I want to address this comment by Ed Morrissey about Gingrich’s recent rise in the polls as the latest iteration of the anti-Romney… actually, let me stop and note something: if Team Romney is not yet worried about the fact that NOTHING seems to get their candidate above the mid-twenties, then they need to start worrying. At least a little.
Anyway, Ed wrote this, on why it may not be a smart idea for Teams Not-Newt to unload on the former Speaker:
…Gingrich has played very graciously with everyone else in this race, and going negative on Newt might have a high risk of backfire.
Hoo, yeah. To put it mildly.
Look, I am not a Newt Gingrich supporter. Not many people in the conservative blogosphere are, really: he’s got his baggage and issues just like everybody else, and those issues will be endlessly replayed in the press starting about, oh, now. But I am comfortable in saying that most of the conservative blogosphere – emphatically including the biggest names in the conservative blogosphere – are enthusiastic supporters of Newt Gingrich participating in the debate process. This is partially because the man’s as smart as a whip, and partially because Newt is good about getting the conversation over to topics that conservatives actually want to hear about. But it’s mostly because we know that during any given debate, Newt Gingrich will rip out a debate moderator’s liver and consume it, raw, on national television.
Do not underestimate the attraction of this. These debates have been awful: mostly stupid moderators who mostly hate Republicans asking mostly stupid questions designed to have no good answer. The only ones that I’ve most liked so far have been the CNN ones, and that’s largely because the network teams up with conservative groups for them*. We feel obligated to watch and comment on them anyway, which makes it worse. Having Newt eviscerate talking heads is the only reliable joy that we get from these things; and we will not react well to anything that cuts into the man’s disembowelment time.
Fair warning, Teams Not-Newt.
Moe Lane
*Yes, I know, Erick Erickson of RedState is also a CNN commentator. For that matter, I may end up with enhanced access to the CNN/Heritage debate next week. Neither data point is incompatible with mine that CNN has been giving conservatives more consideration than the other debate hosts have.
I think perhaps it goes a little further, Moe. Conservatives absolutely love Chris Christie porn, because he is willing to stand up and defend himself and take on the establishment liberal groups without apology. However, his actual stance on many policies leave his as more of a moderate/Romney type instead. But conservatives still love him because he is standing up and facing down the libs. In essence, Newt is doing the same thing, only he is facing down the media unabashedly. This cycle, conservatives are looking for someone to stand up and say “no more” and begin to push back. I think this is why Newt is gaining even though we all know he has a lot of baggage.
Newt for White House Press Secretary?
Canthros, I can feel my arteries hardening from all that red meat ALREADY.
Canthros just found the perfect spot for Newt.
To sum your and Kimberly’s point: Newt shoots back.
We like that.
Regards,
Ric
I think some conservatives who lived through Clinton’s term actually remember what Newt did, and many of us believed a lot of his ‘baggage’ was purely political–DeLay comes to mind. Didn’t work out so well for him.
I like Newt for the nomination. I think he has a particular set of skills that make him qualified for the job. I realize many of my conserv blogger friends and acquaintances disagree with me. I don’t like him purely for his debate skills either–there’s more to it than that.
I think we’ve had a very good field to pick from and of course we’re a long way from the nomination. We certainly have a better field than the Dems do.
Care to make a bet the Rom team chooses not to attack? That’d be some easy money for me!
Newt’s problem is that he’s got a lot of baggage that’s not personal at all. I could care less about how much jewelry he buys his wife, but I’m not in the mood to forgive or forget his cheerleading for Dede Scorfezza and his necking-session-on-the-couch with Nancy Pelosi.
Dave, that ad with Pelosi was a dumb move. Newt made up for it somewhat by helping derail HR2454, Cap and Trade, tho.
On another note, there may be a few gains for Cain’s fellow candidates. I just saw a video at Real Clear Politics. Cain told a newspaper board he backs collective bargaining for federal employees. Step on a crack, break your campaign’s back?
Newt is not perfect, but he is to the right of Romney. And he understands the legislative process. Plus, the idea of a Gingrich/Obama debate, well…