After opening the week behind Mitt Romney according to the polls of South Carolina voters, Fox News’ Juan Williams, ABC News/ex-wife Number Two, and CNN’s John King gave Newt Gingrich a shot in the arm. Gingrich pulled out a big win in the South Carolina primary tonight.
I won’t spend a lot of time on this. We’ll be digesting it. Some of us are happy. Some of us are appalled. Some of us, well, we’re just entertained.
Frank will have lots to say about this, probably Monday, based on his Twitter feed. But, for now, I’m going to follow IMAO commenter Jimmy’s suggestion and open this up for comments.
Yes, it’s Saturday night. There could be some things said in the heat of liquor that need to be corrected tomorrow. But, for now, it’s an open thread.
What do YOU think about the primary results? Or the races ahead?
Basil, you’re asking me what I think? Normally, I tell people without being asked.
Here’s what I think. Things change. Romney may help things change to his own disadvantage.
Thing number “B” that I think is that in a race with such unattractive candidates, the collective memories of voters may be very short because voters are simply looking for some small reason to choose one candidate over another.
We’re boned, that’s what I think.
I feel like the Romans must have felt as emperors and senators squabbled over inconsequential crap while the Visigoths wandered around Italy raping, pillaging and sending spam emails for “member” enlargement”.
As Nostradamus said, The Mayans knew their chit.
I think Frank nailed it this week when he compared Newt to Dwight Shroot.
I think when Newt was young, the career counselor gave him the aptitude test and one of the choices was evil genius / super villian..
He does have some great ideas though. If he can keep his megalomania in check.
On the other hand, I think all presidential candidates are ego maniacs.
Nobody that would stoop to run for political office is worthy of my vote.
It’s thrilling to me. Newt gets America. I don’t think Mitt or Barrack do. Man up, that’s what a president should do. Newt’s Proven he can.
What I think, I posted in yesterday’s entry today. It was time-warpy, except without the weird suspension of plotline reality, a la Back to the Future.
In other words, go back a blog entry.
But more to the point, since Basil acknowledged me, I’ll post a comment here today, too. I’m sure this makes him look good. And we do all want to look good. Next thing you know, it’ll be HIGH PRAISE, and then we’ll all be big-headed dirigibles.
Short answer? It’s a long slog. Newt won. Good for him. Huckabee won a few Southern states too, and today he’s on TV selling mattresses at midnight.
Follow me on Twitter.
Will Newt fight for us?
“There could be some things said in the heat of liquor that need to be corrected tomorrow.”
Wait – so usually everyone is sober when they comment? Oh…
@Basil Yes, the come from behind victory of Newt is quite entertaining, but we’re missing the important question here. That is, when are we going to have some more fun with the “Que Monster”?
And of course by Que I Mean Queue
I really thought Jonah Goldbergs’ NRO thoughts from dec 14 captured whats going on here.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/285680/newtzilla-rescue-jonah-goldberg
Heres my open thoughts.
*So Romney added a 100$ per year per gun fee in Mass. That would be a 500$ year fee for me. Or the combined cost of rebuying guns multiple times over during their useful lifetimes.
I am fascinated by this side effect, though I’m certain Mitt never intended it, the left will now never put together a sufficient coalition to ban guns in Mass. because the money grabbers on the left will always outnumber the gun grabbers.
*noticed this gem on wikipedia,
In 2010, Costa Concordia provided the decadent setting for Jean-Luc Godard’s film Film Socialisme (in English: Socialism)
My 2 cents: Newt was a good/bad boy when he was speaker. He voted conservative more often than not. Obama voted conservative um.. And as POTUS, how many things has he done “Conservative?”
Romney? Yeah that debate will go well. A 1%er vs 99% A rich WHITE guy who looks like a banker and talks like a typical politican. A guy who flips depending on the weather at the time. And he’s going to stand toe to toe with a media darling and defend those claims with “well, I am not apolgizing”.. Um.. uh.. Yeah and Obomney care? yep Romney may be the nominee but if he is Obama gets 4 more.
