Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has just announced that he is running for President.
In 2007 when he was contemplating a run, I wrote one of my very first columns about him. It was entitled:
“Newt Gingrich: If only ideas and solutions mattered.”
https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2007/03/newt-gingrich-if-only-ideas-and-solutions-mattered/
Newt Gingrich has always been a man with serious policy ideas and solutions in a nation unwilling and unprepared for them. In 1995 he tried to reform medicare. The Demagogic Party demagogued. He was accused of “cutting” and “gutting” Medicare. His proposal was actually slowing the rate of growth. Yet the left lied solely to stay in power.
Yet in 2011, a new question must be asked.
What if ideas and solutions finally actually do matter?
The left is going to carpet-bomb Mr. Gingrich with his very messy personal life. It will be up to him to answer questions about his past morality and conduct.
(Those claiming hypocrisy over his adultery while Bill Clinton was being impeached should get over it. Gingrich did not lie under oath and subvert the Constitution.)
Mr. Gingrich also has to show that he is not the same person who used to lob verbal grenades that only gave his political opponents ammunition to destroy him.
Yet a Gingrich candidacy does offer the nation a very rich debate. Even Newt’s strongest detractors concede that he is a serious intellectual heavyweight when it comes to discussing policy.
One does not have to agree with Mr. Gingrich to admit that a race between him and Mr. Obama would result in debates worth watching.
The left will try to make Mr. Gingrich out to be a racist, sexist, bigoted homophobe. This is what happens when a white conservative male disagrees with Mr. Obama for any reason. It will be up to Mr. Gingrich to not back down when the race card is inevitably dealt from the bottom of the deck.
The left will try to use his sister Candace Gingrich against him. Ms. Gingrich is a lesbian. Despite the 2004 backlash when John Kerry and John Edwards tried to exploit Vice President Dick Cheney’s lesbian daughter Mary for political gain, the left will get in the gutter if it proves beneficial.
Mr. Obama cannot run on his record. So demonizing an opponent is the only strategy to win. Mr. Gingrich is not a difficult man to demonize.
Yet one moment in the 1990s shows the strength and weakness of Mr. Gingrich. When Bill Clinton was asked if he wore briefs or boxers, he laughed and answered the question. When Mr. Gingrich was asked the same question, he dressed down the questioner for asking a stupid question.
It was a stupid question. Just because Mr. Clinton chose to lower the dignity of his office did not mean Mr. Gingrich needed to do likewise. The weakness in this approach is that it allowed another opportunity for leftist critics to refer to Mr. Gingrich as “mean-spirited.” The strength was that if enough politicians would do this, we would slow the descent into becoming a nation of imbeciles.
Mr. Gingrich wants to have a serious conversation about issues. If the American people are finally after all of these years are finally ready, the 2012 election could end up being about things that actually matter, from the scope, size, and role of government to the approach America should take in foreign affairs.
With Mr. Gingrich, America would finally be able to possibly win the war against nonsense. We would be forced as a nation into adulthood. Outside of Congressman Paul Ryan and Governor Chris Christie, very few politicians ever put policy at the heart of politics.
Mr. Gingrich is all about policy.
So if ideas and solutions actually do matter, Mr. Gingrich could very well win the nomination and provide for a worthy general election for Americans everywhere.
eric
I have been getting solicitations from his “handlers” to support him. I finally wrote yesterday and said that if he gets the nomination, I will support his candidacy with some capital and verbal support, but right now my vote goes to Herman Cain.
I am still of the opinion that if this blogger was more moderate with
his views, he would make a beneficial addition to many so-called
liberal publications.
Its all about getting ones message across, or “winning”.
I personally enjoy watching Two and One-half Men in repeats.
The recently produced half hour shows seem to have deteriorated
into the gutter (see last episode which is all abour farting).
Charlie Sheen should know better than to allow this.
Now he faces a major change in the program, with his departure.
But sometimes, change is for the better.
Rather than it going off the air, the other cast of characters
will still ber around to aid the newest member of the cast.
Get it, sometimes change is good.
Speaking of change, even in politics its all about “winning”.
The LA Times has been blasting the Republican candidates, even
before they announce. The latest condemnatin is of Newt.
With their usual double speak articles, Romney is given no chance
in the primaries over his Mass. health care plan, which was good for
that state, if not for the nation. So he loses either way. Yet he is
a polished politician, with experience and a successful businessman.
He is good for Mass. He, and his hand picked advisors, would be
good for the nation.
Any Republican is better than our current President, who had
no experience in anything, cept as a communith organizer,
and floating prof.. who changed his spots as warranted.
I find it most interesting how much support this inexperienced
novice gets from his admiring public, while in fact, his credentials
are questionable. I ask, why would a country of 300m trust their
lives and fortunes to him? Why?
He campaigned on CHANGE, AND HAS CHANGED NOTHING.
He in fact has made things much worse. If not for the TARP,
whch was a Republican accomplishment, what has he done for
our nation?
The M.E. is in teroil, with Syria brutalizing its own, while Moammarlauhs at US and NATO warplances kill innocents, accidently of course. (They were hired to protect civilians if I recall?).
In the Palestinian territories and Israel proper, thousands rampage during Nakba Day celebrations, their hatred of the creationof Israel (by the UN), the same UN that they are now pleading to for a state back to the 67 borders (as if there was no history).
And our President is going to give a major speech prior to
Bibi Netanyahu’s coming here to speak before the Congress.
This of course will upstage him..the key player in the M.E. conflict.
So, Obama has set the stage for an internal confrontation, between
some of his advisers, J St and the NYTimes, and Congress and the
pro-Israel right supporters.
Leave it to Obama to screw things up.
Back home, 25% of the population is out of work or underemployed.
And what is Obama’s remedy…I dont know?
Obama is still threading the needle….and not repairing anything
from foreign relations to the economy.
Yet, he still has support among his admirers..the teenage mentality crowd, still dependent on daddy and hoping for change.
Oh, he has approved opening up the Alaskan oil fields for mining.
Too little too late guy.