|
|
|
Jewish World Review Dec. 14, 2011 / 18 Kislev, 5772 How Gingrich stole Mitt's Christmas By Martin Schram
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
'Twas two weeks before Christmas, and all through Romney's house, All the creatures were stirring, even the wireless mouse.
"Beat Obama" plans had been hung by the chimney, free of cares, The nomination, they were sure, soon would be theirs.
But on the 24/7 news there arose such a chatter, That Romney couldn't figure out what was the matter.
"Frontrunner" had once seemed Mitt's real first name.
But then he threw a Grand Old Party -- and nobody came.
Now he's struggling to answer a quiz he can't pass: How did The Gingrich Steal Mitt Romney's Christmas?
Here's how it happened. And maybe (just maybe) here's how former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's seemingly runaway bandwagon may yet end up in the litter-loaded ditch that parallels the 2012 Campaign Trail.
It took a team effort to stall Frontrunner Romney's wagon. Romney, of course, played the key role by successfully communicating one overarching message to all audiences: I agree with you. Whoever you are, whatever you think. From his Massachusetts moderates to the evangelically inspired conservatives who are drawn to GOP primaries and caucuses.
It mostly helped that Romney looked like Central Casting's idea of a straight-arrow preppy politico. Except when his script called for him to act tough by blasting President Barack Obama or tweaking a fellow GOP debater. Then poor Romney only looked uncomfortable, like he was trying to throw a punch in a street fight while keeping his pink Polo sweater draped over his shoulders.
No wonder three-quarters of the Grand Old Partygoers had brief flings with all the Un-Mitts -- until they made themselves late-night punch lines.
Meanwhile, outside the center spotlight, Gingrich kept performing his lifelong act, combining his time-tested glibness with his zeal for demagoguery. It's his way of feeding the frustrations of the far right and the fed-up center. All folks who can be easily lured into dancing to any populist piper's tune. And lo, Newt's shtick seems to be working yet again. A new generation is seeing Newt as an Un-Perry, Un-Cain, Un-Bachmann. The only Anti-Romney who is also un-embarrassing.
But they don't know him well enough. Newt's history is that he's incapable of driving without going over the edge. He is unembarrassed at having taken more than $1 million from Freddie Mac for advising the government-sponsored outfit that helped create and inflate the housing bubble. Now he joins in blasting his old bankroller.
Newt may yet take the wheels off his own bandwagon. Meanwhile, there's a whole village willing to do it for him (see also: to him). They were his once-loyal House Republican lieutenants -- but in just four years, they ousted Gingrich as speaker. Hear them now:
•
Former Sen. Jim Talent of Missouri called Gingrich "not a reliable or trustworthy leader."
•
Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina: "He's a guy of 1,000 ideas, and the attention span of a one-year-old."
•
Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio said when Gingrich was speaker, "everything always seemed to be on fire."
•
Former Rep. Susan Molinari of New York: "Even though Newt liked to talk about team-building and quality management, the theory he really subscribed to was management by chaos."
•
Rep. Peter King of New York: "Newt would do what is best for the country. His problem is he often equates what's best for him as what's best for the country."
•
And the respected Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma: "Having served under him for four years and experienced personally his leadership, I found it lacking often times."
That isn't just political carping as usual -- it is an urgent political warning call.
Attention Republican voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida: Your votes in January's earliest-ever primaries and caucuses could pick the 2012 nominee.
Given today's economic frustration, any Republican nominee could become our next president.
Your failure to heed the warning siren sounded by those who know Newt best could put us all at risk.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Comment by clicking here.
• 11/16/11: Supercommittee's super-sized surrender • 11/16/11: Romney talks Texas-tough on Iran • 11/03/11: The Silent Majority speaks at last • 10/20/11: Outsourcing our democracy; hijacking our holidays • 10/13/11: Decline and fall of presidential press conferences • 09/28/11: Washington's Monument to broken government • 08/17/11: Tax credits for job creation • 07/06/11: Obama's on-the-job retraining from Clinton • 06/29/11: Obama, Nixon suddenly joined in posterity
© 2011, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||||
