By Adam Bitely || If I told you that I had been the Speaker of the House of Representatives, author of numerous books on public policy, a special contributor to Fox News and been paid $1.6 million by a government sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac for my “services,” would you believe it if I then said I am not a part of the D.C. establishment or a Washington insider?
Probably not.
In the past week, former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich has had one of the most roller coaster experiences of his entire life. He had a come-from-behind double-digit victory in South Carolina, he evaded a potentially campaign-ending interview from his ex-wife, and he appears to be consolidating the “anyone-but-Mitt (Romney)” crowd behind his campaign. In other words, Newt Gingrich had the best week of the campaign cycle so far and is beginning to turn the GOP presidential primary in a direction that no one thought was possible.
Newt pulled off this miraculous feat by whining and screaming at CNN’s John King for his bias against Republicans. And while Newt is probably right about that, it does nothing to change the fact that Newt remains biased against limiting the powers of government. It appears that many voters are ready to forgive Newt for a career of compromising the principles of limited government, though.
I wrote back in December that I was surprised how many people considered Newt Gingrich as a reasonable alternative to Mitt Romney. It made sense that voters who sought real change to the Obama administration would want someone with a different history than Mitt, but when Newt became the poster boy for Obama opposition prior to the Iowa caucuses I was blown away.
These folks must have forgotten that Newt Gingrich supported an individual health care mandate – a mandate that would force people to purchase health care or pay a fine to the government. On this issue, Gingrich and Romney would have agreed – if they both hadn’t changed their stances for their 2012 presidential campaigns.
On climate change, Romney and Gingrich are again in agreement. Newt, the “non-Washington outsider” who is not part of the establishment, infamously sat on a couch in a commercial with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling on America to take action against global warming. Of course, Newt and Mitt changed their positions again for the 2012 presidential campaign.
And who can forget the 2008 bailouts? Some have apparently forgotten that Newt Gingrich stood in favor of the bailouts. Of course, as is habit with Gingrich, he has changed his mind on that matter just as he began his 2012 presidential campaign.
Gingrich is entitled to change his mind on any position he wants. And so are the voters. Perhaps Newt is a different person now. Perhaps he really did, in the course of just a few months, gain a firm understanding of economic policy and why it is wrong for the government to legislate environmental policy. And perhaps he isn’t just saying what polls are telling him the conservative base of the GOP wants to hear. He may just be sincere this time.
Nonetheless, any claims that Newt Gingrich is not a part of the Republican establishment – the same Newt who endorsed the ACORN and union backed Dede Scozzafava in the nationally watched GOP congressional primary just over two years ago – are to be dismissed outright.
If Newt isn’t a part of the establishment, then there is no such thing as the establishment.
Adam Bitely is the Editor-in-Chief of NetRightDaily.com. You can follow Adam on Twitter at @AdamBitely.
Pic: via Daylife
By Crooner January 25, 2012 at 12:07 pm
This appears to stand for the proposition that anyone seeking the GOP nomination for president must “dumb down” their positions on the issues in order to have any chance of success.
By SCBlues January 27, 2012 at 11:46 am
Exactly right, Crooner.
Mitt Romney dare not mention that he speaks fluent French – you can just imagine what the Tea Baggers would think of that
Exactement, Crooner.
Mitt Romney, n’osent pas mentionner qu’il parle français couramment – vous pouvez imaginer ce que le Tea Baggers pourrait penser de cette
By vicupstate January 25, 2012 at 12:16 pm
If Newt isn’t a part of the establishment, then there is no such thing as the establishment.
If Newt is part of the ‘establishment’, then why is the establishment working so hard to stop him from getting the nomination?
By cash January 25, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I am not a fan of Gingrich. I like Ron Paul and voted for him Saturday. However, at this point, Newt is the only one who can beat Obama. Romney does NOT stand a chance. He’s proven humself to be a whiner and a mudslinger, and people don’t like it. He’s weak as puppy piss, and people know it.
By jdc January 25, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Your missing the point. Conservatives have been wanting a candidate to articulate what we feel, and be passionate about it. We are sick of mamby pamby GOPers (Bob Dole, John McCain) being sent up as though its “thier turn to be POTUS” and we are expected to be ok with it.
Newt is in the medias face and he will destroy Obama whether the “dark lord” agrees to debate him or not.
He has history with the party but as an establishment candidate? not a chance. The establishment candidate is a moderate (re: squishy),from the Northeast, Mitt Romney.
By RecallHaley January 25, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Mitt is not the best candidate. After all, he allowed Slikki Nikki to campaign for him. Ugh!
By ron January 25, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Repubs are sick and tired of nice and good-natured candidates who sound like hayseed hicks straight from the corn crib.
At least Gingrich, despite his enormous baggage, will compete with the silver-tongued Annointed One in a debate…assuming the Annointed One will dismout Olympus long enough for a debate.
By eggaday January 25, 2012 at 12:47 pm
don’t fret, Newt cannot gather enough delegates at this point to go into the convention with the nomination sewed up.
the RINOs will get their open , brokered convention.
Are they planning to let Sanfraud make his comeback by nominating him for Prez?
He surely should receive an academy award for his performance.
DON’T BLINK
By mystified January 25, 2012 at 1:21 pm
While Sanford may deserve an Oscar, is the establishment so indebted to him that he would be considered as VP or Prez? Does he have that kind of leverage?
By snodgrass January 25, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Newt’s electability is a media creation and nothing more. They created it and they can destroy it. And they will if they choose to.
Yes, I know. I’ve continually assigned the “media creation” meme to every candidate but Ron Paul. But only because it’s true.
The media can try to once again “select” the next President, but it will only succeed if the people go along with it. That’s the real battle in this election. It’s an epic struggle between the power of persuasion and the power of truth.
And it’s for keeps.