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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Newt Gingrich's laughable second coming in South Carolina

Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 08:53 AM

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Newt Gingrich

Last night's second (third?) coming of Newt Gingrich strongly suggests that the GOP 2012 campaign is actually in full scale freak out mode now.

Commentators swear that the base accepts Mitt Romney scores better nationally, but they're angry and they won't let him have the nomination without a fight. I've heard that contention but it doesn't quite ring true.

Because, I mean, if a place like South Carolina can hold its nose and vote for a publicly disgraced serial adulterer with more skeletons in his closet than a Hammer Horror film, we really must have entered a new political age.

And in that new age the religious credibility of 'values voters' has vanished in a perfumed cloud of mistresses.
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I was amazed, for the first five minutes, but then I noticed that the the tag #sanctityofopenmarriage was trending on Twitter and I couldn't stop laughing.

Why? Because now we'll never have to listen again to another South Carolinian 'values voter' scold us for our lack of moral fiber, that's for sure. And we certainly won't ever have to listen to Gingrich himself promoting 'traditional values.'

Some commentators tried to imagine what he's sound like if he even tried: 'I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and a woman and a woman?' quipped one. 'I believe in open marriage but not gay marriage!' jeered another.

Laughter was everywhere in the Twitterverse last night. It filled the nations blogs and chat forums. Laughter is probably not the reaction you're aiming for when it comes to choosing a presidential candidate. After all, isn't laughter the thing that politicians and despots fear most?

But in their anger and desperation the so-called 'traditional values' crowd have finally admitted that their 'traditional values' now include hypocrisy and three time adultery.

So much for the moral high ground.

It must be difficult for establishment Republicans to look in their own mirrors this morning: because Newt Gingrich's face is now the party's face; it's the jowly, self-satisfied image of an increasingly extremist party and it's angry take no prisoners spokesman.

It ain't pretty, that's for sure.

Last night, in full panic or protest mode, South Carolina actually threw the 2012 election and led the GOP right off a cliff. I couldn't believe it. It was utterly fascinating to watch.

Newt Gingrich certainly excites the radical right, the kind of crowds who boo loudly if you say the word 'Mexican,''Black' or 'Gay.' But what about everyone else? In a state where African-Americans make up 28 percent of the electorate only 1 percent of them voted in the South Carolina primary yesterday. What does that tell you about Ginrich's national chances?

Level headed Republican party leaders aren't stupid, they know that Gingrich is political kryptonite at the national level. They know he's doing for the party what Rick Perry just did for Texas. So they're spooked today, and rightly so.

There is a silver lining though - if Ginrich becomes the presidential candidate - because when he's thrashed at the polls in November his fate be a spectacular rebuke to the the ideologues and extremists who, for the last three decades, have hijacked the Republican party and increasingly scuppered their chances.

Now that would be change we could all believe in.
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barbaral | Jan 24, 2012, 03:20 AM EST

"Many of our past presidents had affairs, Eisenhower, JFK, and of course Bill Clinton and there are probably more if I could recall who they are right now." Yes. Of course, none of those made the centerpoint of their earlier career thundering condemnation from the heavens on some *other* politician who was having an affair, and trying to get them impeached, *at the same time they themselves were screwing around.* Newt is special that way. Incidentally, what exactly do you "like" about him? His enthusiasm for bringing back child labor and 19th century orphanages, perhaps?

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barbaral | Jan 24, 2012, 03:15 AM EST

"Why? Because now we'll never have to listen again to another South Carolinian 'values voter' scold us for our lack of moral fiber, that's for sure. And we certainly won't ever have to listen to Gingrich himself promoting 'traditional values.' You would think, but that outcome would depend on any of them having an ounce of shame or self-awareness.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 23, 2012, 05:33 PM EST

Scrivner my friend if you wish to vote for a candidate who was booed out of congress in disgraced by his own party,had three wives,had three religions,worked for FannieMay.Demonised clinton calling for his head for sexual misconduct and all the time having affairs(including a staffer),asked his wife to keep his mistress and his marriage (a troi menage maybe),you are entitled to vote for him it"s your choice. Newt is not presidential material more a bottom feeder.

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hollabackgurl | Jan 23, 2012, 12:51 PM EST

It's conservatives who set themselves up as 'values voters' - only it turns out the values they're promoting this election cycle are hypocrisy and adultery.

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errigal | Jan 23, 2012, 10:35 AM EST

BOGSIDEBUNNY YOU SEEM TO BE BASHING A LOT OF IRISH AND IRISH AMERICANS. I AM BOTH OF THOSE. MY VOTE IS FOR NEWT. WHEN OBAMA SAID NO TO THE PIPELINE THAT WAS WHEN I MADE MY MOVE. I JUST HOPE EVERYONE GOES OUT TO VOTE AND KNOW THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR WHOEVER THEY WANT TO VOTE FOR. GOD BLESS AMERICA.

