Newt Gingrich’s post–Nevada caucus speech included about three minutes of inspired moments about issues and ideas in his usual imaginative and intellectually robust style. So why does he not just stay with that — given that he often seems more dynamic and glib than Romney in his attacks on Obama, and not long ago gained ground despite the attacks against him? Instead, he now turns ad nauseam to the tired reasons why he loses — yes, including lots of Mormons in Nevada — and ends up as Richard Nixon not going to get kicked around any more.
But whether he knows it or not, Gingrich is becoming a caricature of petulance: no concession in Nevada, no call to Romney, no awareness that his inability to raise money at levels of a political rival or to match a competing campaign organization is not necessarily unfair. That’s politics, and Gingrich knows it. I don’t understand why he thinks now losing to Romney in 2012 is solely due to Romney’s innate deviousness in a way McCain beating Romney in 2008 was not — given that Romney was about the same in both 2008 and 2012. Gingrich seems oblivious to the fact that McCain’s style and history gave him advantages over Romney’s money and hardball in ways Gingrich’s own proven liabilities apparently do not.
Gingrich should carefully play a tape of his post–Nevada caucus performance, and then he would quickly grasp that it was little more than a litany of excuses, whining, and accusations — characterized by stream-of-conscious confessionals and rambling repetitions. And, I think, will hurt him more than anything yet in the campaign.
Verdict? Gingrich is going to have to stop the accusations now, turn attention away from himself, stop complaining about the mechanics of the race, stick with critiquing Obama, and at least seem a good sport when he loses. Romney is wise to focus on Obama, ignore his rivals, and get prepped every day by staff who press him on his wealth, in efforts to inoculate him from self-inflicted, offhand remarks about the poor, money, class, etc. Gingrich’s stabs about a supposedly out-of-touch aristocrat are kid’s play compared to what will come from Obama’s $1 billion dollar Chicago hit team.
I watched it on C-SPAN's website, it was odd. My guess is he wasn't going to be able to match Romney's crowd so he didn't even try. It's still going be a bad visuals for the Sunday morning talk shows.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe have known the actual personal attendance for Gingrich Campaign events has been quite small all along. Nothing can be hidden with the internet these days. The Media's obvious close up coverage, intending to minimize the space, is still trying to hide the lackluster attendance. They know it well, human nature has many wanting to find acceptance, to follow what is popular. It the real truth were out about Gingrich's dreadful Campaign, he would be doing even far worse (if that is possible).
Newt is a dreadful embarrassment. One has to wonder if Hannity and others will continue to enable the folly. We shall see. It can get much uglier, as Newt's hubris is massive. Also, Newt may foolishly still think a small fashionable bias makes this garbage acceptable.
* Yet, in many ways Gingrich is actually helping Romney, becoming a comedy foil, much like the bungling villain in an obtuse parody.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNewt is the very picture of the the fat boy taking his football home because he can't play QB.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGingrich is starting to sound like a lunatic. His concession speech sickened me.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't think I could ever vote for someone as bi-polar acting as he. What a goof!!!
Gingrich is starting to behave like a lunatic. What a goof!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGingrich is starting to act like a lunatic.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Hanson, it is always welcome to see your fine insight.
Well said, and I agree for the most part.
But I feel you still miss the obvious differences with the Candidates, relying too heavily on the Campaign expression, strategy, style.
For example, this comment, "McCain’s style and history gave him advantages over Romney’s money and hardball in ways Gingrich’s own proven liabilities apparently do not."
The draw to Romney is far more than you suggest. You imply Mr. Romney is purely winning with "money and hardball". This fails to objectively consider the positives of the Candidate - which is quite a common pattern amongst a few via the NR, and on other venues in the once sound Conservative arena. Again, in this dreadful economic climate created mostly by Democratic Partisans via the Public Sector, Romney is understandably attractive because of his proven Private Sector excellence. He remains the true outsider from the sinking Capital, a serous, professional, stable, Free Market Capitalist who has a stellar record as a CEO. Romney has many excellent attributes for the Presidency, and his strong Campaign organization is just another symbol of the sound product.
Romney's existence is vastly different to the other Public Sector products...
John McCain largely relied on his past POW heroism throughout his political career to project an image. It is sincere positive, which Gingrich lacks. But both McCain and Gingrich are just Beltway Insiders, Washington Celebrities lacking serious executive experience, private sector ability, genuine economic credentials, or even worthy notable accomplishment. John McCain and Newt Gingrich simply have very little worthy credentials for the Executive Office. Returning another failure in the General like Newt Gingrich, another Icon of the Mess in Our Capital, would be suicide. Selecting McCain in 2008 was just begging for a loss, and Gingrich in 2012 is even worse.
Thank you.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNewt is getting dangerously close to Charlie Sheen territory now.
As much as I might like to see such a train wreck unfold on someone so deserving, the conservative movement has to realize this is not a healthy debate between two wings of the GOP. This is a losing, kamikaze candidate that is having a breakdown before our eyes.
Again, conservatives are going to have to decide who they hate more, Mitt Romney or Barack Obama.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse>>conservatives are going to have to decide who they hate more, Mitt Romney or Barack Obama...
***
Although I have vigorously supported Romney, I am certainly not blind to the ambiguities of his full history. I believe that he has truly evolved and is a legitimate conservative. But I certainly hope that his evolution toward the right is on-going -- he is a work in progress. Oddly, I think he is a little like the appallingly ignorant Sarah Palin in that he has good conservative instincts but seems ungrounded in serious ideology. But, of course, Romney is not ignorant...far from it. It is just that without a solid grounding in conservative ideology, one reasonably fears that his managerial instincts will lead him to solutions that seem "practical" and "competent" in the moment, but, in fact, further the drift away from "first principles" that serious conservatives hold sacred.
