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Consensus breaking out: Not Newt
Washington Post ^ | December 4, 2011 | Jennifer Rubin

Posted on 12/04/2011 6:04:20 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

On Friday, I suggested that Republicans “could pull a name out of a hat and find a more consistent and personally stable conservative” than Newt Gingrich. Many smart conservatives seem to agree. (VictorDavisHanson points out that with Gingrich as the nominee the GOP would forfeit the “crony capitalism” issue; No one has been a bigger crony than he.)

The latest and perhaps brightest warning flare to the right is sent up by GeorgeWill. There are too many delicious lines in his column from which to choose a favorite. (e.g.,“There is almost artistic vulgarity in Gingrich’s unrepented role as a hired larynx for interests profiting from such government follies as ethanol and cheap mortgages”; “Gingrich, who would have made a marvelous Marxist, believes everything is related to everything else and only he understands how.”) George patiently explains to those who think the conservative movement began with the Internet and is defined by those who can burnish the most withering rhetoric: “Conservatism inoculates against the hubristic volatility that Gingrich exemplifies.” Yes, Gingrich is what conservatism aims to save us from.

Now, George would choose TexasGov Rick Perry or Jon Huntsman. RameshPonnuru would take MittRomney. There is also RickSantorum to consider. Reasonable conservatives differ on the alternative, but other than sheer contrarianism and temporary amnesia it is hard (for those who want to maintain the ideological health of the conservative movement and win the WhiteHouse) to justify embracing Gingrich. That he is more “gregarious, upbeat” than he used to be is no reason to choose him as president or to declare he has turned over new leaf.

For those conservatives who are not systematically averting their eyes, Gingrich every day gives Republicans further reason to conclude there is no “New Newt,” only the same disorganized egomaniac who drove his House caucus to revolt.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics; Religion
KEYWORDS: 2012; conservatism; gopprimary; notperryeither; rinos4romney; romneycare; rove4romney; tokyorove
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To: Huck
Perfect. If a George Will column prompts someone to 'give Huntsman another look', it obviously deserves no credibility.

p.s. George Will's wife works for Gov. Perry.

101 posted on 12/04/2011 6:59:41 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Notwithstanding

Florida on Dec 5th, 2007:

Giuliani 30
Romney 15
Huckabee 12
McCain 10


102 posted on 12/04/2011 7:00:22 AM PST by LimberJim
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Thank you for that post, BF.


103 posted on 12/04/2011 7:00:43 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: babygene

What you and I think doesn’t matter ...but I’ll tell you what I think:

I don’t agree. I think many people wrongly think Palin is a female airhead. They are dead wrong. She is tops in my book.

In the meantime I’m hoping someone other than Newt gets the boost.


104 posted on 12/04/2011 7:00:46 AM PST by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: ez

Actually, ez, it was very much “people”, perhaps uninformed but understanding of “who’s turn” it is, who picked GHWB, Dole, and McPain.


105 posted on 12/04/2011 7:00:53 AM PST by Theodore R. (Oh, no, Joseph Farah says Santorum collaborated with T. Lott to sabotage the 1999 impeachment trial.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

George Will? That old school Rockefeller RINO?


106 posted on 12/04/2011 7:01:21 AM PST by RockinRight (If you're waiting to drink until you find pure water, you're going to die of dehydration.)
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To: o2bfree

And? I think he’s pushing the wrong candidate.

Does that make his articles about the America’s problems, the damage Obama and the left have done, and potential ways to re-invigorate America... all suddenly turn to liberal drek because of it?


107 posted on 12/04/2011 7:02:16 AM PST by gogogodzilla (Live free or die!)
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To: ez
Jennifer Rubin of the WaPo says, "I like Mittens"

She's guilty.

108 posted on 12/04/2011 7:03:36 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

How did our nation get such a bunch of idiots wanting to run for President? It’s not just the GOP, of course. Throw Obama into the mix, and it is even worse. But apparently the Democrats are satisfied with an idiot as President. I am not.


