Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style Over Substance

Gingrich's primary success is the ultimate tribute to Barack Obama.

Editor's Note: This column is reprinted with permission of the Washington Examiner. Click here to read it at that site.

On the eve of Newt Gingrich's landslide victory in the South Carolina primary, CNN's Erin Burnett let the former speaker expound on the success of his "kick the moderator" debate strategy.

"I think there's something going on here that's very deep," Gingrich said. "People want a leader who's forceful. … Part of it is, you know, if I'd said 'The color is blue!' -- it's the forcefulness. … That delivery, that clearness is as important as the specific topic," he explained.

Watching the interview, I had a disturbing thought: Has Newt Gingrich become self-aware?

I've never heard a better explanation for the former speaker's ability to cloud conservatives' minds. How, after all, did a man who's the very model of a Beltway-consensus influence-peddler convince Tea Party voters he represents "real change"? It's the "forcefulness," stupid!

Unfortunately, what's going on here is not "very deep." Gingrich's rise represents the triumph of rhetorical style over substance. In a way, it's the ultimate tribute to Barack Obama.

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein asked a good question on Sunday: "What are Newt Gingrich's big ideas?" "I'm at a loss to name even one," he admitted.

Gingrich has an enviable rep as a one-man think tank, but in his wilderness years, he made a sweet living as a "forceful" pitchman for utterly conventional center-left policies: Medicaid expansion, the individual mandate, cap and trade, "clean energy" subsidies, and the like. Newt does a great impression of a red-state firebrand, but when it comes to policy, "the color is blue."

That's not to say that Gingrich has never had an unconventional idea. This is a guy who bragged in a 2005 GQ interview that "I first talked about [saving civilization] in August of 1958"—when he was a rising sophomore in high school.

Some of Gingrich's big ideas are charmingly batty. Given his worries about global warming, Newt has probably abandoned his 1984 plan for "a mirror system in space" that "could affect the earth's climate by increasing the amount of sunlight."

But the Trekkie zeal remains, judging by one of my favorite recent headlines: "Gingrich Said Freddie Mac Could Be Good Model for Mars Travel" (Bloomberg, Dec. 2, 2011).

Some of Gingrich's other fancies are less charming. The candidate who's warned of a "gay and secular fascism" sweeping the country has an impressive authoritarian streak of his own.

As Klein notes, in 1996, Gingrich had the "big idea" of instituting the death penalty for anyone who brought more than 2 ounces of marijuana into the United States.

Today, Gingrich condemns the Stop Online Piracy Act as censorship, but in 2006 he supported empowering "federal judges who've served in combat" to shut down "jihadist" websites.

This December, he advocated sending U.S. marshals to arrest activist judges who rule against religious displays in public schools (maybe combat-hardened jurists will get a pass).

Say what you will about Gingrichian authoritarianism -- at least it won't be "gay and secular"!

At this writing, Gallup has Gingrich neck and neck with Romney for the Republican nomination. If he gets the nod, no doubt he'll send a thrill up many a leg in the debates. But his odds of actually winning the presidency are slim indeed.

Recall that in 2004, after Obama's GOP opponent for the U.S. Senate, Jack Ryan, imploded in a sex scandal, the party nominated Alan Keyes: another "forceful" debater with a weakness for loopy ideas. How'd that work out?

Keyes went on to run a short-lived cable talk show (the somewhat defensively titled "Alan Keyes Is Making Sense") and a role as lead plaintiff in a birther lawsuit. Obama went on to the U.S. Senate and, in short order, the presidency.

Examiner Columnist Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute and the author of The Cult of the Presidency.

Comments

[Old Soldier]

I cannot think of a Republican with better rhetorical skills and less actual accomplishment. He really is the R's Obama.

[TrickyVic]

Obama = Bush jr
Gingrich = Obama
Therefore Gigrich = Bush jr.

It's just the Rs continuing their love for Bush jr.

[Bill]

In terms of their policies, maybe.

In terms of their style and their arrogant personalities, Bush Jr. is not in their league.

[John]

He was the minority leader when the Republicans captured the House for the first time in nearly 50 years. As speaker he helped get welfare reform through and kept the budget under control.

That is a hell of a lot more than Obama ever did. I think Gingrich is a lousy guy. But you can't deny what he did in the 1990s.

[Old Soldier]

S&L Bailout? Department of Education?

He was a mixed bag at best.

[Maxxx]

S&L Bailout?

WTF are you talking about?