All of this is to add to SmokeStack's comments an appeal to conservatives who have been fierce in their opposition to Romney. As his candidacy moves toward inevitability, I hope that all conservatives can put aside their past feelings and ~help~ this man's evolution. Just as with Sarah Palin who needed intellectual mentors, Romney needs them. People like Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer, who have been snarkily opposed to Romney, need to get into a continuous seminar with him in these coming months. Thomas Sowell, too. But along with this, the regular folks in the conservative movement need to move from fierce opposition to support and encouragement. As things stand, Romney may go into office feeling that he fought every step of the way to his victory against the angry and furious opposition of hard-right conservatives. This thing is setting up to push his presidency ~away~ from conservatism. If his only friends seem to be political moderates, he will naturally be more influenced by political moderates. As I said, he should be talking continuously to people like Kristol, Dr. K, and Sowell. But given what has been going on, you've got to expect things to be a little frosty.
I think we will win the White House with Romney. We conservatives need to think about how we can win influence with the new president to whom so many have been bitterly opposed.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHere's what just occurred to me after reading your Theory of Romneyan Evolution, which strikes me as a good one. We are counting on a sizable chunk of the American public, having just gone through three years of hell, learning the hard way that conservative, classical-liberal and free-market ideas have merit, and that America has a constitution and is a magnet to the people of the world for a reason. They may not know all the traditional vocabulary and philosophy and ideology because it was hidden or demonized for a generation, but they will now have experienced for themselves what doesn't work and will be open to noticing the discrepancy between fine-sounding leftist language and the actual effects of the policies if it's pointed out to them by those who haven't known it forever themselves (and who has, really? We all got converted at some point in our lives.). They may be inclined to follow a leader who is in something of the same position, and if he shows enthusiasm, they will pick up on it. So let's make sure that whatever we do, we do not act like snobs, but welcome everyone on board the bandwagon.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWow. Is there anything nasty that has not yet been said about Newt, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum (google him if you think he has been left out)?
And yet they stand. All of them. Bless them for their perseverance.
"Bless 'em all,
Bless 'em all.
The long and the *short and the tall..."
*Don't want to leave Bachmann out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI hope Romney gets his game together, he needs to illustrate why his experience at Bain is a positive, what he believes, what he wants to do. We need to know him and know him well.
From the Florida debates we know he can really do offense, I am tired of all of his prevent defense though.
Newt will be an afterthought in this election, possiby a good thing to keep a contest going to bring focus to our campaign. Newt has done well when he is focused on his ideas and when he is trying to be in first place. Once in first, he seems to be the petulant child.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Romney has done quite well to advocate for and to defend the empowering US Free Market, in ways we haven't seen for awhile by a GOP Candidate for the Presidency. It has been welcome. No politician has even been perfect, none. Romney has illustrated numerous positives with the very conservative nature of his success in the Private Sector and Private Enterprise. We have watched speech after speech, clearly telling us what he believes and what he wishes to do. Romney continues to get better and better.
Here is just another recent example:
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"The America I believe in is governed by the U.S. Constitution and I will not hesitate to use the powers of the presidency to protect religious liberty."
The writing's on the wall.
The fat lady has sung.
We have crossed the Rubicon.
We have boldly gone where all have gone before.
The Force is not with him.
Neener, neener, neener!
And a very unhappy birthday to you.
It's time for Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum to hang it up. Romney's, for worse and worser, is the nominee. Time to turn the attention on beating Obummer.
CAPCHA is "in over my head". One gets the feeling that since his near death experience, Newt was always in over his head. But don't anyone tell him that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell Chris, you may still disagree, but Mr. Romney is going to surprise many on the sound side in a positive manner. We can constructively encourage him to be better, elect many sound attractive Conservative voices in the GOP - hopefully having power in the House and Senate in 2012.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Romney hasn't convinced people each of the times he's ran for this office what makes you think he's going to suddenly show anyone anything now? He's winning because his competition is terrible.
You're an idiot.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat a bunch of nonsense. You don't set records in fund-raising, as Romney has done, by just having terrible competition, but by convincing and inspiring people to get behind you.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"We can constructively encourage him to be better ..."
You sound like Democrats touting Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004. By this point in the process, you're not going to get a better Mitt Romney than the one you're getting now.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMissouri will tell all. If Rick beats Romney head to head, Newt is done. Finished, and all non-Romney support should flow to Rick. If not, then the GOP truly has lost its mind - especially after this press conference stunt tonight by Newt.
If Romney shows that Rick just does not have it - and cruises to a solid win in Mizzou, then it really is over. Newt will stick around and win Georgia, maybe keep a couple other Southern states - but Romney will own the nomination and Rick might as well drop for he is destined to 3rd and 4th place finishes.
Missouri, even with no delegates at stake (and boy won't that be spun afterwards) may change the rest of the race.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe most hilarious moments are when Gingrich whines that its "the media" that wants to see him fail and quit when the opposite is true. In this "American Idol" of a primary season, the public loves to see the "full of themselves", no talent contestant get in front of the judges acting like they're the next Whitney Houston and sing like they've lost their hearing. It gets viewers, it sells papers, it's what holds interest. He'll join Perry, Cain, and Bachmann as laughable hacks who walk away muttering "you haven't seen the last of me yet!" when it's all too obvious that even if we don't, they'll never be the superstar of their dreams. Who knows what's prodding him now other than his overblown ego or the desperation from watching those Tiffany bills pile up.
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