Posted on 10/16/2009 10:34:48 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) may have stepped into a political quagmire after endorsing a moderate New York Republican's special election bid.
A host of GOP leaders have tried to distance themselves from the ongoing showdown between Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, a centrist Republican, and Doug Hoffman, the local Conservative Party's candidate. But Gingrich offered his perspective to the three-way contest for now-Army Secretary John McHugh's vacant seat on Friday when he became one of only a handful of conservative Republicans to openly back his party's struggling candidate.
“The special election for the 23rd Congressional District is an important test leading up to the mid-term 2010 elections,” Gingrich said of Scozzafava's candidacy in a statement to supporters, as reported by the The Post-Standard. “Our best chance to put responsible and principled leaders in Washington starts here, with Dede Scozzafava.”
Gingrich's key endorsement could spell good news for Scozzafava, heretofore supported only lukewarmly by her own party. Already, the Club for Growth, Concerned Women of America, evangelical leader Gary Bauer, former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and a host of other GOP supporters and lawmakers have sided with Hoffman, who has recently posted gains in preliminary polls.
By contrast, only about 17 Republicans have even written checks to Scozzafava's campaign, and the party's conference chairman -- Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.) -- has altogether steered clear of the tough race.
At issue for some unsure Republicans seems to be a fear of a possible political backlash. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tx.) knows that feeling all too well; after he announced his backing for Scozzafava, his conservative base attacked him viciously, specifically harping intimidate details of his personal life.
Gingrich, however, seems not to care about this brewing, inner-party divide. Instead, he championed Scozzafava's candidacy on Friday as the future of the party -- not necessarily the harbinger for a lingering party divide, as some pundits have speculated.
“The Republican Revolution in 1994 started very much like what we see today,” the former speaker said. “Like then, our country is reeling from misguided liberal policies, high taxes and out-of-control spending. This special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District could be the first election of the new Republican Revolution, but we need the momentum to get it started.”
The only thing is: How does one explain his terrible attitude toward Bush 11? He bashed on him left and right before he left office!
Maybe Fred could follow up on that by withdrawing his endorsement of RINO Rob Simmons in CT and throwing his support to one of the real conservatives in the race.
Newt lost his way somewhere between his second and third wife.
This is shaping up to be a disaster, because the Dem will win (a takeaway - this was an R seat) and the party will have succeeded in shooting itself in the foot once again.
The Republicans will find out - if they haven’t already - that their fund-raising will be abysmal during the next election cycle if they keep foisting candidates like Dede upon us.
I hang up on the phone solicitations, and toss the mail in the garbage. I’m pissed off and have a right to be, but also feel that sending Dems to Washington will only further hasten the already breakneck speed of America’s demise.
Oh, Newt. What the hell are you thinking? There is no way Dede wins this with Hoffman in the race, and no way Hoffman bows out. It’s a Dem pickup, pure and simple, though he’ll garner little more than 35% of the votes.
They're shooting themselves in much more vital areas these days.
Newt's tent had a long line and unlike all the other politicians there, you weren't allowed to take home a copy of a casual photo and handshake with Newt unless you paid $35 for the privilege. To even get in line to meet Newt, you had to fill out a form and give your contact info. (address, phone number, email, etc.) to his "American Solutions" PAC (I made the mistake of writing down my actual contact information instead of a Pseudonym) When I got up there to meet Newt, I discovered he wasn't interested in having an actual conversation with any of us lowly voters unless you were to purchase an autographed copy of his book. My first words to Newt were "Hey, I've always wanted to see the guy responsible for the 1994 revolution". His response was "Yeah, that's nice. Do me a favor and look at the camera for the picture. Okay? Good. Next?"
All the other politicians I encountered in their tents that day were more than happy to chat with me, including the ones with much larger tents and crowds than Newt. I had a spirited conversation with Duncan Hunter that same day.
Unfortunately after my little "encounter" with Newt his "American Solutions" staffers made sure to call my phone at least three times a month to try and hit me up for money until I sent them a cease and deist letter after their fourth phone call. (Why Newt thinks everyone would be inspired to send him money after he's an a-hole in person I have no idea). I believe they tried to call me a fifth time anyway. In short it was a complete waste of time. At least I wasn't stupid enough to pay him $35 for the privilege of getting a physical copy of his photo-op with me.
Newt may be a policy genius behind the scenes, but he is a miserable human being in person. Everything this guy says something brilliant, he has to go ruin it by doing something awful to stab conservatives in the back and endear himself with the beltway crowd. This latest "endorsement" is more of the same.
