Today Show: Newt's Price of Admission to MSM to Tout Prez Candidacy: Swipes at W over Iraq

The Today Show | governsleast governsbest

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Today Show pact-with-the-MSM-devil ping.

[PGalt]

Interesting. Thanks for the briefing.

[funkywbr]

In order to get MSM face time a Rep must attack W or the Party.

John McCampaign does it all the time!

[sarasota]

Nice job and thanks.

[Peach]

The seduction of the press. I'll never understand the need for approval.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In order to get MSM face time a Rep must attack W or the Party. John McCampaign does it all the time!

Good point, and the perfect example. Chuck Hagel, an otherwise obscure Senator from Nebraska, also gets inordinate MSM face time by pulling the same stunt.

[ken5050]

The people of America will NEVER elect a first lady named Callista..

[JacksonCalhoun]

Except Newt needs Republican support to go anywhere, which he won't get by becoming McCain-lite.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

The seduction of the press. I'll never understand the need for approval.

Here, the need is very understandable. As I suggested, Newt figured out early that the only way he could get significant MSM play to tout his presidential candidacy was to be willing to attack W over Iraq.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Except Newt needs Republican support to go anywhere, which he won't get by becoming McCain-lite.

True. Newt must walk a fine line. He must be just critical enough of W to appease the MSM gods, while not so critical as to anger conservative Republican primary voters. I think he handled the situation rather artfully this morning. Clearly he doesn't have the visceral dislike of W that McCain does.

[jveritas]

There is no evidence we can beat insurgents. We don't have the intelligence or the necessary Iraqi forces."

Mr. Newt is really off the mark here.

So now I know why Brit Hume said yesterday on his show that "Washington is buzzing with words that we cannot win the war in Iraq". Is Mr. Newt creating some trouble here?

Anyway Brit had General Scales on his show yesterday to rebut this lie that we are losing the war in Iraq. General Sacles made a very compelling and very strong case that this insurgency is doomed to lose because it has a support of a small minority of the Iraqi population (a minority among the Arab Sunni who are minority to start with). He said that the urgency does not have the geographical depth, they do not have the leadership, they do not have a defined plan and cause. He said that their is a lot of over exaggeration of the power of the Sunni insurgency, that many people are using the word of insurgency very loosely when it realy does not aply in Iraq, and that things in Iraq are no way as bad as the media is portraying.

[KMC1]

Newt is NOT going to run... give it up.

[rocksblues]

There is no evidence we can beat insurgents. We don't have the intelligence or the necessary Iraqi forces."

This is the same as saying we cannot win the war on terror so we should appease them so they won't hit us again.

Newt will go over very big in France!

[niteowl77]

It wasn't just yesterday that Newt pretty much wiped out any good he might have done. This is icing on the cake.

[jveritas]

Even Rush Limbaugh is ticked off at Newt Gingrich. I heard two days ago complaining why Newt is doing this.

[Peach]

Exactly. Sort of like prostitution though.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Site Meter Newt is NOT going to run... give it up.

Don't know if your "give it up" was directed at me or Newt, but Gingrich is obviously doing all the things a would-be candidate does: writes a book and visiting IA and NH, and letting the tenor of the entire interview be "gee are you gonna run?"

[randita]

The old media would LOVE to see Newt run for the GOP nomination -- and win the nomination. They know he can't win in a general election. The old media would sing Newt's praises up through his nomination, then they would turn on him and tear him apart.

Somebody needs to sit down and tell Newt that although his ideas and input are welcome, he doesn't have the "right stuff" to win the presidency and that his criticism of Bush will alienate him from the base.

[Final Authority]

You say Newt needs Republican support to go anywhere. I think you are correct if one believes Newt is considering himself as a conventional candidate.

I believe he is posturing himself as a conservative populist or the redeemer of common sense and traditional values. It all hinges on how he positions himself with respect to national security, borders, language, culture, and the criminal alien problem.

If he thinks he will get 15% of the electorate and the GOP snubs him then look for him to go the way of Ross Perot. Many of us on this forum for the past year has considered the third party option, not that I want or many want, but because the GOP is not conservative enough where we need them (CFR signing, $15b to Africa for AIDs, etc.). If Newt goes the way of the populist and the third party then the GOP will be toast for the next eight years. This is a shot across the bow of the GWB administration, I hope.