[Hardastarboard]

Sometimes Steve Chapman hits it out of the park, and sometimes he swings, misses and falls over onto the catcher, bat still in hand. This is one of those times. Newt can't win, not because he's a demagogue, but because the left hates him to the core of because of 1994, and the right semi-hates him for some of the stupid stuff he's done in his private life, as well as espousing some of the more insane leftist policies re: the environment.

Bottom line: Brilliant guy, but we can't trust him.

[freekitty]

He sold us out and we do care about his private life.

[randita]

Newt is the past. 2008 and Obama told us a lot, but one thing it screamed loud and clear was “no more old white guys”. (No offense intended for you old white guys out there.)

[estrogen]

I always wondered about Newt ,what it was that made me leery of him, and now I know the label for it.......As proof, all one has to do is see him walk into CPAC like he was a prizefighter, to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger"

Everyone else comes out on the stage, not Newt, he comes in through the audience shaking hands to that tune.......didn't sit with me too well........He seems to have a view of himself as REALLY IMPORTANT

[plain talk]

well said. I agree. He is brilliant with exception of a few loose wires. There is one component I would add ... no one really likes him. He has a certain air about him that turns people off. Never underestimate the power of likability. Idealogy alone doesn’t win elections. There are too many voters that don’t care about idealogy.

[BenKenobi]

Isn’t that called a critical failure?

[aumrl]

let’s play a game.....
Who Can We Trust ?
The Founders seem to have said ‘don’t trust anyone”
[or NO one can be trusted ]

[Leisler]

He’s not brilliant. James M. Buchanan is brilliant. Norman Borlaug is brilliant, MacArthur was brilliant.

Gingrich is above average, marked against forth rate college professors, and of course politicians. So, it just seems so.

Ethically, morally, he is a shallow opportunist. A Bill Clinton of the right( ish ) stripe.

[Larry Lucido]

Unless you redefine brilliant to mean stupid, he’s not exactly brilliant.

But you’re right. We don’t trust him.

[DB]

Good summary.

I’ll just add that if a man can’t keep his oath to the person he swore one to before God, how can anyone trust him with the smaller things?