If we'de done the equivalent of the RTC following 08 the economy would be growing again.

Not to mention that some criminals were actually prosecuted following that crash.

[Maxxx]

It's also a hell of lot more than what Romney has accomplished in political office.

[Concerned San Diego Man]

Great thing about Gingrich is that he advocated life in prison for drug runners or execution for repeat offenders. Also, he supports a permanent presence on the moon.

[Crawdad Honey]

Who let the bed wetting freepers in here?

[CE]

All hat and no cattle, as they say in Texas.

[Proprietist]

I'd say he's more like the Republican Clinton. Corrupt, unprincipled, sleazy, seedy, willing to triangulate, rhetorically hardball and a masterful politician (if a blowhard). Both disgraced formally and publicly. Unfortunately Clinton was preferable.

[SugarFree]

I'm glad someone finds all this funny, because I certainly don't.

[Tman]

It's funny in a "WE'RE DOOOMED!!! DOOMED I TELL YOU!!!" kind of way.

Like farting out loud while the Hindenburg erupts in flames, that kind of funny.

[Episiarch]

I find it funny, but not "ha ha" funny; more like black comedy funny.

[TrickyVic]

It's like laughing because some guy's car is getting towed, then you realize it's your car.

[Episiarch]

Stop dragging my car around...

[Gojira]

...more like black comedy funny.

Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence Fat Suit black comedy, or Tyler Perry "haha black women are batshit" black comedy?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence Fat Suit black comedy, or Tyler Perry "haha black women are batshit" black comedy?

With Lawrence's Big Momma's House you can have both!

[TheZeitgeist]

Big Momma's Gingrich.

[Untermensch]

If only they had a word in German for that?

[Proprietist]

If Newt or Santorum are the nominee, I see Paul going 3rd party and willingly becoming a spoiler.

If Romney is the nominee, I see Paul trying to bend the amorphous, calculated Romney to his will and getting concessions to not run 3rd Party and be a spoiler. I'm guessing either Rand Paul as VP or Ron as Treasury Secretary.

[JeremyR]

I hope so. As much as I dislike Obama, I find the prospect, however unlikely, of a Gingrich presidency frightening.

[Dagny T.]

Watching the interview, I had a disturbing thought: Has Newt Gingrich become self-aware?

For this line, I will forgive the shameful lack of alt-text. Now I'm just worried The Titties and anonbot will find out about each other.

[Rubicon]

August 29 2012,Newculer becomes self aware after merging with Skynet.Cue predator drones.

[Sharon Stone]

I can't imagine anything being more important to Gingrich than his own self-worth.

[Newt Gingrich]

It is an outrage that the news media would raise an irrelevant issue, such as my utter lack of good ideas, in an election campaign!

We should be addressing important issues, like Mitt Romney's tax return.

[Old Mexican]

How did a man who's the very model of a Beltway-consensus influence-peddler convince Tea Party voters he represents "real change"?

Buck-toothed South Carolinian: "Because he admonished John King on TV. On Tee fucking Vee!!! He's our next president, I tell ya!"

[Beezard]

Not "admonished". He "hornswaggled."

[Gojira]

And in SC, it's "the tee vee", not simply "tee vee".

[JR]

Also, its stump-toothed not buck-toothed.

[Realist]

Ohhh so sadly Old Mex is right.

[shrike]

I like how Newt takes credit for the Clinton presidency including the balanced budgets that he voted against.

[Old Mexican]

Re: shrike,

I like how Newt takes credit for the Clinton presidency including the balanced budgets that he voted against.

It's funny because it's true!

Despite the fact that Clinton's "balanced" budgets were phony-baloney... but still, funny!

[shrike]

Its not the least bit true.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms.....-1993.html

But it will be part of his vaunted debate "skills" if Newt is the nominee.

[John]

Yeah Shrike because the 1993 agreement like all agreements meant so much. The surplus was there because the Congress stopped increasing spending more than the increases in revenue. And that was Gingrich.

[Lost_In_Translation]

In the era between the "rise" of Islamofacism and the fall of the Soviet Empire, we just managed to "cash basis" balance a budget with the best economy since the post war boom. Color me jade because its a pretty goddamn low bar.

[John]

The 90s economy was widly overrated. Go back and look at the statistics. The economy only grew at 1.9% in 1995 and a bit better than 2% in 1996. The boom such as it was dind't really hit until 1998 and was over by 2000.

