Newt had his chance, but he blew it: Why Gingrich won’t earn the 2012 GOP presidential nomination

NY Daily News ^ | 11-23-11 | SE Cupp

[MNJohnnie]

I was only 15 in 1994, when Newt Gingrich experienced his last great moment. (Well, before this one, where he’s surging in the polls, with his campaign having figured out how to run for President.) So I don’t really remember Newt’s glory days.

I have interviewed him on many occasions, however, as far back as 2006 and as recently as last month, and every time we talk, I’m struck by how smart he is. Despite that, I can’t get past the nagging voice in my head telling me that no matter how good he would be at running the country, he doesn’t deserve to.

Call me a square, but Newt’s past mistakes occupy both columns: character and politics. From his ugly romantic entanglements to his flirtation with environmentalism to his questionable relationship with Freddie Mac, bad decisions and lapses in judgment have been too frequent for a man of such obvious intelligence.

And yet, for all his mistakes, Newt remains startlingly unembarrassed, which makes those mistakes even less palatable. Though arrogance and a lack of shame characterize Capitol Hill, I’m suspicious of a guy who’s had so many public errors, and is so untroubled by them.

[dirtboy]

Newt's more than a RINO. He is a complete creature of the Beltway. And he simply appears incapable of understanding how things really work outside of the Beltway.

He acts like he is willing to take the consequences for his position on amnesty. OK, just what are those consequences?

Wow, he might not win the nomination.

He can go right back to milking his Beltway influence - a job where he does not have to compete with illegals and where illegals will not drive his wages down like has been done with meatpacking, construction and many other jobs.

He can afford a home in a nice gated community so he doesn't have to live next to any illegals.

He can go to a top-tier hospital that is not bogged down with treating illegals as mandated by the fedgov.

And the tax bite to pay for government bennies for illegals is just a tiny nibble out of his pay, as opposed to a big, wet bite for a regular working stiff.

And that is my point entirely - Newt only sees possible consequences to his own ambitions - he has no clue (like most Beltway types) as to how his self-inflated sense of humanity impacts those of us in the real world outside the Beltway.

And that is why he should never be the nominee.

[rintense]

100% spot on, dirtboy.

[C. Edmund Wright]

>> Yes, everybody knows MNJohnnie’s agenda, but it is Newt who is in the news because he is the alleged frontrunner who just had a Rick Perry moment last night. <<

That’s a pretty accurate statement. I would call it a semi Perry moment. Of course, it begs one question and muddies another truth.

The question is, do we really think under any circumstances that there will be any “rounding up” of illegals for the purpose of deportation? Of course not, under any President.

And the main point it muddies? That we must start by stopping the bleeding: CLOSE THE BORDER. If we don’t do that, then nothing else matters.

And on that issue, I think they all agree. So until that happens, nothing about what happens later is even going to effect our lives.

[LibsRJerks]

Can you imagine —we elect a Republican house and senate, begin to try to enforce the laws on the books, return power to the states ...and President Gingrich tries to stop it all so Jose who’s been here for 25 years can continue to stay here illegally?

So what’s Newt going to do about the ones who have only been here 10 years or less? What are the details about that situation? He’d better come out and clarify it, or he’s lost my vote.

[normy]

I would prefer to ask the supporters of every other candidate.

I can't wait until Cain is actually on the hot seat to state soundly his position on deportation of illegal immigrants. My thought is he will reiterate Newts point to a T and you and others will twist yourself into a knot defending it. That's ok by me.

Cain should be judged on his lack of knowledge on issues and his desire to be voted for because of his advisers.

I saw one Cain guy suggest a Cain/Newt ticket. Why? Why not just vote for Newt if that's the case?

[Jim Noble]

I think Newt is not as big of a liar as most of them, and his mouth gets him in trouble.

The question of deporting illegals with long residence and US-born families is, as a political question, resolved. It will never happen, for reasons both good (we are a kind people) and bad (business likes illegals).

I am a Newt supporter, and it aggravates me to see him slammed for this, because the intense border control supporters have lost election after election after election, even in the districts which should be most favorable to their cause.

THERE IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE A MAJORITY FOR DEPORTATION OF MOST ILLEGALS.

I think, on the whole, that this is a bad thing, because it is a symptom of weakness in our culture - but just because I think that doesn't mean we should nominate a man certain to lose because of a pro-deportation stance.

A position to the right of Obama on this question can attract majority support.

A position favoring deporting the pool boy and the maid, together with their US citizen children, is a certain loser, and this has been demonstrated in elections in California, Arizona, Colorado, etc, and it has been demonstrated many times over many years.

[Jim from C-Town]

Newt is the first to admit he has made mistakes. He says so all the time. The point is that if elected he would be strong center-right. He has a plan that is a 65% + agenda. English as national language, strong defense, deficit reduction, Social Security reform, and flat tax alternatives.

