Obama and Gingrich fighting it out. "Let's get ready to Rumbllllllllllle!"
I remember the so-called government shut down. Didn't bother me in the least. Too bad Gingrich didn't shut it down for the remainder of the Clinton Administration. Too bad Boehner won't shut it down now.
Newt has plenty of baggage and faults.
There is no perfect candidate on the republican side. The virtue of picking Gingrich (with a strong TEA Party dominated Congress to keep Gingrich on time and on target) is that he is the closets the conservatives have to an LBJ.
The country needs an LBJ of the right to get Congress to undo the mess created by the progressives and while Romney would make an excellent CEO the great legislative push back is beyond his skill set.
What Gingrich can bring is the new idea or approaches, and as President get it a fair airing. We desperately need that.
The U.S. led the world into the modern age of prosperity by doing many things in a completely different way based for the first time on respecting freedom. We have not continued to lead from that column. We have let the Europeans and others lead with failing ideas of the overbearing community, and we have followed them. The failings of that are now evident worldwide.
It's time to start leading again with what works, and literally pull the world out of the decline it's in... again. We need to be bold, courageous, and freedom loving again. We need to be Americans.
Although it's a huge if, Gingrich could start that, Romney isn't made that way, and Obama..., well he should run for office in France.
Ms Noonan had the chance to say something similar about GodZero 3 years ago, but she chose to jump on the bandwagon instead.
Why would anyone listen to her now?
And what Spread Eagle said.
machine said...
"My cell phone must be dying...Newt just asked it for a divorce"
Please, please, please nominate Newt Gingrinch!!!!!! (and maybe the Quitta from Wasilla as a running mate?!)
In vaudeville, that's known as flop sweat.
And the moronic automaton would do well to remember the old Greek proverb, "Be careful of that for which you wish. You may get it".
Miss Sarah cut Zero's margin of victory from 11 points to 6. In a close race, she might well be the margin of victory.
Gingrich is a former college professor enchanted with the ideas that pour effortlessly from his mouth who has a history of poor leadership.
Just imagine the contrast to Obama in those Lincoln-Douglas style debates.
What has he ever done poorly other than so mismanage the political fallout of the government shutdown that he all but ensured Clinton's re-election?
Plus, he has proven his national appeal by being elected several times by the people of a small suburb of Atlanta.
Republicans have nothing to fear by a Gingrich nomination.
We all have a big stake in this election. There's more at stake now than at any time I can recall in my lifetime with the possible exception of 1980.
Newt, Mitt, blah. I haven't heard a single republican candidate make an argument for a return to the normal 19% versus 25% take for the federal government. All that would be is a return to Clinton and Bush level spending. Oh, the horrors!
"Don't Californicate Oregon!"
Welcome to Texas ! Now go home!
And yes, so he slammed the Ryan plan as "Right Wing social engineering." Yes, much of his staff quit early on when he elected to take a cruise rather than seriously prepare for the nomination fight.
It's not as if this lack of preparedness means that he has almost no organization or money and isn't even on the ballot in several states.
Management and leadership are so overrated when you can talk well.
He's going to take the fight to Obama. You'll see.
I don't want either..
But compared to Obama.. I'll take both.
Ann's post could have been applied to Winston Churchill.
Romney is Neville Chamberlain.
I will vote third party before I vote for the big government Republican sellout Romney.
Looking at all the headlines related to Gingrich on meme0randum, I am laughing my head off -- too bad, there is not that easy bimbo eruption option for his opponents with this guy. Judging by Obama's history and MO, he may have a similar problem with this guy. No easy sex scandal to dump on Newt. There were at one time but not now. Callista seems to have him on a short leash. A mistress wife knows a thing or two to hang on to her man.
Churchill was stubborn in furtherance of his ideals. Gingrich seems to be stubborn in furtherance of himself. There is quite a difference.
Ed, all I can say is run 'em....
