Newt Gingrich's laughable second coming in South Carolina

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

Larger Text

E-mail

24 Comments

RSS

Archives

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.
-----------------
Read more:
More news on US politics from IrishCentral

Leading priest predicts the end of celibacy in the Catholic Church

National Irish Coffee Day – how do you make the perfect Irish cocktail?
-----------------
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.
-----------------
Read more:
More news on US politics from IrishCentral

Leading priest predicts the end of celibacy in the Catholic Church

National Irish Coffee Day – how do you make the perfect Irish cocktail?

-----------------

E-mail

24 comments

Previous Page 2 of 2 pages

kevinhayes | Jan 22, 2012, 04:23 PM EST

Well done, Newtie. The "angry little attack muffin" is really setting up Romney for Obama in November. It's too much to expect that the ALAM himself will be the GOP nominee, is it?

Report abuse

ceceann | Jan 22, 2012, 02:56 PM EST

Right on rgray222. You have zeroed in on the 2 things responcible for Newt's success--the common enemies--the biased liberal media and Obama.

Report abuse

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

The fringe of a party every now and then dominate the party and most always loses in the final Big Show. George McGovern proved that point in 1972, so it could happen again. George is still with us and fondly remembered, while that's unlikely to ever be the case with Newt.

Report abuse

rgray222 | Jan 22, 2012, 12:09 PM EST

Laughter is everywhere when people read this story!"Radical Right" "hijacked the repbublican party". This is precisely why Gingrich did so well. The radical liberal media should take note. People, all people liberals, conservatives and especially independents like myself are tired of the liberal media trying to dictate what candidate "they" want and everyone is particularly pissed that they/you still protect Obama at every turn. The country is a mess, Obama needs to take responsibility and ownership. Three years of failed stimulus spending, three years of failed policies, poorly thought out legislation, not reading bills, more wars. This is Obama's mess and he has left the country in shambles. It will take an intelligent person to solve the problems and stop the outrageous spending he created and done. Obama has proven himself to be an empty suit who can give a decent speech nothing more!

Report abuse

unclebrendan | Jan 22, 2012, 11:43 AM EST

"publicly disgraced serial adulterer"....such brilliant journalism. The writer is exposing himself as a hypocritical psuedo intellectual. Somebody to be laughed off.

Report abuse

belcarra | Jan 22, 2012, 11:36 AM EST

ever since the blacks got the vote, they have voted democratic, and they have nothing to show for it. how many years does it take for them to wake up and realise there voting for the wrong party.

Report abuse

rondonaghe | Jan 22, 2012, 11:20 AM EST

Let the traveling circus continue, bringing fun and thrills to a primary near you.

Report abuse

Harliemt | Jan 22, 2012, 10:30 AM EST

So well written. I couldn't agree more. You said it all!

Report abuse

PhlutiePhan | Jan 22, 2012, 10:23 AM EST

Unfortunately or fortunately, you are right. My recently deceased Irish mother, anti-abortion, stated that she would either not vote or vote against Gingrich. I say that as a Romney supporter and as someone who met Gingrich at a book signing some ten years ago.

Report abuse

Previous Page 2 of 2 pages