It has taken the better part of a century of massive Liberalism in this country to get us where we are today. We need a center right agenda and at least several decades to get us back on track. Newt would start to get us back on track. Bachman would get us back on track, Perry would start to get us back on track, so would Cain. Romney would be the least effective of the field at returning us to a more Constitutional based Federal Government.

Newt knows DC and he knows how to move legislation. He would be fine. What we can not afford is another four years of the nightmare we are living now.

Lots of people, including those here on FR, tend to believe that the natural state of man and society is that of freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are now on the precipice of falling into tyranny, Obama would love to further erode our liberties. Newt would move us away from the brink, as would most of the Republican field.

Make no mistake, ALL our candidates will be blasted by the mainstream media and many on the right. S.E. is a little more boobs than brains, somewhat right and mostly wrong on what she perceives to be the best course. Two debates with Newt and Obama is toast. If he is able to jawbone Obama into seven Lincoln/Douglas style debates Obama will be buried in a land slide. Now is not the time to beet ourselves. It is time to push forward and defeat Obama, before it is too late.

[WayneM]

This leaves us with either President Romney or Hussein.

[presently no screen name]

That's a good point. However, who in their right mind thinks we will ever deport ALL the illegals who are here now. MB and Mitt know that, also, and are being deceitful.

Those two, MB/MR, work hand in hand. Ron Paul said it - it will never happen. Newt is being realistic and NOT tickling the ears of conservatives. America has to own up to her own failures. To expel those who have been here for 20/25 yrs and have settled down to a good way of life - we must eat as our own failure. If they get rid of the rest, it will be a huge accomplishment and I'm all for it. I doubt Mitt is - who would do his manicured lawn.

[lonestar]

It's always Perry's fault with you.

Guess that makes it easier to watch Cain deconstructing.

[C. Edmund Wright]

>> THERE IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE A MAJORITY FOR DEPORTATION OF MOST ILLEGALS.
A position to the right of Obama on this question can attract majority support.
A position favoring deporting the pool boy and the maid, together with their US citizen children, is a certain loser, and this has been demonstrated in elections in California, Arizona, Colorado, etc, and it has been demonstrated many times over many years. >>

You are right on that - which means the only issue is what do we do with the border. Next are the entitlements the illegals receive. Then there’s the criminal activity, and those should be deported. If we fixed those 3 issues, 98% of the problems would be gone.

And all the candidates know that. None of them will even think of starting a deportation campaign. Illegal immigration, hate to break it to you, is merely a misdemeanor. We may not like that, but that is the law.

This problem is where it is due to 50 years of a weak border and an awful Mexican economy. Fix the border, and it will unwind itself over maybe ten years and will do so without much cost.

[presently no screen name]

Good ‘common sense’ post. Thanks.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Yawn... “Hey, guys......someone else is in the lead now who’s not Cain....DESROY THEM!!!!!!” Yawn.

Nope, you've got this one wrong. This is not "liberal destruction of a conservative" ... this is SELF DESTRUCTION! There's a stark distinction.

[rintense]

Hey, you guys are the ones claiming Perry is the immigration expert. If he didn’t take Newt to task last night, that’s another missed opportunity for Perry to set himself apart. As a Perrywinkles, YOU should know that.

[rhombus]

Crazy crazy crazy

Go Bachman, Perry, Cain, Newt,...

Not crazy, pretty normal if you remember the 2008 primary. Is it time to cycle back around or will everybody just wait for Palin to tell them what to do?

[biggredd1]

Maybe someone should get the commies view on the illegals and match it up with the repubs. Also why should the people standing in the legal line and waiting years be punished vs someone who just walks across the border and takes up with govt benefits etc. I know of a legal immigrant who waited 7 years before he could have family join him.

[MNJohnnie]

Sorry but after you wrote your own opinions into the body of an NRO story about Cain hoping to pass off you opinions as part of the story, you ended any credibility you might have as a Freeper

I'm amazed that you still have the arrogance to show your face around here after that shameful, childish act.

[rintense]

That’s exactly why the so called ‘compassionate conservatives ‘ named Newt, Romney and Perry can shove it.

[ngat]

So Newt has begged the illegal immigration question and muddied the truth. No, he has done way more than that. he just disqualified himself for the nomination. He just undid all the slow progress he has made since he was written off as a factor last summer.

I’m going to quote what dirtboy said about it in another thread, and leave it there.

“This one sentence shows all that is wrong with the Beltway types.

OK, Ginrich is willing to ‘take the heat’ - but what does that mean?

Wow, he might not get the nomination. Big whup. He goes back to raking in the bucks from his Beltway influence peddling - which also gives him the money to be insulated from the consequences of this country pandering to illegals.

He makes enough money to live in a gated community.

He can go to a high-end hospital not overwhelmed by treating illegals, as mandated by the fedgov (all in the name of humanity, mind you).

And he makes enough to where taxes needed to pay for welfare and bennies for illegals don’t take a big proportional bite out of his paycheck.

So in other words, he is oblivious to the impact that his perceived ‘humanity’ has on working stiffs.

And that is EXACTLY what is wrong with him as GOP nominee.”