Republican Media Resorts to Newtron Bombing in Support of Romney

BY Glen Tschirgi
12 years, 1 month ago

I hesitate to post something that might drag TCJ directly into the GOP nominating process as I do not believe that TCJ is primarily about politics, but given the importance of the 2012 elections, I cannot resist making a cautionary post about what is happening in the Republican primaries.

Allow me to also state, up front, that I am officially undecided on my support.  Yes, I am a registered Republican (although I have flirted with the idea of going Independent given the state of the GOP), no surprise there.   Like most Republicans I was hoping that several, other candidates would enter the fray, but the top, three candidates at this point could credibly do the job and certainly better than Obama.

This post by Dafyyd Ab Hugh at Big Lizards is, I think, a good summary of the situation as it stood after Gingrich’s big win in the South Carolina primary:

The best news out of South Carolina — for all Republicans, independents, and even Democrats who dread a second term for Barack H. “Bubble Boy” Obama — is that the rift between those GOP-primary voters who support Mitt Romney and those who support the current flavor of NotRomney both make the same argument: Each side claims its own candidate is the most electable against Obama.

So far, I have not heard the meme from either camp that if the Other is nominated, We shall sit out the election or vote to reelect President B.O. This is important; one of three men will be the Republican nominee: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, or Rick Santorum. It would be utterly devastating if, say, Romney supporters said they would not support Gingrich in the general, or if Santorum supporters insisted that if Romney is the nominee, they will sit out the election.

Ridding the nation of Barack Hussein Obama is the single, most important goal that any, non-Leftist could have for the 2012 elections.  At least that is what I thougtht was the most important consideration.

But in the last few days, as poll numbers indicated that Gingrich was leading Romney in the critical state of Florida, a seeming conspiracy of otherwise reliably conservative media figures have rained down a hurricane of scorn and venom on Gingrich.

Big Lizards continues:

In 2008, I know a lot of conservatives and libertarians who were so enraged that none of their own was nominated that they did in fact refuse to vote for McCain; most just stayed home, but a few actually voted for Obama in a fit of pique. While I don’t believe that was determinative — Obamunism would have won the day anyway — it might not have been such a butt-whupping, and the Democrats might not have ended up with such a stranglehold on the Senate. In fact, I believe angry, anti-liberal “protest-voting” handed us ObamaCare and the Trillion Dollar Spree.

This is the very thing that I fear is now in the process of occurring.

For instance, I am a regular reader of the conservative blog, Powerline.   In the last week or so, however, I have been shocked and baffled at the contempt emanating from John Hinderaker over the rise of Gingrich in the polls.   Hinderaker created a minor firestorm on the blog by calling Gingrich supporters “delusional.” The National Review Online has taken it upon itself to be a veritable Kwik-E-Mart for Gingrich opposition research, recounting his days as Speaker of the House and criticisms of Ronald Reagan.   Ann Coulter, normally the most conservative pundit this side of Planet Earth, has taken to Mitt Romney and launched her own attacks on Gingrich, seemingly on cue.   This morning, The Drudge Report carried banner headlines about Gingrich’s past criticisms of Reagan and inconsistencies.

Since I started paying attention to presidential politics in 1980, I cannot recall the knives coming out like this against any GOP candidate by conservatives.   Perhaps our more senior readers can compare this with the rain of fire upon Barry Goldwater in 1964.

In any event, I think the attacks on Gingrich are so voluminous and so over the top that they risk the very kind of splintered vote that Big Lizards and others fear.   I would be the first to point out Gingrich’s many failings and shortcomings.   I am not comfortable with his character as evidenced by his serial infidelities.   His ego could go toe-to-toe with Obama’s narcissism any day.   He has taken anti-conservative and Big Government positions in the past which he now denounces.   The list goes on.   But a similarly long, though different, list could be made about Romney’s shortcomings.   Can conservatives trust either one to govern in a conservative manner?   Probably not.    That’s why we need a reliably conservative Congress (House and Senate) in 2013 to keep whomever gets elected in check and on track.

But what conservatives like Hinderaker and Coulter and others are doing is approaching scorched earth.   I suppose they are driven by a near-fanatical desire to see Obama go down in defeat in November and, so, they are convinced that Gingrich as nominee is unelectable.   Maybe so.  But unless these commentators have powers of prophecy or a crystal ball, no one can say for sure who is electable in America, circa 2012.    The critics are risking a severe backlash, and by that I mean a deep resentment that conservatives were railroaded into a Romney candidacy.    If that happens, we may very well see another 2008 where a sizable chunk of conservative voters refuse to go along with the Mitt Machine and these critics, who acted so desperately out of fear of Obama getting re-elected will have accomplished the very thing they dreaded by their own desperation.

And I will close here with a prediction:  if Romney wins the nomination under the kind of duress being applied right now by some commentators and he loses to Obama, there will be a third party in America in 2013.   It will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican Party as the conservative rank and file will finally bolt the GOP in droves.


Comments

  1. On January 26, 2012 at 6:43 pm, Warbucks said:

    I’ve been a Ross Perot “We’ll check under the hood till we find what fixes it” 3rd Party Remnant since day one. If you don’t mind always getting the hind tit, join us.

  2. On January 27, 2012 at 3:00 pm, scott s. said:

    I think you underestimate the role that power politics plays in these things. While all will claim that beating Obama is the only thing that matters, I think the more likely situation is that individuals are jockeying for position in a post-election party. And as always it’s best not to be the power, but to be the power behind the power.

  3. On January 27, 2012 at 3:00 pm, Roy Lofquist said:

    I guess I’m a senior senior since I remember the 1952 campaign. Actually, the Republicans have been far more contentious in their selection process than the Democrats over the years. It’s just that they are a bit more genteel thus not quite as grating.

    The impressions we are getting today are a product of the media. Thus, fairly minor disagreements become blasts and attacks. It’s become “let’s you and him fight and we’ll report the blood.

    “The Gods of the Copybook Headings” by Rudyard Kipling

    http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_copybook.htm

  4. On January 28, 2012 at 9:58 pm, Mike said:

    I don’t dislike Newt at all. My problem with him is he doesn’t show that he has executive management skills. A major task of the president is to provide organizational leadership at the highest level. His campaign is disorganized which tells me alot about him. His campaign staff quit already once while he vacationed. Worst of all he let himself get drummed out of his House leadership post on trumped up charges.

  5. On January 29, 2012 at 11:28 pm, Rick said:

    My biggest concern is if the Republican’s are putting our best options forward. Can the party not come up with better leaders, managers, and in some cases people than the two we have bashing each others heads in now. Also another thing that really bugs me is why we are letting the liberal media drive the debate cycle? They are doing their best to make all of the candidates look like idiots and it is helping BHO campaign.

    My biggest complaint about modern American politics is we think we need to know every aspect of a cadidates personal life. I do not I want someone who is an effective leader, good manager, etc…I really do not care what they do on the weekends. Also there are no pure candidates they have to sell their soul for financing. the BHO campaign is trying to raise $800 million for this cycle…That is larger than some states budgets just to get elected.

    While we have the best system going it sure feels broken at times.

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