Newt Gingrich: Bushed

Via Michael Patrick Leahy at his blog. The defining moment for me giving up on Newt Gingrich actually came a couple months back on Twitter, see below.

Mr. Speaker you are doing a real disservice to the Republican Party and the conservative movement by constantly misrepresenting the facts. Time for a heart felt mea culpa. Or better yet, time to stop talking about matters on which you are completely uninformed.

I saw a Tweet from Gingrich about the great time at dinner he had with James Carville while doing a college seminar of some form with him. I'm an adult. I realize these people drop the gloves, shakes hands and many are friends behind the scenes. Sure, they fuel emotion in the different political bases, but it isn't as if they believe it and act on it in their own lives. Though, I'd add, there are some DC conservatives a bit more careful about whom they befriend, at least so openly. But to think of Gingrich cavorting with Paul Begala's partner in crime, two of the most vile critics of the Right, I knew that Gingrich had sold out and was now more a part of the problem, than he will ever be part of the solution, again. I doubt he even realizes how much his thinking has become corrupted, so much of an insider has he become. He's Bushed.

Now, I respect, like and admire George Bush - always have and always will. There was never any secret about who George W. was, while Newt has always been an enigma, as is true of many highly intelligent men. But he's no longer a puzzle worth trying to figure out for the conservative base. He's just another well off Washington insider peddling his political wares at a website most conservatives couldn't even name if asked.

Newt can still do well as a DC insider, helping to cobble together policies and plans that must accommodate at times. Politics is the art of compromise, after all. But compromise, especially of one's core principles, is not sound electoral advice. When you begin as an accommodation-ist, it's just a hop, skip and a jump to a corrupted appeasement, soon to be sell out.

Newt's world is now one of power, political parties, D or R, and progressive Republican ideas that might be terrific except for one thing. There is and has always been an original Constitution meant to be the fundamental guideline for men that think on such things. I'd venture a guess that Newt knows it far better than I. It's shame that his is now of the living variety. Either that or he simply ignores it when it serves.

Let's hope that for the Republic's sake, there are still Republican leaders not quite so willing to abandon it for convenience sake. Newt should simply stop discussing conservatives and conservatism. His words now approach the level of insult, more than enlightenment of any sort. He has nothing more to offer us than did John McCain. And we all know how well that deal turned out.

The former Speaker is rapidly turning into an intellectually lazy gasbag who doesn't do his homework, and keeps repeating his foolish "Big Tent" mantra.

Comments

[Huey]

I fully agree with Newt that the Republican party needs to be a "Big Tent" party. While 40% of the country self-identifies as "conservative" (the degree that their self-definition of "conservative" aligns with my (or your) definition of "conservative" unconsidered) an equal amount self-identifies as "moderate" (whatever that means...).

However, if the polls are even moderately accurate, only about 1/2 of the self-described "conservatives" identify with the Republican party.

And, even if the Republicans get EVERY self-described "conservative" in the nation, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A MAJORITY.

The problem with Newt's thinking (and that of the GOP in general) as it regards the "Big Tent" is that they clearly believe that WE should go to THEM, i.e., that "conservatives" should alter their platform (articulated positions as contrasted to "core principles") to attract those who are self-identified as "non-conservatives" to the GOP.

That's backwards.

What should happen is what happened with Reagan. Get strong, conservative candidates who trumpet their conservative principles, loudly and proudly.

Enough of the "moderates" will come to US -- WITHOUT us having to compromise an IOTA of our "core principles."

Give the voters a clear choice and they'll choose conservative values the vast majority of the time.

Only 20% of the nation can stomach to call themselves "liberal."

Only 20%.

Only 20%.

No other figure need be examined to see the truth of the above and the folly of the GOP in their attempts to grow the "Big Tent."

[Calypso Jones]

As far as i'm concerned, newt is done. He has embarrassed conservatives and himself with his misplaced endorsement of the scuzzball. And then to come out and say, 'i'm disappointed. She told me she was a republican.' That's it.

Republican elite. You wanna be friends with the enemy? fine then. YOU are the enemy too.

[M. Simon]

Here is where Newt lost me:

http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2004/09/how-to-put-end-to-drug-users.html

The death penalty for 2 oz of pot. And you know what? Pot is now well on its way to becoming legal in America.

The above piece was first published in 1999. And Newt called for death to pot users in 1997. H.R. 41.

BTW Newt has admitted to smoking pot.

[Anita]

Bush & Newt NEVER go together - NEVER!

[J]

I think it is foolish to think that the liberals want us on pot just because. A bunch of pot heads are easier to rule than clear thinking adults. Newt seems to be in the "I want to fit in" part of his career. Some part of him knows he can never be president (although he keeps wishing he could)so the only alternative is to fit in with the bunch in power. A great speaker, interesting ideas, but keep in mind he has a foot in each camp.

[Mr. Sauce]

Newt's site quickly went back to allowing unregistered comments on Oct 31. His Hoffman entry, revised many times, now has almost 500 new comments since then. Hostile comments have largely replaced dismayed ones, to put it mildly:

http://newt.org/tabid/193/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4629/I-Am-Endorsing-Doug-Hoffman.aspx

[Huey]

Mr. Sauce: Heh...that has to be some bitter brew for Newt to wake up to. I didn't see a single positive remark!

"Ouch," doesn't even BEGIN to describe the mark those comments will leave...

[seekeronos]

Newt's credibility = flushed out the toilet with yesterday's dinner.