I'm not worried about half term governors and serial cheaters that are both unwanted by their party's leadership.
The only one I was really worried about was Huntsman, but he is being ignored because he worked in the Obama administration (clever move, BTW)...
I'll take California and Gingrich, with caveats. Give me the California of, say, 1911, when the first movie studios were setting up in Gower Gulch. The land of endless sunshine, open land and endless opportunity for anyone with a strong back, quick mind or a pocketful of dreams. In other words, a frontier for free soil and free men.
And give me the Gingrich who would agree with that. America is a land of endless renewal, still a guiding light and a port for the world's distressed, even after and despite our failures, stumbles and sins.
The words "for the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud of my country" would never pass Gingrich's lips. I daresay the sentence itself is unthinkable to him.
Of course he's not perfect. But he's got a damn sight more fight in him - and, with a solid conservative majority, will be encouraged to cut more government - than the spinless technocrat Romney. Much as Seven sneers at it, I want fight. I want Gingrich to pound Little Black Jesus in real time for the sheer pleasure of watching the SCOAMF's sheen of intelligence stripped away.
I am really hoping for a Romney/Obama match up.
As a liberal Democrat I hope that President Obama gets reelected. But if Romney wins he would probably have more luck getting the rest of the country to accept Obama/Romneycare. I have no doubt he would view it as his legacy to make Romneycare a success on the national level. In that way he might be better than Obama.
Also, it might take a Republican like Romney to get greenhouse emissions legislation done.
It is nice to see the country moving back to a time when there was not so much divide between the two parties. This could be the best election since Ford/Carter.
My two cents.
I think I'm like a lot of conservatives/libertarians in that I think we are so far out of balance that the remedies are going to need to be what seems radical, but really are just letting go.
I agree. But you aren't going to get that from Romney or Gingrich. If Gingrich were ready to take on big issues, he wouldn't have undercut Ryan.
Big reforms will have to wait unless conservatism sweeps Congress.
That being the case, I'll take the competent, boring Romney over the less competent, blusteringly exciting Gingrich.
Imagine if Gingrich planned and ordered a failed naval invasion that was a disaster.
Imagine if he was responsible for a failed national economic policy 15 years before running for president.
Imagine if he changed political parties.
Imagine if he ordered the use of poison gas against Iraqis.
Imagine if he drank all day long and wore silk underwear.
Imagine if he suffered from depression.
Imagine Winston Churchill.
"... Please, please, please nominate Newt Gingrinch!!!!!! (and maybe the Quitta from Wasilla as a running mate?!).."
Everytime I see comments like this I have to wonder if Obama supporters feel the need for the opposition to field a weak candidate since that may be the only way their loser can be re-elected. One would surmise a solid president could easily carry the day on his merits although Obama is lacking.
Barney Fwank honestly admitted his reelection would be hard and require too much work which is why he is retiring. Guess Barney was just used to having his job handed to him.
What I'm getting from these Churchill-Gingrich bits is that Churchill and Gingrich are the same in that they messed up a lot. That is less than impressive. Early failures does not a Churchill make.
Yes Freeman Hunt, we should be more impressed with Mitt's success with Romneycare and the like.
Dane, the Ging wanted the same thing. Nationwide.
Freeman Hunt-No he did not.
Gingrich was portrayed by the Lamestream Media from his earliest days as a bomb throwing rightwing radical. He has sometimes gone too far in trying to counter this perception. But Mitt Romney at his core is a Big Government Republican. Gingrich is not. Big difference.
Jay Retread said...
I am really hoping for a Romney/Obama match up.
As a liberal Democrat I hope that President Obama gets reelected. But if Romney wins he would probably have more luck getting the rest of the country to accept Obama/Romneycare. I have no doubt he would view it as his legacy to make Romneycare a success on the national level. In that way he might be better than Obama.
There'll be a Tea Party Congress, so nothing like that goes through.
Sorry.
machine said...
Ed, all I can say is run 'em....