The 1990s was nowhere near the best economy since World War II. The 1960s and 80s had it beat by a mile. The Clinton propaganda machine in the media is so relentless that people don't realize that the economy, while not bad, really wasn't historically great in the 1990s.

[Maxxx]

The 90s lasted ten whole years and the economy absolutely sucked in the first five of those. Which is why poppa Bush lost in '92 and the dems lost in '94. It was recovering nicely by 96 when Clinton won re-election.

[k2000k]

Let's not forget that when you take out the pilfering of the social security funds, which had been happening for 40 years, there never would have been a surplus of any kind. The surplus was a false surplus, tantamount to paying down your credit card by raiding your 401k.

[Old Soldier]

In the early 90's, the military budget was cut in half - meanwhile the growth of the rest of the government accelerated.

If the S&L bailout (which Newt supported) had not happened, HW would have had balanced budgets too.

[Old Mexican]

Re: shrike,

Its not the least bit true.

Writing IOUs you surreptitiously placed on the SS Trustfund as "assets" in your balance sheet is NOT balancing the budget, shrike.

[shrike]

Those "IOUs" are US Treasuries.

Fact is that Newt fought the surpluses Clinton created.

The debt grew in surplus years due to FICA buying Treasuries with its surplus.

[k2000k]

Doesn't make them any less IOUS shrike.

[Contrarian P]

The budget never was balanced. I admire Clinton for the budget being closer to balanced than any time in recent memory, but the surplus was an illusion. The debt just kept right on going up during the Clinton era. If the budget actually was balanced or a surplus, we should have seen it stay the same or go down. It didn't.

[John]

On a cash basis it was. Had it been balanced on an accouting basis, the government would have had to literally put hundreds of billions of dollars in some kind of a trust fund for future social security benefits. That would have been a disaster. The government would have either sat on the money unnaturally contracting the money supply and causing deflation and a doozy of a recession. Or they would have invested it and got into the business of nationalizing industries.

The whole "it wasn't really balanced" is kind of true but really just a steeming pile of horse shit.

[R C Dean]

Taking a gander at the cash basis, I note that the government as a whole ran a cash surplus from 1998 - 2001. However, I wonder whether the SocSec Surplus for that period exceeded the total cash surplus, so that the budget was not, in fact, balanced. My google-fu does not produce a listing of SocSec surpluses by year, sadly.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org.....?Docid=200

Gingrich retired from Congress on November 5, 1998. Even under the best case scenario, he can take credit only for the 1998 "balanced budget", which was presumably passed before he left town.

[Paul]

You can say that again.

[R C Dean]

Talk to the squirrelz, Paul.

[R C Dean]

Taking a gander at the cash basis, I note that the government as a whole ran a cash surplus from 1998 - 2001. However, I wonder whether the SocSec Surplus for that period exceeded the total cash surplus, so that the budget was not, in fact, balanced. My google-fu does not produce a listing of SocSec surpluses by year, sadly.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org.....?Docid=200

Gingrich retired from Congress on November 5, 1998. Even under the best case scenario, he can take credit only for the 1998 "balanced budget", which was presumably passed before he left town.

[R C Dean]

Ah, here we go.

I see that, according to the Treasury, in fact our total outstanding debt did not, in fact, go down, but continued to increase throughout the alleged balanced budgets.

09/30/2001: 5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000: 5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999: 5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998: 5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997: 5,413,146,011,397.34

I don't know why our debt would continue to increase if our budgets were balanced/running a surplus.

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/.....stdebt.htm

[shrike]

Because by statute FICA surplus funds are invested in US Treasuries.

The higher the surplus the more debt is created. Look into double entry accounting sometime.

[Sheik (brand condoms)]

...surplus funds are invested in US Treasuries.

Wink wink....invested!

[SC gingrich voter]

Damn A-rab condoms.Damn A-rabs want us to stop havin' babies so they can populate the world with their swine children

[k2000k]

Good shrike glad to see we agree. What occured was simply an accounting trick by the goverment. We have a word for that kind of accounting if it occurs in the private sector....fraud.

[John]

Gingrich is popular for a single reason, people are desperate for someone to stand up and call bullshit on the media and Obama. That is it. It is the same reason people actually thought of voting for Trump.

What amazes me is that Romney is apparently so stupid he can't figure this out. After the Trump bubble it was obvious anyone who stood up to the media and Obama was going to be popular. But Romney just won't do it. Gingrich is nuts and a total phony. But he is smart enough to figure out what people want to hear, which is more than any of the other GOP candidates can say.

