Goodbye Gingrich

The Nation: Former Speaker Offered Something Lacking In GOP Field — Competence

(The Nation)  This column was written by John Nichols.

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The amusing thing about Newt Gingrich's latest flirtation with a presidential bid was the notion that Republicans needed the former Speaker of the House to enter the race because of his "big ideas."

So what earthshaking advice did Gingrich offer Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani upon concluding that he would not join the men who would be Bush in their little romp?

Don't forget to use the Internet in your campaigning, guys.

Seriously.

That's the "big idea" with which Gingrich exited the competition.

The truth is that Gingrich has never been an ideas man.

Original thoughts were never what distinguished Gingrich from his fellow Republicans - and, frankly, from most Democrats. Rather, he has stood out as someone who recognizes that ideas exist. Unlike the current president, Gingrich reads the papers. He reads the books that matter - or at least the reviews. He is conversant with the zeitgeist, and capable of mustering independent observations that might be considered, if not groundbreaking, at least valid. As such Gingrich is, like Gene McCarthy and Ronald Reagan were and Jimmy Carter and Gary Hart remain, capable of adding something more than mere talking points to the political discussion. That cannot be said of the announced candidates for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, with the exception of Ron Paul and, perhaps, Mike Huckabee.

This explains why grassroots Republicans were excited - genuinely and broadly so - by the prospect that Gingrich might make a late entry into the race for their party's nomination.

Republicans were looking for a competent candidate.

But it should be made clear that no one who was engaged in the search for "next" or "big" ideas was looking to Newt Gingrich for smart. The former speaker is a strategist. He's good at playing the political game - good enough to get most of the national media to engage in speculation about him as presidential timber at precisely the point when he happens to be selling a book and launching a website.

Gingrich's brief flirtation with a candidacy offered the Republican Party no more than a prospect with basic skills and an ability to think on his feet. Once upon a time - when the party faced choices between the likes of Wendell Willkie, Robert Taft, Tom Dewey and Earl Warren, or even Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller and Reagan - it would have been absurd and insulting to suggest that evidence of basic intellectual engagement was enough to distinguish a presidential contender.

But after two terms of following George W. Bush and Dick Cheney deeper and deeper into a desert of intellect, Republicans can perhaps be forgiven for confusing a fellow with a half-empty canteen for an oasis. As for the media that Gingrich played so masterfully, let's be honest: If mainstream print and broadcast reporters had any interest whatsoever in ideas, as opposed to horserace metaphors, does anyone honestly imagine that the empty pronouncements of a Fred Thompson or a Rudy Giuliani - or, for that matter, a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama - would be treated seriously?

[jacksteen1]

Gingrich was sounded out of office for moral lapses...don''t be intimidated to think that he somehow retired an honoured member of Congress; he was THROWN OUT.

He is a member of the Republishit Party, the party that gave us Ronny Ragoon, the Great Drooler, who gave our nation to the religious Reich and allowed Jerry Falwell and his ilk to call national policy on morals and other matters....all the while believing that his roles in B-movies during the War Years actually happened. This pathetic excuse for a human being died in a dirty diaper...exactly what he deserved for ruining our nation.

The Republiturd Party offers Mutt Romney, a cross-eyed, inbred jack-a-napes that is all for multiple marriages and raping young women...and Fred "BassetFace" Thompson, whose second - or is it his third? - wife is half his daughter''s age.

What Would Jesus Do ?

[brianbwb-2009]

Tell me brian.
Posted by Xlib

OK, since you asked.

Both parties have been nothing more than a corrupt mafia type organization, run by rich "white" males, who all follow the principle of "white supremacy".

The Republicans are just a little more obvious about it, allowing the racist Nazis like David duke, Pat Robertson, and their ilk to declare themselves the core of the republican party, and there are no republican voices raised to counter them. Indeed, many of the bills and laws they try to enact have racism at their heart.

I have to go, I''ll continue this tomorrow

[clestes-2009]

Newt isn''t any better than any of the other whitebread Bushies and they are all going down to defeat next year thanks to Bush.

In all my years of watching politics starting back with Nixon, I have never seen a party so completely out of touch with the American people and reality in general.

They must all be on drugs, because they are acting like they see life through an acid trip or maybe ectascy????

[xlib]

brianbwb-you just manage to see racism no matter where you turn, don''t you? You have learned well at the knee of the libs-stay a victim. Now, brian, just take a look back at both parties and you tell me who has a stronger history in civil rights, who honors a KKK big wig and keeps him in the government, who?? If you dare point to johnson( and I campaigned for him before growing up)and his Great Society you would be sadly mistaken. Because of johnson and the rest of your socialist commie buddie, the AA family has been destroyed. Your party has kept AA down by continuing to tell them they can''t do for themselves. They tell them the must have the government to take care of them. And brian my friend, that is true racism.
Tell me why, when an AA such as Thomas, Rice, Powell dares to be conservative are the demeaned and vilified? Is it because they rose above the nannies of your party? Tell me brian.

[delfmast]

Editorialstaff''s Franklin D. Lomax writes: Newt is quick on the uptake, a facility missing in most of the criminal political class that with the treasonous majority of the chattering class, afflict our American political scene. He saw Fred Thompson''s gathering conservative tornado, and realized correctly that he could waste a lot of time and money, on a vanity run, or he could avoid the risk of throwing the White House to the disloyal majority, by slowing Fred''s runaway rout of the Rino crew of losers damaging the GOP. Now, if he can convince the stupid old white men who are destroying the libertarian/conservative movements to draft Condi Rice as Fred''s running mate, the aspiring first Quean of the American Emirates of China, Billary, can try to keep Bill''s zipper up, while she waits out, Fred''s one or two terms, Condi''s two terms, and Jeb''s presidential terms, before her coronation.

[cfin5]

"CONSTITUTION PARTY".....That''s were us Americans are going. We''ve had enough of the "other" two as they are both the same now.......( constitutionparty.org ) See for yourself why they are the fastest growing and third largest party in the United States and WHY!

[brianbwb-2009]

The Brian: Former Speaker Offered Something Not Lacking In GOP Field %u2014 Racism, Sexism, Infidelity, Elitism, Religious Intolerance, Nazi Demagoguery.

Newt, competent...Hah, more like hypocritical when he he jumps on Clinton for the Monica dalliance while has an affair at the same time.

[lawandorder7]

Ron Paul is a NUT and so are YOU.

[lawandorder7]

Thank GOD, We don''t need a crook running. He is a crook.

[dutchfarmer]

Newt and the other fakirs are trying to figure out how Ron Paul "captured" the internet. He didn''t. Liberty thinkers captured the message of Ron Paul. Ron Paul believes what he says about the liberty of the individual and the tyranny of government. Vote Ron Paul for President.

[rushlimpdrug]

Now if he could only make a contract with America to stay out of politics.
This man is one of the cancers that has afflicted and fed of this country for too long.