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DLW12183 | Jan 23, 2012, 09:38 AM EST

... and to think I just read an article in Irish Central that 41% in Ireland have cheated!! JFK and Bill Clinton thought the White House was a good stepping off place for extra marital affairs! Most divorced people had someone on the side. Ok for democrats but not others. Again, Chair's double standard. Amazing how the left is that way.

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hollabackgurl | Jan 23, 2012, 09:23 AM EST

You two keep forgetting that it's Newt Gingrich who sets himself up as a moral authority on 'traditional values.' That makes him the author of his own hypocrisy.

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Morninghours | Jan 23, 2012, 12:29 AM EST

The success of Newt just shows what a bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites the GOPers are, particularly their Teabagger wing. For all their self-righteous talk embracing "Family Values" and denigrating those evil "Washington Insiders," by choosing Adulter/Ultimate Insider Newt, they've shown their supposed high ideals to be utter hogwash. Indeed, the only idealogy GOPers truly believe in and refuse to abandon is their all-consuming hatred for Barack Obama.

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borefield | Jan 22, 2012, 10:01 PM EST

Chair is a sanctimonious fool. He can't even write a good story. As for misbehaving politicians, well, Newt has a long way to go to catch up with the Kennedys, Clinton, Weiner, Barney Frank, oh my! I could go on all night about these good clean living Democrats. Get with it Cahir.

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hollabackgurl | Jan 22, 2012, 09:42 PM EST

The writer hasn't claimed to be a champion of 'traditional values' but Newt Gingrich has (and says he still is, which is hilarious). He gets the daughters of his first marriage to convince us his second wife is lying about his third one. Real classy. After South Carolina I for one will never listen to another conservative try to scold me about 'traditional values' ever again. Those people are hypocrites who elected a hypocrite.

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MegK311 | Jan 22, 2012, 07:42 PM EST

I like Newt and any of the Republican candidates would be better than Obama. Many of our past presidents had affairs, Eisenhower, JFK, and of course Bill Clinton and there are probably more if I could recall who they are right now. They were all effective Presidents. Some better than others. The one President who we know was faithful to his wife was Jimmy Carter and he was a terrible President. I don't approve of masrried men having affairs however it does not mean that they will not be good at what ever else they do and perhaps that is President or CE of a large corporation. Cahir O'Doherty is your life so spotless that you can stand in judgement of anyone? Newt has asked for Gods forgivness and if God can forgive him then so can I.

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McNamara31 | Jan 22, 2012, 05:52 PM EST

belcarra... You can't be serious. Do you actually think the GOP cares about anyone other than rich white men who pay 15% tax (on their investment income) while the rest of us "working people" pay the real tax bill. Did you happen to see the audience at the debate in South Carolina? I've never seen a larger group of "all white" people before on TV. And they all came out to see "their boy" Newt.

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Scrivner | Jan 22, 2012, 05:17 PM EST

Seems like everyone that could be called "The Establishment" is piling on Newt for his serial sexual 'scapades (SSS), as if this would make him a bad head of state. Let's evaluate some of our past Presidents in the light of history: -G.W. Bush, for all his faults no one can say that he cheated on Laura, but would you say that he achieved greatness? Thought so. -Bill Clinton, the poster boy for horndogs seemed to have an ok presidency when he saw the error of pushing national healthcare and raising taxes (with a little help from Newt as Speaker of the House). -Ronald Reagan, the patron saint of conservatives was the first divorced man to hold the office, but he did bring the country out of depression, reformed welfare, revised and simplified the tax code. -Jimmy Carter, pious and ineffective. Felt tremendous guilt about even thinking of another woman besides his wife, but should have felt more guilt over ruining the country's economy (can you say "stag-flation?) -Gerald Ford, nice guy but had a hard row to hoe with the aftermath of Watergate and never had any rumors about being unfaithful to Betty. -Richard Nixon, no sexual misdeeds, but introduced the world to the term "Watergate." No politician since has invoked his memory. So, Sean, perhaps the Presidency requires someone who is not like you or me. Someone who is assertive with bold ideas and values the liberties that our founders forged in the furnace of revolution. Someone who will tell us what he means by hope and change. Someone who carries the scars of doing battle with the powerful. Someone just like Newt.

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trconnors | Jan 22, 2012, 05:17 PM EST

this vile human being is the poster boy for all that is wrong in american politics, what a sad state we americans are in when this is all we can find to lead our country. Way to go carolina, the great VALUES state

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seanomelbourne | Jan 22, 2012, 04:47 PM EST

It appears you can fool most of the people all of the time in SC.The Christain hypocrites have shown their true colours.They have now thrown "family valuse" to the wolves and any failed husband will do,better that than having a black loving family man leading the country.

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