I appeared on CNN’s American Morning today, and one of the topics at hand was a new revelation about Newt Gingrich’s first divorce. Gingrich says that his wife requested the divorce; the court papers indicate the opposite:
Newt Gingrich filed a divorce complaint on July 14, 1980, in Carroll County, saying that “the marriage of the parties is irretriebably (sic) broken.” Jackie Battley Gingrich, the congressman’s wife and the mother of Jackie Gingrich Cushman, responded by asking the judge to reject her husband’s filing.
“Defendant shows that she has adequate and ample grounds for divorce, but that she does not desire one at this time,” her petition said.
“Although defendant does not admit that this marriage is irretrievably broken, defendant has been hopeful that an arrangement for temporary support of defendant and the two minor daughters of the parties could be mutually agreed upon without the intervention of this court,” her petition said. “All efforts to date have been unsuccessful.”
It’s hard to imagine this being much of a factor in the days ahead; Gingrich’s marital history would seem to be “priced in” to his standing in the GOP field. Few of his supporters in Iowa are backing him because they think he makes such a swell husband.
Of course, it will be fascinating to study the results of the Iowa caucuses and see if the entrance* polls indicate a wider-than-normal gender gap on the Gingrich candidacy. Anecdotally, men seem to shrug at Gingrich’s successively younger wives, while women roll their eyes or have even stronger reactions. In 2008, the turnout in the GOP caucus was 56 percent male, 44 percent female; obviously many Iowa women were more interested in the Democratic contest that year. New Hampshire was even more lopsided in 2008, with 57 percent male, 43 percent female.
However, CNN’s most recent national poll finds no difference between Gingrich’s support among women and men, 28 percent each. The candidate with the largest gender gap is in fact Ron Paul, at 18 percent among men and 9 percent among women. The survey also finds 6 percent of women undecided, while only 2 percent of men are.
* In Iowa, pollsters ask caucusgoers who they support before they enter, instead.
"Gingrich says that his wife requested the divorce; the court papers indicate the opposite." If true, he's been caught in a damnable lie and ought to be held accountable for it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusesorta kinda funny
how Ryan's divorce papers release led to Obama winning
now Newt's divorce documentsa re released
HAHA, no?
PS.....WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHY DO WE EVEN TALK ABOUT IT?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRE: "WHY DO WE EVEN TALK ABOUT IT?"
Because every little bit counts towards the NRO leadership's goal.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot sure what to make of this it is seems confusing. Are we supposed to think Newt lied? He says is wife requested a divorce. But then we read about petition filings, and agreements about spousal support that seem to imply a contradiction, but I don't really think there is a contradiction.
She may were have requested a divorce that sounds verbal, and then rejected his petitions because they had not reached agreement on other issues. I did not read anything here that deals with whether or not she requested a divorce.
It does show that Newt beat her to the court house. However, doesn’t the party with assets usually win the race to the courthouse?
Maybe is as simple as she requested a divorce from Newt, and then changed her mind.
Newt must be a liar, because a woman would never change her mind about divorcing a cheating husband.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEllen, don't you sense you are being 'spoon fed' the NRO machine political plan? I am including the NRO disregard for reader intelligence in posts for many other sites. Their Q is ' HOW STUPD ARE YOU?" Their objective is to GET YOU ON BOARD, and BY ALL MEANS NOT THINK FOR YOURSELF. i am posting this sentiment everywhere. Newt's marriages are like who smoked pot? Who cheated on his wife? What politician's daughter has had an abortion? IT'S DIRT TO PERSUADE THE READER. Learn when you are being had, like right now...BTW--i will continue posting the truth about NRO until the election is over. In the end, there is no difference between the airheaded Obama and the coiffed but still air headed Romney.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAgreed.
ditto
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRE: "Anecdotally, men seem to shrug at Gingrich’s successively younger wives while women roll their eyes or have even stronger reactions."
Well I have a strong reaction -- but so bad is the front-runner, Romney, that I'm willing as a woman to grasp at Gingrich.
I agree with Ellen, above. I don't see that filings demonstrate that Gingrich lied about who wanted the divorce -- it looks like legal/settlement stuff to me.
But at any rate -- I don't like Gingrich's affairs and divorces, but again, since the front-runner is not a conservative under any stretch of the imagination, I'll be voting for whomever can beat the front-runner.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis implies that Gingrich is more conservative than Romney. There is no evidence of that. The idea that conservatives need to oppose the conservative candidate who can actually win because they perceive that others are more conservative is what led to the nomination, you may recall, of the only person in the State of Nevada who could have lost to Harry Reid.
Not to mention the Christine O'Donnell fiasco. Not to mention ... oh why go on? Some of you folks are just congenitally incapable of getting it. The Tea Party, I like. The Suicide-Pact Party, I think is stupid.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhile I'm not a marital lawyer, my practice brings me into some contact with that field and I learned long ago that one should never take at face value any statement in documents filed in connection with a divorce. Denying a desire to end the marriage is a commonplace tactic to improve a party's bargaining position. In short, this new revelation reveals nothing at all.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am more concerned by Newt's relationship with Dede Scozzafava and Nancy Pelosi than with his ex wives.
Just saying.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe shocker would be if Grindgrinch didn't lie about it. Like Bill Clinton in more ways than one. Cordially, Bill
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNewt was over before he got started. It's funny that so many don't see that. With two exceptions, there is nothing in either his personal OR his political history to recommend him. I grant that both exceptions are big deals: he engineered the GOP takeover of the house in '94, and it is fun to listen to his grand pronouncements in debates or off the cuff. Fine. I grant you those things. But the revolution of 1994 soon led to his own colleagues turning their back on him, not because he was too conservative (he isn't, not by a f'er piece) but because he was no better an administrator than most revolutionaries have ever been. (Hint, they refer to a presidency as an "administration" for a reason. Get it?) And just the last few weeks have proven that most people's appetite for grandiloquence is quickly sated, and often leaves the bitter aftertaste popularly known as did-he-really-say-that.
Just get over him. Please? We need to win this election people and Newt just ain't the guy. (I would tell you who is, but that would just set you off again.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseExactly right. It won't really factor in. First of all, because divorce is common, and lots of very good people have divorces in their past.
Second, as Ellen points out, it says nothing about who asked for the divorce first.
Third, Newt's account squares with the account of a third party who loves both Newt and his former wife. So, unless you are willing to paint Newt's daughter as a liar who wants to discredit her mother, there is a problem with using this as conflicting evidence.
A divorce occurred. Isn't that enough? Why are their divorce records a headline? It's not as though either one of them was abusive. This is a very normal divorce case out of the million plus divorces that occur each year in the US. No wonder Jackie Gingrich refuses to talk to the media and CNN out of concern for the welfare of her children and grandchildren. No one is off limits for personal destruction.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am reminded of Solomon in the Old Testament. He was a young man when he became King of Israel, and God told him that he would bestow any gift upon him that he requested. He asked for wisdom. A wise leader is a gift to his people. I know that Newt is the smartest guy in the room, but I question whether he is the wisest. There is a difference.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am reminded of Solomon in the Old Testament. He was a young kind, and God offered him whatever gift he desired. He asked for wisdom. Newt might be the smartest guy in the room, but I question whether he is the wisest. A wise rule is a gift and a blessing to his people.
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