More on the Newt

8 Commentaries for Week Ending 3/13/2009 #4

So, yesterday, I mentioned that I wanted Newt to be the Republican candidate for President. I also listed a lot of reasons that will be a problem for him, especially when trying to get the Republican nomination. Yes, Newt Gingrich is a family values hypocrite. Still, we could have figured that out by the fact that he's a Republican. 

Anyway, I want him to be the Republican nominee but I sure don't want him to be President. I find that fact that anyone would even take his possible bid to be President seriously. Newt Gingrich is one of those guys who is great a soundbite, but is quiet simply overrated as a politician. His entire reputation is built upon the 1994 Contract with America that was, at the time, a surprising success for the Republicans, despite being a complete disaster for the people of the country. Still, Gingrich does deserve credit for 1994 and it led to his rise as the Speaker of the House. 

The success of 1994 however does nothing to diminish his idiotic political failings. For example, in 1991 Newt led an attack on various members of the House that had overdrawn their House checking accounts. Turns out that Newt himself had overdrawn his account! 

Do you remember his book deal? In 1988, Newt's first big headlines came when he accused then Speaker of the House Jim Wright, a Democrat, of ethical violations for pursuing a book deal. Strange then that Newt would sign a book deal in 1994, with a 4.5 million dollar advance from Rupert Murdoch. When confronted with his hypocrisy, poor Gingrich was forced to give the money back.

Then of course there was the budget battle of 1996 between Gingrich and President Bill Clinton that led directly to the shutdown of the federal government. Why did Gingrich allow this to happen? Well, Newt shut down the federal government because he was forced to exit the backdoor of Air Force One following a trip to Israel. The American people found him petty and he lost the battle with the more popular President.

He would make more mistakes. His popularity with the American people would plummet. The Republican caucus in the House would rise up against him. In late 1998, he would give up both the Speakership and his seat, just days after winning reelection. Unfortunately, you can't keep a bad man down.

By all accounts, Newt is laying the groundwork in Iowa and New Hampshire for a run at the Presidency. If you think the days of George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan were dark ones ... try to imagine a President Gingrich. Fortunately, he'd never win. Ever.

I hope.