Newt yeah he’s got some baggage for us conservatives, but I think he can skewer the “Status Quo” libs and their henchman Obama face to face toe to toe and the media too. We need a general Patton to take back America and if it’s Newt who will be “Angry and egotistic and megamanaical” or whatever the “Knock” is.. So- be it. Patton had his detractors too, but few today doubt his resolve and the fact HE was correct. McAurthur too…
One thing is for sure, if Barack Insane Obama gets FORE more years we won’t recognize America.
When I heard Newt on Monica Crowley’s show (her second-greatest guest in the last couple of months) (you owe me, Frank), I thought, “Why isn’t he President now?” But when I look at Newt’s professional life, his work in the House, his work as a “historical consultant” on the government teat, I have to agree with Steyn: Newt is “a lily-livered ninny whom everyone thinks is a ferocious right-wing bastard.”
MITT!!l!!!11!!
New slogan: “He’ll Have to Appease the Base.”
There is deep weeping and gnashing of teeth this morning at GOP/RNC and FOX News headquarters!!! Laura, Hannity an the crew had their endorsements all lined up and were ready to anoint Mittens as the next coming of Ronald Magnus…and now along comes Gingrich and POOF…all of that is smoke!!! Muwhahahah!!!
Hey, did you catch his wife last night? Vadavoom!!! She’s a dish!!! Excellent First Lady. Stand behind your man and keep your fat yap shut!!! She looks happy too!!!
Newt commented that he will let Obama use TOTUS during the debates! LMAO!!!!
Oh, and by the way…why is Jimmy always the favorite? Is he “servicing” someone related to this blog or what?
Happy? Appalled? Entertained?
None of the above.
Newt at least understands what the electorate wants. We’ve been pushed around for years, both sides keep spending money we don’t have and may never have, our houses have lost a quarter of their value, our kids can’t go to college without going tens of thousands into debt. We kicked the bums out in 2010 only to watch the new bums spend even more and give Obama everything he wants. We don’t want someone to gracefully reside over the decline. We want someone to stand up and fight back. Newt is pretending to be that guy.
Lincoln was right, when he said that South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum.
If Newt is a conservative, then I’m so far to the right that there isn’t a name for it!
Newt is an “ideas guy.” He has an idea a minute. Many of them are good, many of them are bad. He can get carried away with the cleverness of an idea without truly exploring the implications, which is his Achilles’ heel . But here’s why he’s gaining traction in the race:
1. Newt doesn’t pretend that the media is neutral. The rest of the field seems content to go along with that lie. This would be an epic mistake in the general election. The first rule of war is to know your enemy. Newt knows that his enemy #1 is the media. Obama is a media creation. He derives his strength from them. You won’t be able to take him down without taking them on.
2. Newt feels the shifts of American popular opinion. Why was he able to accomplish what he accomplished in the 90s? Because he understood that the time was right. Why does he suddenly reappear now after 15 years in exile? Because the time is right. Just like America was ready for the Contract with America in the 90s, it’s ready for fundamental change now.
3. Newt doesn’t apologize for being a Republican. Republicans are tired of candidates who go before the liberals in the media and in the elite power circles of Washington and New York and try to prove to them that they aren’t [insert liberal caricature here] like those other Republicans. We can tell when you are embarrassed by us, politicians. We aren’t idiots.
As for the much-ballyhooed “electability” question, I honestly think its a toss-up. Newt is abrasive, not very photogenic, and (according to my wife), sounds like a Muppet. On the other hand, Romney screams “banker,” which is why the Occupy “movement” was created in the first place. Ron Paul looks and sounds exactly like everybody’s crazy conspiracy-theory-obsessed uncle. And Santorum looks every bit the uptight morality policeman that the media will paint him as. All four would need to take on the media narrative in the general election to win. Of the three, Newt has shown the willingness to do this.
I have concerns about Newt just like everyone else. But he’s shown an ability to take the pulse of America, craft a conservative-based message that fits that pulse, and win nationwide support for his conservative plans based on that message. Nobody else in the race has ever done that.
Of course, whoever wins this damn thing I will support as if the country depends on it, because it does.
I try real hard not to say anything in the “heat of liquor,” Basil. But in the “heat of coffee,” now that’s a whole ‘nother story!
I’m glad Newt won.
