As a practicing Catholic, Newt Gingrich would be only the second non-Protestant male to occupy the White House since 1789, should he win the Republican nomination and go on to defeat President Obama in November.
After winning South Carolina and forging ahead in the latest Florida poll, the idea of a President Newt is no longer as far-fetched as it seemed a few weeks ago.
The fact that he is on his third marriage and has confessed to several affairs makes him far from a normal adherent to church rules.
Then again, his Catholic predecessor John F. Kennedy was allegedly the greatest ever womanizer
in that job, quite a feat given some of the roving eye occupants.
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Read More:
Will Newt Gingrich be the next Irish Catholic president?---New Republican frontrunner heads Romney,
Obama in poll match ups Newt Gingrich apparently blames media for marital infidelities
Newt Gingrich claims huge win in South Carolina GOP Primary
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What is more puzzling is the embrace of Gingrich by the religious conservative movement that turned out in huge numbers for him in South Carolina.
Years ago, especially in the pre-Kennedy era, a Catholic was verboten in that world. A Catholic with three marriages behind him would have never got elected as dogcatcher.
But times appear to have changed dramatically. This isn’t your father’s old South.
As reported in the Daily Telegraph, a member of one of those Christian conservative groups told a reporter, "No, Newt's infidelities do not concern me. On the contrary, I take heart that someone older and fatter than me can still have an affair."
Huh?
This from the people who acted utterly outraged when the Clinton/Lewinsky affair became public and succeeded in impeaching the president.
To say there is a disconnect is putting it mildly.
Part of Gingrich’s attraction may be that his main rival Mitt Romney is a Mormon, an even more exotic religion for many Christian conservatives.
Apart from his religion, Romney ticks off all the boxes -- dedicated family man, loving wife, picture perfect kids.
But Romney clearly lacks that the wow factor that Gingrich has for the Republican right.
Though some may call it the “ick factor,” Gingrich’s ability to rally the right with red meat rhetoric makes him the hottest candidate in the race at present.
Whether he can get the Republican nomination remains to be seen, but a victory in Florida would certainly provide a massive injection of further momentum.
No doubt the Obama camp will be hoping that is the case. Gingrich certainly seems the more beatable of the two frontrunners given his checkered past.
But conventional wisdom has been thrown out so many times in this race already that there may be many other twists and turns. Who will actually face off against Obama -- the first ever-Mormon nominee or a deeply flawed Catholic candidate? It all remains to be seen.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.badolan | Jan 28, 2012, 09:43 PM EST
Newt: a hypocrite's hypocrite.
giddyfiddles | Jan 27, 2012, 03:13 PM EST
Love the comparison - child of an Ice Cream and Potato - priceless this slogan could win the election for him ".............sums him up!
GeorgeDillon | Jan 27, 2012, 09:58 AM EST
SteveMD2 -- You make a good point. The Church won't grant divorce to its own faithful, yet welcomes in a multiple divorcee like Gingrich. Which of Gingrich's wives does the Church view as the authentic one? The Church has a tradition of enforcing laws on its own people while flouting them with others. Another case in point is the Church's acceptance of married Anglican ministers as Catholic priests, while of course they make a fetish of celibacy for any young Catholic men who are thinking of Holy Orders. I say all of this as a Catholic, but one who long ago realized that the Catholic Bishops are generally worthless men who would do more good if they were pushing carts in Wal-Mart.
Collette2 | Jan 27, 2012, 01:49 AM EST
A man who couldn't run a house with at least two wives under his belt, is set to run the most powerful House in the world? I wonder if he had annulments like the the rest of us, male or female, to remain in good standing with the church. I did say GOOD standing, not Quick sanding.
SteveMD2 | Jan 27, 2012, 12:48 AM EST
Thats all we need - a philanderer in the white house. 3rd wife and counting................ And I'm amazed and don't understand why the church took him in. I thought they abhor divorce. And even worse his type of cheating that is helping to wreck the institution of marriage, dring traditional marriage to a 50% divorce rate.. And another thing - he called gays "pagans". Some people claim that hitler was a pagan. Somehow I dont think gays are hitlers. Infact (part of my family is Jewish), hitler threw the gays into the ovens with the Jews, gypsies etc. Good Going Newt. Or should I say good riddance.
Aliciarose | Jan 26, 2012, 05:59 PM EST
God help America if Newt gets in or that other Bible Basher.
seanomelbourne | Jan 26, 2012, 04:50 PM EST
Celtknight sure can justify hypocrisy.
CaptainCon | Jan 26, 2012, 03:26 PM EST
Does anyone else think Gingrich looks like the child of an ice-cream and a potato? Or is it just me? I suppose he'd be regarded as a fine fellow in Monaghan. Nowhere else, like. Just Monaghan. Bur sure you can't have everything.