[tarran]

I think Romney is afraid of the media and the populace. Remember the media hated his guts in MA, and he conducted his governance like a LRP deep in enemy territory - he kept moving and tried not to be a hittable target through stealth and dissembling harmlessness.

He is still using that strategy.

[TrickyVic]

""But he is smart enough to figure out what people want to hear, which is more than any of the other GOP candidates can say.""

So SC republicans are not really about substance. They liking being BSed like the libs were with Obama.

More evidence that team red is no better than team blue

[John]

No Vic. They are pissed off and don't want to listen to some Obama light try to be the New York Times' favorite Republican. They want a hell raiser. And Gingrich is the only one.

[Maxxx]

Yep.

Besides the Newt represents style over substance is irrelevant because Willard also represent style over substance.

It's just that his style is DC-WS which appeals to very few people outside of that corridor.

[Tman]

^^^^ This.

Gingrich wants to be the party instigator, which is why he whining that crowds can't "cheer" during the debates. He wants to have pep rallies where he shouts jingoistic garbage to the base. When actually called on something he's as hollow as bamboo.

But Romney is so fucking clueless that he can't figure out how to inspire the same fire in the belly reaction that Newt gets going. Add that to the fact that no one appears to have prepared him for his income tax questions (seriously, what the fuck Team Romney, how were you guys unprepared for this?) and you have one disastrous looking field right now.

[John]

Roney is so stupid it never dawned on him people might ask him how much money he makes and just exactly what he accomplished in the private sector. The Gingrich attacks were bullshit. But they were exactly what Obama planned to say. Better to get them out of the way now.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Technocrats are rarely charismatic. They just can't understand why people aren't just doing what they're damn well told.

[Fool for a Virginal]

yes, romney bad, newt good.
dumb fuck.

[Lost_In_Translation]

At this point, if the republicans are going to reject Paul entirely, I'm ready to just give up and hope 4 more years of Obama doesn't kill us all, because I'm pretty sure 4 years of Newt "Wait wait, I have another idea" Gingrich just might.

[Gray Ghost]

I'm ready to just give up and hope 4 more years of Obama doesn't kill us all, because I'm pretty sure 4 years of Newt "Wait wait, I have another idea" Gingrich just might.

Agreed, I am undecided whether Obama with no more elections to shill for and a hostile Congress, is going to be worse than Gingrich with a lapdog Congress. I'm somewhat sure that Gingrich's judicial appointments will be better, but other than that...?

Paul in the primaries, then Johnson in the general. Watch Obama win and then...work on my Spanish, I guess?

[Maxxx]

What makes you think that Newt would have a lap dog Congress?

[NYer]

Republican Control of the House, likely control of the Senate, and the GOP's usual stand behind the leader politics on everything except cutting spending. They may not kiss ass every day, but they'll certainly get close to it.

[JeremyR]

Unfortunately, Romney is a Mormon. He can't do that.

Mormons were persecuted in the US and basically forced to live in Utah because no one else could stand them. Trying to combat this, they solved some of the problems that caused this reaction - the polygamy thing, and by becoming very, very nice.

[Old Mexican]

This is a guy who bragged in a 2005 GQ interview that "I first talked about [saving civilization] in August of 1958"?when he was a rising sophomore in high school.

That must've been some high school... Maybe Hogwarts?

[tarran]

Hey, we know that at least one of the Math teachers wasn't adverse to a romantic entanglement with a student...

[Old Mexican]

Oh, yeah... Wife number one...

[SugarFree]

'But Darling, Germany and the United States are not at war. What harm is there if we share the occasional bit of . . . gossip? Surely you don't think that I. . . .' The question trailed off in a lethal pout as his beautiful and so very exotic mistress stretched languidly, mock-innocent appeal in her eyes.

Even though it had been only minutes since their last lovemaking, John Mayhew was as ever overwhelmed by the sight of her, the shameless pleasure she took in her own body and its affect on him. Still, he mustn't let her see just how much she moved him. A relationship had to have some balance. He stretched in turn, reached over for his cigarettes and gold-plated Ronson on the Art Deco night stand with its Tiffany lamp. Since he wasn't sure what to say, he made a production out of lighting up and enjoying that first, luxurious after-bout inhalation.

His continued silence earned him a small punishment.

'Darling . . . isn't it time for you to leave?'

Playfully, to drive home the potential loss, she bit his shoulder, then kissed it better.