I was never much of a Gingrich cheerleader, but I made up my mind that day in August '07 that I'll never support him for dog catcher.
I wish he would go away. I used to think he was a principled conservative. Now, I know he is only an opportunist.
Any time he is on the radio or TV I change the station. I can’t stand the two faced rat and his smile.
History of the Republican Party - Republican Party
... collapsed because of internal disputes over the issue of slavery, the Republican Party was started. It emerged as an anti-slavery party in the 1850s. However, most Republicans did not believe blacks were equal to whites, but that blacks were ...
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art28160.asp
History of the Republican Party
The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. During the mid term elections way back in 1874, Democrats tried to scare voters into thinking President Grant would seek to run for an unprecedented third term. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for ...
http://www.fairfieldrtc.org/about_history.htm
History of the Republican Party
... Republican Party generally, believe that individual liberty is the hallmark of the American success story. The freedom of Americans to make their own decisions, and to live their own lives, relatively free from governmental or other ...
http://www.mcgop.net/History.htm
The times have changed and in some ways they have stayed the same. The Republican Party has changed and not for the better. This thread demonstrates the level and depth of corruption within the party. Corruption and crime as well as corrupt like a bad computer file.
I don't know how, I haven't studied far enough history to make a reasonable prognostication, but in my heart the Republicans are not going to save our Nation. If we intend to save our Freedom, then both bad political parties must be purged. We don't have the organization to do it in 2010, peacefully, and 2012 may be too late.
All I know is what I had growing up is gone forever and what my grandchildren face, is not anything I would have ever promised them.
Newt was amazing once. Now he’s just showing us that he’s irrelevant.
Conservatives must stop falling for this "there must a reason that is just too cryptic for us to understand" kind of nonsense from RINOs. It's tempting to believe that Newt today is the same Newt that brought us together oh those many years ago. But no more. We are at a crucial, frightening junction in our history. We can't afford to screw around with "any R is better than no R" nonsense because certainly we've learned that just isn't so.
And Newt Gingrich just added yet another reason why not to EVER vote for him for POTUS in ‘12 and/or beyond!
That’s disappointing to hear, but yet it doesn’t seem terribly surprising. Who knows if he was like that before he arrived in Congress, but I’m sure the 20 years there didn’t help his disposition. Personally, I’d be a bit embarrassed to act like that in front of fans.
This seat is what I would call a “gold seat” for the Republican Party. By that, I mean, that the electorate has ALWAYS given the seat to the Republican in every election by wide margins.
This babe, Scozzafava, was not “elected” by the electorate to run in the election. Instead, she was APPOINTED by a vote of the 12 Republican “Chairs” in this congressional district.
To hand “gold seat” like this one to someone who supports killing unborn babies and SAME SEX “MARRIAGE” is grounds for a WAR to begin within the Republican Party on those who support the “DEMOCRAT AGENDA”!
I say - SABOTAGE this candidate “selection” in THIS ELECTION, and SUPPORT ANYONE ELSE to get in. We can run a true conservative in a primary when the time comes.
He’ll always be a hero for 1994 but Newt has long since jumped the proverbial shark.
I hope he stays out the 2012 race.
He should but I doubt it will happen. You rarely if ever hear about retracted endorsements.
So true!
Plus he can never seem to raise money for these presidential runs he and Sean Hannity always try to gin up
The money people want nothing to do with this guy
I give Newt credit for 1994
He used to be a great fighter
First evil thing he did was to screw Robert Dornan when Loretta Sanchez stole that election
Brought Newt so much bad karma that it's been downhill ever since
Newt feels he deserves the royal treatment for bringing the Us House into GOP hands. During the Summer of 2007, Newt said he would run for President only if people donate $30 million to him by mid Sept 2007. He fell way short of the goal. Then in Jan 2009, Newt said he would run for RNC Chair only if enough people draft him into the race. Newt has become a prima donna.
Occasionally it happens but almost always it's because the candidate misled the person or organization making the endorsement. The St. Petersburg Times quite vocally retracted their endorsement of Mel Martinez during the 2004 election when they found that he personally hired two gay rights activists as staffers while attacking Bill McCollum as "the darling of homosexual extremists". Said it looked like Martinez was a shady character who will saything to win even if he believes the opposite. I agreed.
Newton Gingrich has always considred himself a “man of all seasons”, but he lacks spine. And loves for a liberal to compliment him, a trait also of Jack F. Kemp and the Bushes, quite a few others.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.