Like squirrels in the attic, we must sooner or later address the problem that is Newt Gingrich. Newt was easy enough to ignore over the past few years. He was a regular on the conservative talk circuit and, sitting next to Laura Ingram or Neil Cavuto, he always appeared reasonable. OK, that's not much of a trick. Gingrich's rumpled manner and professorial speech patterns made audiences harken back to ancient classrooms and boring teachers.
We all knew that Newt's colorful personal life (two messy divorces, two messy ex-wives) would preclude his reentry into national politics. His persecution and prosecution of Bill Clinton for sexual misconduct while carrying on an extra-marital affair of his own (and trying to talk his wife into acquiescence) would be tough to overcome in the Iowa Caucus. Old Newt is bruised fruit in Republican politics.
Ah, but this is 2010. In the era of the twenty-four news machine any political bad apple has an opportunity to reinvent himself over and over again. John McCain can go from moderate to wingnut in the blink of an eye. Bill Clinton can wake up a sexual predator and go to bed a revered senior statesmen. Glenn Beck can present as a clueless conservative huckster today and a messianic clueless conservative huckster tomorrow. Reinvention is the new black. Enter Newt redeux.
Gingrich discovered that endless diatribes on economics and policy were putting his potential supporters to sleep. However there is one topic that will reinvigorate the heartland quicker than a new reality TV show: racism. 9/11 was nine years ago but the latent hatred for Muslims was always out there. We just needed someone to remind us. Enter the Gingriches (Newt enlisted his third wife for his new hate-speak video. Callista Gingrich makes Laura Bush look like Roberto Benigni.) Newt has brushed aside the subtleties about "moderate Muslims" and the distinction between terrorists and the fourteen gazillion followers of Mohammed. For Mr. Gingrich and his two-dimensional bride it's a simple equation: Muslim=anti-American=terrorist.
Hey, they're not like us, right? They dress funny. They pray weird...and way too often. They make their wives wear bedsheets. (If the women around Mr. Gingrich wore burkas, Newt might still be married to his first wife.) They hate us for our freedom. We hate them because we can't drive to Walmart without their oil. They will stop at nothing (including setting their BVD's on fire) to make Sharia law the law of the land in America. They are evil incarnate. Muslims are as perfect for this kind of hate speech today as the Jews were in Germany in the 30's. Note: No one is comparing Newt Gingrich to AH. I know better. The parallel exists only in the attempt to gain power by creating an "us vs. them" mentality in the U.S. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. The real enemy is bowing to Mecca.
Gingrich is so taken with the chord he believes he's struck that he has looped the current President into the soup. Newt believes that Barack Obama is somehow a creature of "Kenyan anti-colonial politics". No one in America has the vaguest notion what that means but it sounds subversive. In Newt's view, the President isn't really one of "us" either. His grandfather was Kenyan and Muslim. His mother married a man of color. He supports healthcare for everyone. What further proof do we need? We've elected a subversive.
Gingrich is a fear-mongering fraud and, if there is a God in heaven, he will never be seriously be considered as a presidential candidate. He's dull, pedagogical and toxic to the all-powerful religious right. His shut-down of Washington in 1996 is the stuff of legend. His $300,000 fine for ethics violations while Speaker of the House maybe old news today but problematic should he seriously contend for high office. His platform will however be considered pro business; especially if your business is the manufacture of pitchforks and torches.
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