Posted on 11/15/2011 6:31:37 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
The thought startles.
Is Newt Gingrich America's Winston Churchill?
The former Speaker has repeatedly dazzled in the ongoing series of GOP presidential debates. He is "the adult in the room," the man Republicans keep saying they would like to see on the debate stage with Barack Obama.
The latest polls (Wall Street Journal, CBS, and Marist) have him vaulting into a tie with Mitt Romney behind Herman Cain or leapfrogging Cain to barely trail Romney. This video of a Frank Luntz focus group that appeared on Sean Hannity's TV show following a recent GOP debate is typical of the changing reaction to the Georgian. Gingrich is a long way from the low single digits he registered at the beginning of the campaign.
But Churchill? America's Churchill?
There are all manner of people -- including some conservatives -- who would faint dead away at the comparison.
They shouldn't.
First, Mr. Churchill.
One of the ironies of history that is that those figures who have morphed from flesh-and-blood reality to marbleized icons always seem to lose their humanity. This is true, in fact, of most people. Great-Aunt Sally whose habits or manner or outrageous behavior here and there proved so infuriating in life becomes the iconic family elder after passing into eternity, her descendants fondly telling Great-Aunt Sally stories and holding her up to the youngest generation as a family role model.
So it is with public figures, and so it was with Winston Churchill.
In his childhood his father thought him a major disappointment, the father himself a star -- an infuriating star -- to his colleagues in British politics.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Needs to be pulled for failure to have a barf alert notice.
LOL! Newt is far more Neville Chamberlain than Churchill. Under pressure he folds like origami.
Newt? Not exactly.
“the man Republicans keep saying they would like to see on the debate stage with Barack Obama.”
Really?
Watch Newt capitulate to John Kerry on the debate stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19dCkabVBbY
Some people seem to have a death wish.
No. Churchill was a back bench voice against the number one existential threat to his country for a couple of decades.
Gingrich has been playing footsie with the forces of American national destruction for a couple of decades.
I remember him on a couch with Pelosi saying ‘I bring you an end to global warming in our time’. ;)
Churchill was a war hero.
Churchill was a tireless advocate for his nation.
Churchill had a surpassing eloquence.
Newt is/has none of these things.
Churchill?
Gingrich is definitely a legend in his own mind.
Interesting article.
There are indeed significant similarities between the two men, but then there are also big differences.
Similarities:
As the article says, Newt has a real grasp of where we are heading as a society. I first read some of his books back in the 70s (I think) when nobody had heard of him, and was very impressed.
NOBODY is going to successfully pull the old “Palin/Cain/Bush/Perry is an idiot” trick on Newt. Just won’t work, anymore than it would have on Winston. He knows his stuff. Would demolish Obama in debate, as he’s never really been challenged in his entire life.
I agree Newt’s “colorful” private life has been exaggerated, but then Winston had a pretty colorful early life himself. He got assignments to all over the Empire, as the article says, from his mother’s friends, but this is a euphemism. She had about half the British political establishment of the time as lovers, and she pulled their strings for her boy.
Differences:
Winston showed “principles of iron.” I’ve never seen that solid base of principle in Newt. We can hope it’s there.
During the 30s the world was headed for disaster. Winston saw it and warned of it constantly, in stark contrast to the pols of his time who kept kicking the can down the road while the danger grew and got closer.
Over the last 15 to 20 years the world has been equally heading for disaster, this time as an economic debt crisis. I’m not aware of Newt being a lone voice prophesying in the wilderness in opposition. He seems more of a can-kicker in this regard.
But I’ll take him over Romney.
I am a Newt fan, but this is ridiculous.
Newt is Clement Atlee.
Let’s make sure we post a “hate a conservative” comment every day.
Fools
I’ve been making this comparison for a few weeks now.
Gingrich is America’s Churchill.
Anyone who knows Churchill’s history of rejection by the Brits, and finally an acceptance of him as the man for that time, knows that the comparison is apt.
This is an outstanding article.
Gingrich is Churchill.
This is a time of crisis, and Gingrich, with all his warts, is the want for this time.
His competition pales in comparison to his ability, experience, and knowledge.
I’ve been making this comparison for a few weeks now.
Gingrich is America’s Churchill.
Anyone who knows Churchill’s history of rejection by the Brits, and finally an acceptance of him as the man for that time, knows that the comparison is apt.
This is an outstanding article.
Gingrich is Churchill.
This is a time of crisis, and Gingrich, with all his warts, is the man for this time.
His competition pales in comparison to his ability, experience, and knowledge.
One should read it through (4 web pages) before rolling one’s eyes. In my circles I’m considered an authority on Churchill. I would say this comparison is not easily dismissed. There was iron and clay in Churchill.
Just read it, and it wouldn’t hurt to read up on Churchill either. Numerous excellent works on the subject...
lol
right.
I am on the Cain Train and I am not getting off, I am tired of flitting around, I have picked my candidate and I am sticking to him.
Newt would make a nice NP choice for Cain, but no way no how should Newt be in charge.
Churchill didn’t quit the House of Commons when they wouldn’t listen to him about the dangers of Hitler.
Newt quit Congress in 1998 right after he was overwhelmingly re-elected to another term.
Sounds like the type of thing a man says when he's in a lying mood.
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