'Aw, hell, I don't want to . . . I wish I could just divorce Mrs. Little Goodie Two-Shoes!'

'I like this arrangement,' she laughed softly. 'Mistress to the chief of staff of the President of the United States. Nice title, don't you think? Such a book I could write.' . . . Suddenly the pouting sex kitten gave way to Diana the Huntress. She rolled onto him and somehow was sitting athwart his chest, her knees pinning his shoulders. 'Tell me, or I will make you do terrible things,' she hissed.

-1945

[Dagny T.]

How is this festering turd even a candidate? Between this embarrassingly pathetic jerkoff lit, his disgusting personal life, and his actual campaign, I figured a swift and decisive crash and burn was a given. People are consistent about being stupider than I give them credit for, at least.

[Tim]

He's like Dracula in the old Hammer films, no matter how many times he gets staked or caught by sunrise, he's right back in the next film trying the same shit all over again.

[Res Publica Americana]

God save us all.

[Bill]

So Dagny, I can't tell if you like Newt or not.

Stop giving off mixed signals.

[Paul]

How is this festering turd even a candidate? Between this embarrassingly pathetic jerkoff lit, his disgusting personal life, and his actual campaign

Dagny, you just listed 3 of the top requirements of being a successful national politician.

[Realist]

"How is this festering turd even a candidate?"
Because democracy doesn't work.

[Maxxx]

How is this festering turd even a candidate? Between this embarrassingly pathetic jerkoff lit, his disgusting personal life, and his actual campaign, I figured a swift and decisive crash and burn was a given.

Are you talking about Obama now?

[tarran]

Wait! Gingrich wrote that shit?

This explains a great deal: he writes like Dan T!

[Crawdad Honey]

I am going to be sick like Ace Ventura Pet Detective when he discovered that he had kissed Ray Finkle.

[Old Mexican]

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein asked a good question on Sunday: "What are Newt Gingrich's big ideas?" "I'm at a loss to name even one," he admitted.

Well, Ezra, darling, I can ask the same thing about Obama. The only people to blame are you and your brethren in the MSM, for trivializing a process so much to the point of turning it into a pageant.

Fuck you.

[John]

Considering that Klein is a mental midget who wouldn't understand if Gingrich had a big idea, I fail to see why anyone should care what he thinks about this.

Even when the target is as fat and easy as Gingrich, Reason can't help but kiss the journolisters' ass.

[Episiarch]

Stop being an idiot, John. Klein is an absolute moron, but he's still right about this, and reason isn't kissing anyone's ass. Maybe you need to find out where the Journolist touched you and see a therapist.

[John]

SO what if he is right? The homeless women who talks to teddy bears in my neighborhood is right about a few things too. I would cite her as an authority though. Same thing here. Klein has spent the last five years pretending Obama had big ideas. So that doesn't make him much of a source on the subject.

[Episiarch]

Explain to me exactly how reason is kissing the Journolisters' asses, John. Exactly.

[John]

By citing them as authority. Why not just say the obvious "Gingrich has no big ideas"? Why do I have to be told that Klein thinks that? Why would anyone care what Klein thinks?

[Lost_In_Translation]

John,

Everybody hates reason and most of the journalists that talk politics are complete douchebags. If Reason was to eliminate discussions by idiotic journalists, it would have to completely withdraw from the media entirely.

My dog might have more intelligent things to say than Andrew Sullivan and Ezra Klein put together, but when they're stopped clock right, its a goddamned talking point.

[Metro libturds]

Why would anyone care what Klein thinks?

Because he's one of us, or we're one with him..or.....

You're just an embarrassing rube, you make me ashamed to pretend that I'm a liberaltarian.

[Gojira]

I didn't read it that they were citing him as an authority so much as, "Jesus, even Ezra fucking Klein gets it."

And they've run enough pieces making fun of him to know that they don't kiss his ass.

[John]

That is a good point. Maybe that is what they meant. I hope so.

[Gojira]

I hope so, as well. I just read it more as, "even a functional retard can see through this charade of a candidate".

[Realist]

The point is they all get to vote...we're fucked!

[Lost_In_Translation]

You're throwing around a whole lot of ass kissing lately John. Freudian?

[John]

What if it is LIT? You have a problem with what people do in the privacy of their own homes?

[o3]

palin would

[TrickyVic]

""Well, Ezra, darling, I can ask the same thing about Obama. ""

Really?