CeltKnight | Jan 26, 2012, 02:05 PM EST
We conservatives "acted utterly outraged when the Clinton/Lewinsky affair became public" not because Ol' Bill had an affair (that's not a public concern), but because he LIED about it WHILE UNDER OATH (i.e. committed a felony -- perjury which IS of public concern). Now, then, I'm not condoining extra marital affairs, but frankly, I have very little concern over who a president sleeps with SO LONG AS HE DOES HIS JOB. Many Southern Conservatives feel about the same. The media, unfortunately, paints us as Bible-thumping, hypocritical morons. Now, as to Newt possibly getting the nomination .. I'm not a huge fan, but give us SOMEone at least moderately conservative who can take back the White House and maybe turn this nation back around.
CaliforniaShamrock | Jan 26, 2012, 01:57 PM EST
God help us if he becomes president -
eileenkny | Jan 26, 2012, 01:40 PM EST
I agree wholeheartedly with catherineu. He became a Catholic when he married the woman he'd been having an affair with for years! The 2nd wife was no prize either, but to run on his Catholicism is obscene. I guess he figures confession will wipe him clean.
bob40wil | Jan 26, 2012, 01:39 PM EST
God help us I hope not. He is very low on morals and I my humble opinion is not a man to be trusted.
Nicomax | Jan 26, 2012, 12:53 PM EST
Article VI of the Constitution says " there shall be no religious test for any public office in the United States? Nuf sed!
ProudCanadian | Jan 26, 2012, 12:48 PM EST
Please don't make this man or any of the Republican morons the next President for the worlds sake. I have read throught the comments here and see that there are a lot of intellengent posters. Please for the sake of all the world you people get out and comvince others that Obamma is the way to go. We in Canada have our own Conservative moron we need to get rid of, we don't need one in the US.
catherineu | Jan 26, 2012, 12:12 PM EST
Obama is bi-racial by the way. To all the racists out there--he's a bit of everyone and I sure hope he gets re-elected!
Murph46 | Jan 26, 2012, 11:47 AM EST
Hey Mc cool your jets just pointing out the obvious for those who don't understand that ANYONE can win!
citizen69 | Jan 26, 2012, 11:31 AM EST
Not only is this Newt's third marriage, it's his third religion too! He was a Lutheran, then a Baptist, now a Catholic. What's the big deal anyway? I don't understand why IrishCentral makes such a big issue out of people's religion. It's nobody else's business.
trconnors | Jan 26, 2012, 11:17 AM EST
pehaps this hypocrite. this guy is as shallow and phony as newtie (newtie) can convince his only donor adelson, whose main claim to political activity is that he is pro-israel, is that he lives in america and there are unlimited causes he can pour $ into, i.e. cancer research education etc.
gregoryny | Jan 26, 2012, 11:13 AM EST
I sure as Hell hope he CAN"T
McNamara31 | Jan 26, 2012, 10:56 AM EST
Murph46 says:….."Why not wev'e a black Kenyon as pres"..... Isn't it great? Bravo! Not everyone in America votes skin color! And BTW, since when is Hawaii in Kenya? And also, while all the bigots are getting distracted with the racial sideshow, the banks and the financial industry and other lobbies have this country bought and sold. Any politician these days has to swim in a pond filled with lobbyists before he can ever get elected. The real problem is “big” money buying crony capitalism and not skin color.
Murph46 | Jan 26, 2012, 10:37 AM EST
Why not wev'e a black Kenyon as pres.
joan1954 | Jan 26, 2012, 10:29 AM EST
Newt carries too much baggage to be president.
CitizenWhy | Jan 26, 2012, 10:16 AM EST
Newtie/Nukie is a good representation of US Catholicism, which has been converted to a right wing political form of religion.
catherineu | Jan 26, 2012, 09:56 AM EST
Practicing Catholic my ass. This guy is a religious opportunist at best. Religion should not even be an issue anyway. What happened to separation of religion and state anyway? His being "catholic" doesn't make him any less of an arrogant pig.
donal1951 | Jan 26, 2012, 09:54 AM EST
Don't forget that Rick Santorum, the son of Italian and Irish heritage and a cradle Catholic is also in the race, and, while a long shot, cannot be ruled out as the Republican nominee.
cillowen | Jan 26, 2012, 09:53 AM EST
rc based on demographics - an opportunist who'll say and do anything that comes to his little minds. a historian don't you know.
trconnors | Jan 26, 2012, 09:38 AM EST
hes a catholic for convenience. when he loses the nomination he will go back to the same old newtie, find a new squeeze and continue to use his disgusting influence to lobby . what a scam artist !!!!!
beaumax99 | Jan 26, 2012, 09:35 AM EST
God forbid Gingrich wins and becomes president of the US. I will definitely start looking for a new country to live in. Has anyone bothered to check into the voting techniques in Florida??? Floridians also nominated thief Rick Scott as Governor??? Is it something in the water or what?
colkelley | Jan 26, 2012, 09:34 AM EST
And Mitt Romney would be the first Mormon President ever. Who cares what religious beliefs the President professes? As a longtime atheist I am concerned with a President's knowledge, decision-making abilities and his commitment to the responsibilities of his office.