I want the arguments, the shouting, the disagreements, the insults and hard feelings, the nasty revelations – the truth – to grow bigger and bigger until the Republican Party explodes.
Whoever is left standing has the strength to be our next President.
Nomination by fire. Election by landslide. We need to reverse course and save our Republic.
Mitt’s more electable, though. I mean, who doesn’t like plain toast?
#17, ussjimmycarter says:
“Oh, and by the way…why is Jimmy always the favorite?”
Maybe because he doesn’t have the word “carter” in his name.
Newt could have sewn up the nomination had he gone one step further and thrown King off the stage, and then glared into the camera through his admonishing brows and simply intoned, “any more stupid questions?”
What happened to the good old days of trial by combat?
What’s in a name?
I like to fancy myself a good horserace handicapper and studied the form right up to the last minute before laying down the bet at the window. Inevitably, the female I would bring with me to the track would pick a horse by the name only and get to go to the pay window, while my pick would be an “also ran,” leaving me with head in hands at the injustice of it all.
So with that as my premise and regardless of the baggage they each cart around or that the Leftists invent when someone else grabs the lead, let’s try and use the “Name” method.
I’m not sure I want a President of the United States who allowed himself to be called Mitt or Newt. (Even though I picked Newt as the only one who could arm wrestle B.O. into leaving quietly…)
Ron is too frivolous a name whether he’s an elder or not and Rick isn’t much better than Ricky. On the other hand “Barack” is even less dignified and brings to mind the sound one makes the morning after when the “heat of alcohol” is brought into the mix or just when you’ve looked over his record of destruction for the last 3+ years!
(Even though a Hillary was the 1st Westerner to conquer Mt. Everest, the current one doesn’t do justice to the 3 syllables…)
Where does that leave us?
I want a Thomas or Frank or Basil even a Clarence but let’s find a President with an adult name!
Newt is probably the worst monicker of the lot so I’ll pick him if he changes it to Salamander!
Newt has all of the qualifications to be a great president, at least on paper. I’m concerned about his past coming back to haunt him and his own self destructive behavior could let Obama be re-elected, which would be a bigger disaster than Mitt becoming president.
Newt is actually our version of Obama. He is convinced that the country can not go on without him, he espouses big ideas, He is an ideologue, and I doubt he can manage the details of the office very well. But what I actually hope for, is that he will push for his ideology at all political costs and not constantly be pragmatic to “get things done”.
Frankly, I think Santorum would be the President of the group, but he couldn’t campaign his way out of wet paper bag. I wish he would learn from Newt on how to debate.
Santorum with Newt’s mad debate skilz? If only.
We are amused. Quite amused. Even unto smug.
Newton Leroy (le Roi?) Gingrich is like a vial of liquid nitroglycerin. Useful, very effective, and wildly dangerous. Sounds like fun, yes?
Despite my “handle” I am not old enough to remember Churchill, but I think we can draw some parallels. Churchill was an insider and yet a wild card. His party pushed him aside, but when they needed someone to lead in WWII they welcomed him back, then disposed of him again when the danger was passed.
Our time has come. We have to send the Nitro in. Let’s just pack it carefully cushioned with a conservative-but-sane House and Senate. I’d rather go down in flames then fritter away our last chance with Mitt the Milquetoast.
Thanks for asking!
One thing is for certain, Basil. We’re desperate.
Great comment, Granny.
Hey, my middle name is LeRoy!!! I’m liking Newt more and more!!! Actually, it would be nice to have a Conservative to choose from, but we are talking about the Republican Party so we shall have none of that you rubes!!!
I’m getting real tired of the “electable/unelectable” drivel. They’re just labels slapped on the candidates by the media.
I second that @Conservatarian. They can ALL beat our Liberal President. @Zeke you almost made me start applauding in my office!
Now if Ron Paul wins Florida, they’ll all have won one a piece. Then they can give high fives all around and draft Sarah Palin to challenge obie in the general election in exchange for cabinet posts. Let’s see… Ron Paul as Treasury Secretary, Romney at Commerce, Santorum as VP and Gingrich as Attorney General. Then it’s Miller Time!
Actually, I would rather see Gingrich as Press Secretary… The press deserve him.