109 posted on 12/04/2011 7:03:47 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

I still do think of Palin as the ultimate “anti-politician.” Her whole notion of being a completely unshackled leader, not being beholden to special interests, Party machines, corporate/union interests, lobbyists, etc., but exclusively to the people and the constitution, is pretty much at odds with the way normal politics is practiced.

Anyway, regarding Newt, it’s obvious the establishment voices are still totally in the corner for Romney. Newt is of the establishment himself, and in some ways he and his worldview would be quite acceptable to them. But I think they basically fear he is a big, ugly, greasy bomb that will eventually blow up in their faces. Which is probably true.


110 posted on 12/04/2011 7:04:02 AM PST by greene66
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To: LimberJim

Was anyone leading in 3 of the first 4 states?


111 posted on 12/04/2011 7:04:04 AM PST by Notwithstanding (1998 ACU ratings: Newt=100%, Paul=88%, Santorum=84% [the last year all were in Congress])
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Furthermore, both men were married when they began affairs with each other’s staff members – all while Mr. Gingrich was leading the investigation into Bill Clinton’s extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Not taking a side here, but this is leftist spin. They were investigating perjury, not an affair.

112 posted on 12/04/2011 7:04:38 AM PST by B Knotts (Just another Tenther)
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To: sodpoodle
Perhaps the new Mrs. Will is a Callista home-wrecker! LOL!

George Will isn't running for President and his wife will not be in the WH. If you think Newt can win without the womens vote then by all means go for him. But the day after he wins with "ladies" on The View will make sure the ball starts rolling on Newt's serial adultry. I can hear the jokes about Calista now. Newt won't be able to take it.

113 posted on 12/04/2011 7:04:38 AM PST by McGavin999 ("Make what Americans buy, Buy what Americans make, and sell it to the world" Perry 2012)
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To: Tuxedo
Jennifer is batshit crazy... Total Mittbot.
The Mittbots are desperate. But they've got FR Perry supporters on their side now... so how can they lose?
114 posted on 12/04/2011 7:04:38 AM PST by samtheman
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To: ez
Oh, horrors...the establish speaks and they don’t want Newt. It’s good that the people decide, and not the establishment that brought us Dole, Bush I, and McCain.
And it's interesting that "the people who brought us Perry", here on FR, are now effectively working for Mitt.

Very, very interesting.

115 posted on 12/04/2011 7:05:45 AM PST by samtheman
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To: Mr. K
I was wrong about Newt. He was down at 20%.

I thought he couldn't get above it ~ now he's at 19% ~ and I'll have to say he won't be able to break that either.

116 posted on 12/04/2011 7:05:45 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: Servant of the Cross

That’s nice. Perry is a stammering dunce. No way I’ll vote for him. Or Newt. So what’s left? Setting aside the vanity candidates from the Congress, all that’s left is Romney or Huntsman. Between the two, I think Huntsman has a better record.


117 posted on 12/04/2011 7:05:46 AM PST by Huck (LIBERTY is the object.)
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To: Mr. K

That was Romney ~ Newt is darned near 50% ~ so whatever the arguments they aren’t working.


118 posted on 12/04/2011 7:06:33 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
And Newt was a choir boy who "had to be destroyed?"

No, Newt was an effective leader of the conservative movement that had to be destroyed. I'm not looking for a choir boy (your words) I'm looking for someone to pull this country back from the brink of financial armageddon.

Your silly posts about who was diddling who have no bearing on that gargantuan task in any respect.

119 posted on 12/04/2011 7:06:47 AM PST by ez ("Abashed the Devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton, "Paradise Lost")
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To: BunnySlippers
I remember well, how you were the first to complain when anyone said anything about Palin you thought was wrong and you especially condemned them for saying anything against her. You also scolded them for not just supporting their candidate and instead, just posted “bad things” against Palin on all the Palin threads.

Now look at you.

120 posted on 12/04/2011 7:07:37 AM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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