Obama has a few big ideas. Either scary or stupid. They are why he shouldn't get another term.

[Realist]

Old Mex democracy doesn't work, because fucking idiots get to vote.

[sarcasmic]

I wonder how much of Newt's popularity is due to a certain blowhard on AM radio.

[SugarFree]

Which puts more money in Rush's pocket... constant defense of Gingrich's disaster of a presidency, or four more years of tossing red meat to the braying AM hordes?

If Rush wants anything, it's the easy win that Obama would have over Gingrich.

[Episiarch]

Rush doesn't need money. I would imagine his primary motivator is to stay relevant and to find a doctor who will still prescribe him Oxycontin. Wait, those are my primary motivators too.

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

HA HAHA HA AH AHAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AHAH AH AH AH AH H AHA A HAH HA HA AH AH AH AH AHA HAH HA HA A

it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard rain gonna fall

[John]

See RC below. I think Gingrich lost El Rushbo with the Bain Capital attacks.

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

You are a liar. And I suspect you have a wet dream that a certain Frumpy Machiavellian will delivery you from a BLACK or a MORMON in the presidency.

[Rush Limbaugh]

NuNu NUnu NuNAh....I'm Rush Limbaugh on the Obesity in Broadcasting network.

[R C Dean]

I wonder how much of Newt's popularity is due to a certain blowhard on AM radio.

Hard to say. I listen to Rush very sporadically, and last time I heard him say anything about Gingrich it was to rip him for attacking Mittens using "the language of the left", I believe.

[Pro Libertate]

Pretty much never listen to him, but I heard him for about five minutes this past weekend. He was blasting Gingrich (and others) for attacking Romney on Bain.

[k2000k]

Rush is simply an opportunist. Remember he is the same kind of person that said we weren't acting decisvely enough in Egypt but then said we acted too swiftly in Libya. It's all about the fucking ratings....and cocaine.

[cynical]

So, a bunch of pissed off people worried about their economy are throwing their support behind a militaristic, technocratic, malignant narcissist who happens to speak very powerfully to their anger and resentment (but is rather a subpar thinker). Sounds vaguely familiar.

[fish]

Did you just "Fatwin" the thread?

[cynical]

Huh? I was thinking of last election. Why, what were you thinking of?

[fish]

So, a bunch of pissed off people worried about their economy...

Germans then, Americans now.

are throwing their support behind a militaristic, technocratic, malignant narcissist

Hitler then...Gingrich now.

who happens to speak very powerfully to their anger and resentment (but is rather a subpar thinker).

The previously mentioned pols speaking to Germans then...South Carolinians last weekend.

Sounds vaguely familiar.

I can see where you got the Obama vibe but wasn't he desperately trying to be upbeat during the campaign?

....it just felt like a Hitler reference. My mistake.

[cynical]

I was joking.

[Bill]

Nicely done.

[Old Mexican]

Some of Gingrich's other fancies are less charming. The candidate who's warned of a "gay and secular fascism" sweeping the country has an impressive authoritarian streak of his own.

Yes, but did he publish newsletters saying this? Because it seems like that is the deal breaker, as far as Reason is concerned at least.

[Gojira]

No, but he did have a disasterous stint writing for the Amazing Spider-Man.

The Clone Saga? That was all Gingrich.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

There goes Old Trollxican, trying to pick a fight.

[Old Mexican]

Re: Rev. Blue Moon,

here goes Old Trollxican, trying to pick a fight.

Are you looking for one, Rev?

[CE]

The debate moderators should have asked Gingrich about his electability. Of the 4 remaining republicans, he finished dead last in 2 of the first 3 states. He seems like a geographical candidate, who won't do well outside the south.

[LA Freeway Son of a Bitch]

The South is the GOP, you dumb fucker. We bought it, we paid for it, we own it. It's ours. It's a white-christian-only democrat party headed by a bloated fat head on AM radio and a thundercunt up in Wasilla.

[Tim]

First Witch: All hail, Gingrich! hail to thee, Speaker of the House!
Second Witch: All hail, Gingrich! hail to thee, Thane of South Carolina!
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be nominee hereafter.

[JDL+]

Seriously, what are the chances of any of the current GOP candidates un-seating Obama? Slim to none in my opinion. Retain the House and maybe win a majority in the Senate seem much more sensible and realistic goals for November.

In the meantime, why not have the two best debators get in front of a national audience to draw a contrast - in Santorum's words - between liberalism and conservatism? You think whiney Santorum or cardboard Romney could manage that? Or maybe Paul? Not from what I've seen thus far.