I'm not worried about half term governors and serial cheaters that are both unwanted by their party's leadership.
As opposed to total failures and blundering half-wits their entire party's trying to avoid?
Again, flop sweat.
Disney World: It's all true.
Ford Focus: It's all true.
Jeffrey Dahmer: It's all true.
Yes! It works! It always works!
edutcher wrote "There'll be a Tea Party Congress, so nothing like that goes through."
First, there might not be a Tea Party Congress in 2013. Second, Obama/Romneycare has already been made law, now it is up to the executive to administer it. I trust Romney to protect his legacy than crazy Newt.
"four years of competent boring" would be thrilling!
California bumper sticker: "California: It's All True."
"It's funny 'cause it's true."
"I would welcome four years of competent boring. "
But that's not one of the choices.
Maybe. Maybe not. Romney does have a lot more experiencing managing organizations than does Gingrich, and this includes several companies plus a state and a state Olympic committee (which was a last ditch effort by Utah, and he pulled off what many there thought was the impossible).
One of the big problems with Romney is that his campaigns are boring. That is a problem when so many on the right want someone to take the verbal battle to the enemies on the left.
I don't think that Romney can excite very many people. And, maybe that would be bad in a President. But that same boredom is indicia of a fairly well run organization. I just can't help thinking that someone with his training, experience, and temperament would do a much more competent job than idea-a-minute Gingrich.
FWIW, I think Newt will fade in the stretch, but Milton seems to be losing his grip on that core 25% he's held so far, so this may go into extra innings.
Jay Retread said...
edutcher wrote "There'll be a Tea Party Congress, so nothing like that goes through."
First, there might not be a Tea Party Congress in 2013.
He says with fingers crossed, sticking pins in his Allen West voodoo doll.
Second, Obama/Romneycare has already been made law, now it is up to the executive to administer it. I trust Romney to protect his legacy than crazy Newt.
Supreme Court challenge and an almost palpable desire of the American people to have it repealed. That "law" won't last long enough to be administered.
Once more, flop sweat.
The Churchill gene is in Newt big time. They are both warriors who are unpopular during peacetime, but are a sine qua non during a war.
Newt needs to act nice until the election. Then we all need to pray that Newt does not waste time on "the soft underbelly of Europe" plans like Churchill's stubbornly wasted of troops slogging up Italy and later in Southern France.
As I said before, liberals value cleverness over all other virtues. If Newt were w lib, he'd be a hero. As it is, they think he's evil be admire him and likely would like him to be pres over someone whose intellegence they didn't respect.
Ethically dubious? True. Intelligent and accomplished? True. Has he known breathtaking success and contributed to real reforms in government? Yes. Presided over disasters? Absolutely. Can he lead? Yes. Is he erratic and unreliable as a leader? Yes. Egomaniacal? True. Original and focused, harebrained and impulsive—all true.
Actually, all of the above could also be said about Obama, except perhaps “impulsive,” considering Obama’s tightly controlled, MSM-filtered public image. Remarkably few people who have ever known Obama have ever described his off-camera, off-teleprompter behavior.
A President Gingrich would probably occasionally piss me off but the specter of a second term of Obama fills me with dread. So I’ll vote for Gingrich, if it comes to that, thanks all the same.
BTW, If I were Obama I would do everything I could to hasten the economic collapse of Europe. The resulting economic impact on the US, should the collapse happen before the election, would provide Obama with the perfect excuse to get out from under his currently perceived poor economic stewardship, which is his major political problem going into the election. In my opinion nothing the US could do would forestall the inevitable European collapse, anyway.
Yes, if I were Obama in economic talks with European leaders I would imply much but in the end would give them only a token or nothing at all. Let them make decisions based on my assumed assistance. Try to draw it out until it’s too late to reverse those decisions before disappointing them.
