Monday, December 12, 2011
Newt's crucial year
Human Events, as reliably righty as it comes, says that the events of 1998, more than 1994 or 1995, define Newt Gingrich as a leader. It is not pretty. For example:
The key to the budget disaster was Gingrich’s leadership style, he said.
“Because Lott was just going to go along with whatever, it came down to the White House and the House,” he said.
“Gingrich’s ego was so huge, he insisted on conducting the negotiations himself,” he said. “There would be four staffers from the White House on one side of the table and then Newt.”
The result was a dynamic where the White House aides could avoid commitments by saying they had to go back and get approval, but Gingrich was the Speaker, so there was no way to claim he did not have the authority to cut a deal, he said.
One cannot run for president in the modern era without an immense ego, far in excess of anything normal. The only question is whether that ego is self-destructive.
6 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Dec 12, 08:38:00 AM:
It is guided by the visions of globalist hippy-dippy Multicultism Ideology of nonsense.
By , at
Mon Dec 12, 12:48:00 PM:
And people say that I'm a "hater".
By , at
Mon Dec 12, 01:05:00 PM:
Some recent polls:
National GOP (Rasmussen): Gingrich 38% Romney 17%
"Likely Iowa Republican caucus goers" (University of Iowa): Gingrich 30% Romney 20%
New Hampshire (RCP average): Romney 36.0% Gingrich 24.3%
South Carolina (NBC - Marist): Gingrich 43% Romney 23%
Florida (NBC - Marist): Gingrich 44% Romney 29%
As Detective Bunk would say: Sheeeeeeet!
By 
Georg Felis, at
Mon Dec 12, 09:50:00 PM:
Question: If you are really serious about getting a deal done, do you send to the negotiations:
A) Flunkies who have no authority
B) People who can actually sign off on the deal
It was quite obvious the Clinton White House had no intention of making a deal, and every intention of pawning off the responsibility for the failure. Only the press were supposedly fooled.
By , at
Thu Dec 15, 03:25:00 AM:
Newt Gingrich is a disaster as predicted.
He was revealed in the last debate, exposed tremendously under the spotlight. His entrenched Beltway Insider status was unattractive, and his "lobby" enterprise denials grew laughter. Newt received the most boos of any Presidential Candidate in a Debate in recent memory, when he attempted a cheep low blow to Mr. Romney. It was all the more ugly to see Public Sector Politician try to debase the sound Private Sector product.
Worse, the focus on Newt's peddling influence in Washington, his 1.8 Million swiped via Fannie and Freddie, proved too much. The focus on Newt's double life being challenged, his rhetoric exploitation of Our Base for years, while doing exactly the opposite behind the Washington scene, was just too much. He crack only after a few days, offering the most absurd anti-Capitalist nonsense.
All of the polls pushed by "ignoramus" are even more meaningless today, than the day they were posted. Newt is falling.
Now?
The New Suffolk University NH poll: Romney 38 - Gingrich 20
The Washington Examiner has endorsed Mitt today:
"Second, our economy is broken. Based on his long years of experience creating thousands of jobs here in the private sector, Romney knows how to fix the economy. As he says every day on the campaign trail, "government doesn't create jobs, the private sector does." To that end, he promises to cut individual and corporate taxes, reform the tax code to encourage growth and investment, and expand free trade. He pledges to slash unnecessary federal regulation and unleash America's vast energy resources to create jobs and free us from dependence on nations that are hostile to our country. He will, in short, follow in Reagan's footsteps to get America working again"
Ann Coulter was right again, ahead of the fashion. Romney is clearly the best offering.
The Brit Hume piece was quite accurate:
Brit Hume's Commentary On Newt's Folly
The fashion jumped again, foolishly on the very worst. Newt is destined to take all down.
By , at
Thu Dec 15, 09:45:00 AM:
I couldn't let this pass.
Mitt kicked off Campaign 2012 early in a display of Shock and Awe money and organization. With the backing of the GOP Establishment, it was meant to clear the field of any potential competitors who were close to "normal". So we got a field of Mitt and a bunch of sideshow geeks, Newt included.
Trouble is the GOP Establishment can't control the GOP voters. They don't want Mitt. Anyone but Mitt. Certainly not in this cycle. That should be abundantly clear by now. It'd be worse in the general, but Mitt won't get past Florida and won't get out of the month of January. Don't believe me? Rudy G just said what I've been saying for months: Mitt can lose Pennsylvania, and the entire election.
In an alternative universe Mitt could have run a different campaign. He shouldn't have flip-flopped on abortion to chase the Holy Roller vote. He could have stolen Paul Ryan's playbook, improved on it, and embraced the righteous fiscal anger of the Tea Party. But the Monte Carlo simulation machine said NO. That's because Mitt solved for "Mitt wins!" rather than "Mitt is the most effective change agent!"
Mitt's a piss poor politician. Whoever told this guy he could be President. At its heart Mitt's campaign is narcissistic, even for a national politician. Mitt's campaign has created a huge distortion in how the 2012 race has unfolded. But for, Newt would never be the front runner right now.
If the GOP Establishment that tried to foist Mitt on us doesn't like Newt there's still time to find someone else.
Else get used to a side show geek in the White House.