So win the battles that you can, pass on those you can't, and keep an eye towards winning the long game.

[fish]

Retain the House and maybe win a majority in the Senate seem much more sensible and realistic goals for November.

In my most conspiratorial moments I think that this is the Repubs strategy. The next 4 years probably won't be good economically....why wear that when you can blame the other TEAMZ guy everytime bad numbers post. The house and senate are disliked as blocs. Individual scumbags...err...I mean legislators seem to fare okay. Nobody seems to be complaining about being an incumbent. I rather spend the next 4 years railing against a socialistically inclined lame duck president than try to defend myself against a hostile press corps when things go really sour!

[NYer]

Considering the current crop of candidates, you might just be right.

[k2000k]

Romney does actually have stand having a good chance. Gingrinchs support will plummet after the southern states are done. He isn't well thought of by many republicans under the age of 60 outside of the south.

[Res Publica Americana]

Newt Gangrene needs to lose all of his steam and die out of his campaign. What I'll be interested to see is Paul's result in the west.

[Rubicon]

Agreed.Paul has pretty consistently doubled his support everywhere since 2008. And I believe he got 24% here in Idaho and 25% in Montana last time around. Most of the western states are Paul country,hence Brian Williams shamelessly trying to propagate that ridiculous meme about him dropping out soon and throwing his support behind Gangrene who by the way has already stated for the record he would support Obama over Paul. Which shows unequivocally that Gingrich IS a team player as well as Williams for that matter. Same team different shirt. DoubleplusDitto for the Dittoheads,Levin,O'Reilly and every other state fellating fucktard that can be propped up in front of a camera or microphone. If Paul doesn't do way better out west than in New Hampshire I will take that as proof positive that the fix is in or perhaps even worse that the average voter has become literally to stupid to save or even pity.

[HarryStargis]

All of these articles on the election seem to be written from the perspective that the person running against Obama will be running against the blank slate from 2008. I don't get it. Have the last three years not happened? I never voted for Bush and I didn't care for him at all, but I also used to go to work every day and get a paycheck every two weeks. I think about Bush being President and those were the gold old days relative to my unemployed life today. Maybe it's different for all of these people who write articles. They obviously have some kind of job, so I guess things don't look so bad for them.

[Tony]

That's the thing about a housing bubble, things are fine until they are not. You may recall, the crash happened at the end of Bush's illustrious tenure.

Under Obama, no economic meltdown, no major skyscrapers destroyed, no phony wars started, and on the POTUS vs. pretzel front, well...

If you're going to blame the nearest shiny object for your current woes, remember there's a reason Bush stays in hiding.

[R C Dean]

no phony wars started

Erm, Libya, anyone?

[Tony]

You're so right, Libya is the exact equivalent of Iraq, despite the zero US body count, the fact that it wasn't premised completely on lies, and the fact that it accomplished its goal within a year.

[Old Mexican]

Re: Tiny,

Libya is the exact equivalent of Iraq,

You're right, there's no comparison. Under Bush, Congress simply delegated in an unconstitutional way the power to pursue a war to the President.Under Obama, he simply wiped his ass with the Constitution and not even bother to ask the Congress anything.

There's certainly a big difference between the two.

[Tony]

Oh so Libya is worse than Iraq now. Good thing we have unbiased nonpartisan observers like you to set the record straight.

[shrike]

And they claim to be just "libertarians" and not conservative - yet they run to defend Bush every time.

[fish]

....yet they run to defend Bush every time.

You really are the Master of Stupid! Pointing out how much your boy is like Bush is hardly an endorsement of Bush or his policies. Back to moms basement Shreik. You can blow Tony down there if you are so inclined.

[Paul]

And they claim to be just "libertarians" and not conservative - yet they run to defend Bush every time

Shrike, think about it. If we were defending Bush, we'd be defending Obama.

Because they're the same (in case you didn't get it).

[Tony]

They're only the same to Bushlovers--you can't really say Bush was superior with a straight face, so you engage in this fatuous false equivalence bullshit that effectively excuses all of the massive death, destruction, and torture wrought under Bush. It's shameful as it is stupid.

[Proprietist]

Libya is worse than Iraq only in its extreme unconstitutionality and the arrogance with which Obama explicitly ignored and diminished the War Powers Resolution by going without Congressional review or approval. If Bush did the same thing you'd be howling. The precedent is terrible, and Obama should be impeached for it.

