Had he spent even an hour a week reading Free Republic he would have understood the mood of the party and the reasons for his probationary status. But his vanity led him to believe that his powers permitted him to shape the debate and that the party would adhere to him rather than the other way around.
He saw himself as the bearer of the torch, the keeper of the Reagan legacy because of his accomplishments in the 1990s. He saw himself as the righteous antagonist to both Bushes when he opposed the father on increased taxes and the son on increased spending. He did not realize the party saw him opposing their own while failing to oppose, indeed actually supporting, the enemy on climate change, for example. Now we see him opposing Ryan and supporting Obama care.
Newt thought that there was a 3rd way, his way, to which he could draw the party by virtue of his undeniable talents. Unfortunately, conservatives see the country disintegrating under their feet and we were in no mood to tolerate any symptoms of self-seeking at the expense of saving the country. Newt would have known this had he just read these threads.
