Romney and Gingrich, From Bad to Worse

Washington Post ^ | December 01, 2011

[Steelfish]

Romney and Gingrich, From Bad to Worse

By George F. Will December 2

Republicans are more conservative than at any time since their 1980 dismay about another floundering president. They are more ideologically homogenous than ever in 156 years of competing for the presidency. They anticipated choosing between Mitt Romney, a conservative of convenience, and a conviction politician to his right. The choice, however, could be between Romney and the least conservative candidate, Newt Gingrich.

Romney’s main objection to contemporary Washington seems to be that he is not administering it. God has 10 commandments, Woodrow Wilson had 14 points, Heinz had 57 varieties, but Romney’s economic platform has 59 planks — 56 more than necessary if you have low taxes, free trade and fewer regulatory burdens. Still, his conservatism-as-managerialism would be a marked improvement upon today’s bewildered liberalism.

Gingrich, however, embodies the vanity and rapacity that make modern Washington repulsive. And there is his anti-conservative confidence that he has a comprehensive explanation of, and plan to perfect, everything.

Granted, his grandiose rhetoric celebrating his “transformative” self is entertaining: Recently he compared his revival of his campaign to Sam Walton’s and Ray Kroc’s creations of Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, two of America’s largest private-sector employers. There is almost artistic vulgarity in Gingrich’s unrepented role as a hired larynx for interests profiting from such government follies as ethanol and cheap mortgages. His Olympian sense of exemption from standards and logic allowed him, fresh from pocketing $1.6 million from Freddie Mac (for services as a “historian”), to say, “If you want to put people in jail,” look at “the politicians who profited from” Washington’s environment.

[Gene Eric]

>> Gingrich, however, embodies the vanity and rapacity that make modern Washington repulsive

Said Will...

[iowamark]

George Will calling Gingrich pompous. Look in the gilded mirror, George.

[mirkwood]

Sometimes NO really does mean NO!

[mylife]

I don’t need to read this article to know that Will the shill is shilling for Romney.

[iowamark]

Will’s wife works for Perry.

[maine-iac7]

Will - you used to have a brain - long time passing.

Give it up - you’re so transparent it’s laughable, RommneyBOt

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

All we needed was for one to run.

Still leaning Cain.

[mylife]

Well, shut my mouth!

Will isn’t shilling for Romney!

[Huck]

There is almost artistic vulgarity in Gingrich’s unrepented role as a hired larynx for interests profiting from such government follies as ethanol and cheap mortgages. His Olympian sense of exemption from standards and logic allowed him, fresh from pocketing $1.6 million from Freddie Mac (for services as a “historian”), to say, “If you want to put people in jail,” look at “the politicians who profited from” Washington’s environment.

Damn. This is the best thing I've read from Will in a LONG time. I love the unvarnished contempt and disgust. I can feeeel the hate!

[mylife]

So I see.

[EternalVigilance]

Mitt Romney, a conservative

Not wasting another minute on George Will after reading that idiotic phrase.

Mitt Romney is the most liberal Governor in American history. He unilaterally imposed sodomite fake marriage, socialized medicine, implemented $50 co-pay taxpayer-funded abortions, homosexualized state government and the government schools, and banned guns with gusto. And more.

The Republican Party is dead. The sooner conservatives face up to that fact the sooner we can get down to the serious business of saving this free republic.

[maine-iac7]

Is anyone else having as much fun as I am watching the utter puzzlement and dismay of the Establishment pubbies who just cannot figure out “What's gone wrong! It's Mittens ‘turn. That's the way it's done! WE rule!.”

Back before I became an ole great granny, back in my politically active days, this “Who's turn is it” practice in putting up candidates frustrated the he*l out of me.

It's the Achilles Heel of the Republican Party.

It's exhilarating to see WE the PEOPLE deciding who our candidate will be and breaking that too long held control of the elitist Establishment Cocktail insiders.

Even Ann Coulter is shrieking - well, turned it up a notch.

I am smiling just thinking of the day when it's official and their boy is NOT the nominee. I will enjoy seeing Will's face - and Rove and the rest of the pompous as*hats when they realize their gravy-glitter train is OVER.

And the new President didn't to to Harvard or Yale. Horrors. (IOW, not trained in One-World 101.)

[Carthego delenda est]

‘What EVER.’

Like, Mittens is way cool, and you know that Texas guy is kinda cute! OMG!!!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

What a spot-on OpEd.

[RatherBiased.com]

Did you even read the article? Will doesn’t like Romney or Gingrich.

[cynwoody]

Food for thought:

Jon Huntsman inexplicably chose to debut as the Republican for people who rather dislike Republicans, but his program is the most conservative. He endorses Paul Ryan’s budget and entitlement reforms. (Gingrich denounced Ryan’s Medicare reform as “right-wing social engineering.”) Huntsman would privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Gingrich’s benefactor). Huntsman would end double taxation on investment by eliminating taxes on capital gains and dividends. (Romney would eliminate them only for people earning less than $200,000, who currently pay just 9.3 percent of them.) Huntsman’s thorough opposition to corporate welfare includes farm subsidies. (Romney has justified them as national security measures — food security, somehow threatened. Gingrich says opponents of ethanol subsidies are “big-city” people hostile to farmers.) Huntsman considers No Child Left Behind, the semi-nationalization of primary and secondary education, “an unmitigated disaster.” (Romney and Gingrich support it. Gingrich has endorsed a national curriculum.) Between Ron Paul’s isolationism and the faintly variant bellicosities of the other six candidates stands Huntsman’s conservative foreign policy, skeptically nuanced about America’s need or ability to control many distant developments.

I was for Cain. I figured he was the best to run against the Political Class, being well-spoken and having never even held elective office.

But if Cain can't make it, where to turn? I prefer Gingrich to Romney, but sheesh! the guy has enough baggage to fill both Air Force Ones! Maybe Huntsman or the lovely tax lawyer or the tongue-tied successor to Sam Houston?

[cynwoody]

I don’t need to read this article to know that Will the shill is shilling for Romney.

Sure sounds that way, doesn't he:

Romney’s main objection to contemporary Washington seems to be that he is not administering it. God has 10 commandments, Woodrow Wilson had 14 points, Heinz had 57 varieties, but Romney’s economic platform has 59 planks — 56 more than necessary if you have low taxes, free trade and fewer regulatory burdens.

Ya think maybe he's bucking for White House Chief of Staff in the Romney Administration?

[Fred]

Will’s wife works for the Perry Campaign. Does he disclose this FACT?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’m still waiting to hear what is conservative about Romney.