That said, Iraq was a completely pointless and unconstitutional war as well, with minimal national security interests and significant corruption. Bush should also have been impeached for misleading the country into believing there was some imminent threat and leaving thousands of American soldiers dead for nothing.

[k2000k]

Let's also not by this lie that some how we haven't experienced a major financial meltdown. Everyone and his dog knows that the stimulus is just setting us up for the next big bust. Republicans aren't saying anything because they started the ball rolling with TARP and democrats are simply sticking their fingers in their ears and screaming "FDR and the New Deal" and when evidence is shown how the New Deal exacerbated our economic problems they then cry WWII military spending and then they chock themselves while masterbating.

[Paul]

I propose a new Reason drinking game. Every time someone falls back on the Body Count argument with Obama, we drink!

[Old Mexican]

Re: Tiny,

Under Obama, no economic meltdown,

No, just the lead solidifying around us at the bottom of the very deep mold.

[Paul]

Under Obama, no economic meltdown, no major skyscrapers destroyed, no phony wars started,

Stop right there...

[Old Mexican]

"Gingrich Said Freddie Mac Could Be Good Model for Mars Travel" (Bloomberg, Dec. 2, 2011).

Every America has the right to possess a piece of real estate in Mars. It's part of the American dream, doggone it!

[Realist]

"Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style Over Substance"
I dickwad has no style. He is a stupid fuck....the end!

[Bill Dalasio]

...the party nominated Alan Keyes: another "forceful" debater with a weakness for loopy ideas.

Forceful? Maybe. But, it wasn't the loopy ideas that did Alan Keyes in. The guy looks and sounds like a grown-up Steve Urkel.

[SC gingrich voter]

keyes is my favorite black. He is the only black i can understand.

[Proprietist]

Clarence Thomas has a sad.

[SC gingrich voter]

I don't trust ANY lawyers. Especially black ones.

[first]

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Maybe that is because of her interest in the human body. Mercedes is a final year medical student. She is looking forward to putting her knowledge of anatomy to use.

Now is your chance to give the doctor an all-over physical examination. This is the time to join Mercedes' very private practice.

http://www.hegre-art.com/models#action=show&id=227

[Birther in a Nation]

Every night, for the past year, Obama has gotten in his candle-lit pentogram...arranged over the Presidential Seal as accords his true Masters. Aimed at Mecca he prayed to bloodthirsty Allah Gingrich or Romney gets the nod, in that Kenyan sing-song he pretends not to know. But oh he knows.

He knows all those little (white) girls he sacrificed and whose hearts he ate is finally paying off.

[Fool for a Virginal]

how many dumbass paul supporters will be seduced by newtie's gold commission?

[k2000k]

None you dumbfuck

[LA Freeway Son of a Bitch]

Wanna bet, ass clown? Ron Paul was flirting with the fat-head last night. I thought he was going to bend over for him right there on the stage.

[SC gingrich voter]

do you really want a mormon in the white house? you think you trust someone like that?

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.

-Newt Gingrich, Columbia 2012

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

[Frumpy Machiavellian]

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

Newton Leroy Gingrich, John King Debate

[LA Freeway Son of a Bitch]

Newt Gingrich has gonads. This is what I like to see. You can learn a lot from a psychopathic bastard child raised by a authoritarian military man and his blue haired, chain smoking, wife. Art of War. Panzer Leader. Book of Five Rings. Mittens is getting creamed.

[k2000k]

Well in the event the Gingrich gets the nomination, a long shot, reason should sell shirts that say

"Why have silicon when I could have Newtcular titties?"

[LA Freeway Son of a Bitch]

Gay libertarians aren't going to vote for Newt en mass, but many of them are easily duped and will go along to get along if Newt keeps throwing them a bone with his phony gold commission proposal and his constant butt kissing on the ass cheeks of Ron Paul in the debates. Paulites are easily duped. He will win enough of them and the Santorum Talibaners to win this thing. America wants nothing to do with Mormon death cultists and many of us out here in gods country remember the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Chihuahua George should have quit while he was ahead.

[Concerned San Diego Man]

This is uncalled for. I am amazed the good people at Reason Magazine let a complete psychopath say things like this on their pages.

[Hello from hell]

Is Gingrich healthy enough to be President? Cracker looks like he could go at any moment.

[Liberte]

The substance I am looking for is someone with proven ability to tackle the deficit. Newt delivers.