After the election Obama could put the undoubtedly GOP-dominated Congress on the run by proposing emergency stimulus legislation to “fix” the economy and then use the bully pulpit and the MSM to accuse the GOP of fiddling while Rome burns if the GOP opposes his legislation. Just like they apparently intended to do with Fast and Furious/Project Gunrunner. Only this time the “crisis”(the European collapse) would have the advantage of being real instead of cynically manufactured.
Jesus, Grackle, why don't you post instructions for how to make a nuclear bomb here? It would be slightly less devastating than what you've just detailed.
I am amazed at the constant erudition and wittiness shown by the various” “Joes” on this board…..Well said, Sir, well said, indeed.
We're just trying to live up to your example, Joe. Keep on keepin' on.
Jesus, Grackle, why don't you post instructions for how to make a nuclear bomb here? It would be slightly less devastating than what you've just detailed.
I would be surprised if those thoughts had not already occurred to our ruthless President.
If you think my comment above is devastating, you probably do not want to know what I would do if I were the mullahs in Iran.
Joe Schmoe said...
Jesus, Grackle, why don't you post instructions for how to make a nuclear bomb here? It would be slightly less devastating than what you've just detailed.
12/9/11 12:53 PM
Fortunately Obama is too dumb and incompetent to execute Grackle's scenario. Its his only saving grace.
I would be surprised if those thoughts had not already occurred to our ruthless President.
Sad but true. Or at least it's a scenario that's been presented by his campaign staff.
If you think my comment above is devastating, you probably do not want to know what I would do if I were the mullahs in Iran.
Yes; please keep that to yourself!
cubanbob said...
Fortunately Obama is too dumb and incompetent to execute Grackle's scenario. Its his only saving grace.
Rahm isn't either dumb or incompetent.
He of the "never let a crisis go to waste" fame
bagoh20 - "For political leaders it's nearly impossible to just say that due to new information, you changed your mind. They just push mistakes through, because they can't look weak."
=====================
One of the great flaws in democracy or in ethnicities now unworthy of a Democracy.
We not only want our access to the public coffers for our "rights" to resources of others, or borrowed on our grandkid's backs....we want our leaders and Grand Ideas frozen in amber.
1. Green R&D and green investments creates millions of green jobs.
2. The Noble Iraqis and Noble Afghans love us, and the Iranians will too when that Neocon adventure is launched.
3. Free trade creates American jobs.
4. Blacks still do poorly in areas of crime and education because the Great Society benefits aren't great enough yet.
5. Tax cuts for the rich pay for themselves and Create Jobs!
6. Romney changed his mind on abortion. That makes him a weak flip-flopper..A flip-flopper! Better someone that learned everything they needed to know since the 6t grade and never altered their thinking to new facts!
7. Given some laws and regs are beneficial, it stands to reason that we need ever more laws, ever more regulations because we might find new benefits. So We need more EPA, TSA, tax code!
8. We don't need able leaders, we need people that have charisma and who deliver pithy zingers ...
9. When things are broken and not working, strong people double down and say they "Revere" our sacred institutions. Weak people talk of flaws to the One Perfect Document, our wonderful public schools, our Heroes in uniform's strategies.
cubanbob - "The country needs an LBJ of the right to get Congress to undo the mess created by the progressives and while Romney would make an excellent CEO the great legislative push back is beyond his skill set."
===============
That is why a President needs some strong, effective leaders in Congress like Ryan and "Doctor No".
Think about Newt. He was cast out of Congressional leadership by his own party, which had no interest whatsoever in encouraging Newt to return to Congress and try his hand again in the last 14 years. But somehow, he lands in the White House, they will all stand up and salute and say yessir when the latest week of Great Newt Ideas!! is sent from the Oval Office to Capital Hill saying "we need to make the following of Newts new ideas law"???
Gingrich quits.
He quit on two wives when they were diagnosed with major illnesses.
He quit on the constituents of the congressional district he had just won becuase the GOP forced him out of the speakership.
Gingrich quits.
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