My, How Newt Has Risen In Visibility

Just one of those observations one has to note. Newt Gingrich came to the Nation's attention as the Representative of the average guy via his Speakership and the Contract With America.

At Memeorandum just now, he sits mostly by himself at the top with dozens of conservative blog posts nipping at his heels below with a position opposing his. Things certainly have changed for Newt Gingrich over the years. I'm not sure how this prominence will serve him in any future designs within the GOP, or as a conservative political voice. However, police report smolice report, if you want her out for her politics as you do, just keep saying so. Why use a convenient excuse even if it has some merit?

As for Newt, well, it will get you on the Sunday news shows. But I actually think he's got an argument even if it doesn't and perhaps shouldn't prevail just now. That's a judgment call. I would hate to see us lose some genuinely good moderate candidates in districts where we absolutely need one. I'm unconvinced that's the case with Scozzofava. But I'm no expert on NY - 23.

On the NY23 Race, We Have A Practical Choice To Make  —  Speaker Gingrich explains his decision to endorse Dede Scozzafava in the NY 23:

Jim Geraghty / National Review Online:   Newt Tries to Make the Case for Dede — By:

 It's Time for Dede Scozzafava and Her False Police Report to Go — By: Jim Geraghty  —

+Discussion: Dave In Texas / Ace of Spades HQ:   Scozzafava: Withdraw Now  —  You're going to see a lot of this today.

Mike Flynn / Big Government:   High Noon in New York 23rd: A Ref Would Have Called It By Now.

Brian Faughnan / The Conservatives:   Achieving a Conservative Victory

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:   Poll: Should Scozzafava withdraw for filing a false police report

Quin Hillyer / AmSpecBlog:   Bloggers Say Scozzafava Should Withdraw

Kyle Trygstad / Real Clear Politics:   Conservatives Call On Scozzafava To Withdraw
Washington Times:   Dede's police state

Comments

[Mr. Sauce]

I read this 3-page backgrounder on DeDe's nomination at the TCOT Report:

http://tcotreport.com/23ny1.html

Looks to me like the local Repubs were going "girl's club", and got caught.

[MKS]

I support incremental improvement, but...

If your party gets in, and your prime policies don't, you haven't helped.

[Jimmie]

Sorry, Dan, I'm not with you on this. Dede Scozzafava is not a "genuinely good moderate". She's nowhere ever close to a moderate Republican and Newt shames himself by trying to convince himself, and the rest of us, that she is.

[Dan Riehl]

I didn't say she was, Jimmie. As per my post:

"I'm unconvinced that's the case with Scozzofava."

[rrpjr]

I'm not sure what you're saying. In any case, this candidate stinks and Gingrich doesn't get it. He's missing the deep disgust and related insurgency going on in the conservative universe, as most elites are. Too bad.

[Terrye]

I think the police report thing is kind of silly myself. Why can't people just let the voters decide and leave it at that? Last I heard Hoffman was three in a three person race. I know conservatives do not like this woman, I get that, but like it or not the local party picked her and the Republicans can not support 2 people in the same race. Hoffman is running on the Conservative ticket and that is fine. I wish him luck, but it is not realistic to think that the Republican party is going to stab its own candidate in the back and support someone who is not even running as a Republican. Hoffman has every right to run on another ticket, I wish him luck, now let the people who actually live in the district make their choice.

Hopefully in the future more care will be taken with a choice like this before it is too late to fix the mess.

And I think Newt is interested in getting rid of Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats, he does not want to see the Ross Perot effect take place and give a victory to Obama, Pelosi and Reid.

[Andrew]

I lost a lot of respect for Newt over this race. He is one of the good old boy, smoke filled, back room dealing, type of politician.

Those guys need to go away...and quickly!!

[Patricia Graham]

Scozzafava is NOT a moderate in any way, shape or form. Her support of card check makes her an enemy of any republican or conservative. She is left of most blue dogs and the republican party shouldn't be spending one minute or one dime to push her cause. Shame on Newt.

[Reaganite Republican]

I tend towards party unity with only 12 mos to go to midterms- what with the Dems doing unprecidented damage to this country.

But this one I can't imagine voting for- why?

She's got it all wrong for me, and one would think her conservative district... hard to see how she got on the ballot in the first place. Maybe the GOP needs to be sent a message... earlier the better, let's get it together with REAGANITE candidates for next fall!

[MDr]

It's nut cuttin' time for the GOP. Do we keep backing a candidate to the Left of the Dim, and who KOS supports, that will never vote with the rest of the GOP in Congress? Or do we back away from scuzzyface and let a true conservative win; one that will not only caucus with us, but support us on most issues?

2010 may hang on this

[Terrye]

MDr:

I think it is up to the people who actually live there to decide who wins. That is the whole point. And btw, the man is not a Republican, if he were maybe the party would be backing him.

[Lala]

Sarah endorses Hoffman

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=157794838434&ref=nf

[richard mcenroe]

Newt's claim to modern relevance...

http://threebeerslater.blogspot.com/2009/04/newt-gingrich-angling-for-presidential.html

[richard mcenroe]

Terrye -- As the party leadership keeps demonstrating, in Florida, in Colorado, in New York, in Illinois... this is the best they got.

They talk tough and confrontational in their fundraising emails and phone calls, but they keep endorsing mush for candidates.

And they seem incapable of learning. The base forced Michael Steele to withdraw his support of Gang of Eight RINO Mark Kirk... but then the sends a six-figure contribution to Dede Hoffman's campaign. John McCain runs as a "moderate," reaching out to "independents"... still gets branded a racist and a warmonger... loses to a jug-eared store mannequin... and STILL plays the aisle-crossing uniter on TV.

[Terrye]

richard:

I agree that this woman is a bad candidate, and it was a mistake to pick her. I really do. But there are a lot of good conservatives in the GOP and not all of them deserve to be thrown out with the bath water. If you get my drift. I just do not want to see the Democrats win. They are really starting to scare me.

[DaMav]

I think Gingrich is wrong on this one. Very wrong. But that doesn't make him 'the enemy' or an idiot or a sellout etc etc etc etc. Newt gave some outstanding interviews backing Sarah Palin when she was first nominated as VP, and jumped in support of her 'death panels' concept early on. I'm delighted that Sarah is backing Hoffman -- she got me to send him some money yesterday. But there is no need to turn this into a Newt Bashathon. (Which you are not doing but some seem to be.)

All of my friends don't agree with each other all the time. Let's not get bent out of shape. Let's just get Hoffman elected and the results will speak for themselves.