I’ll take the traditional crust.
Well….at least he knows pizza
Herman Cain “officially and enthusiastically” endorsed Newt at a Republican event in Palm Beach this evening.
Cain cited the former House speaker’s “bold ideas” as the basis for his choice, saying Gingrich wasn’t afraid to propose big ideas that would benefit the nation.
“There are many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot,” Cain said. “Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he is going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America.”
No doubt that Gingrich is a man of bold ideas. Ideas like spending money to colonize the moon when our country is broke. Like open marriages. Stuff like that. And no doubt that Gingrich thinks he is always the smartest man in the room. You know the type: The Obama professorial intellectual type. Now add to it Newt’s need to always have a cheering audience in order to perform. That’s a pretty combustible combination.
Herman appreciates Newt’s willingness to go into the sausage grinder, but Newt has lived his entire life inside the grinder. He’s not a novice to it, and unlike Cain, he seems to thrive in it. But, beyond that, what’s Herman’s point, after teaming up with Colbert to make a joke out of South Carolina’s primary?
We know Cain can deliver pizza – we’ll soon see how good he is at delivering votes.
January 29, 2012 at 11:36 am
We live in imperfect times. We have all made mistakes. We have all tried to do what we have felt is right for both our families and our communities either through personal faith and dedication to our families or engagement through local and national activisism. While I do not agree with Newt on everything, I find myself more closely aligned with his “work” than any other. Thast not to see that the I am aligned with the “end product” that Newt may come up with, but no other Republican has been asking these questions for the last twenty years. NONE! I respect Cain and some of his ideas that were radically (good thing) than other establishment types because he began “with the end in mind”! Newt, unlike his fellow potentials, fail to even begin! They fail to begin to question how such policies will impact families and communities outside of themselves and while Newt is certainly not immune to some level of “lobby” criticism I find it rather compelling that in the last decade Newt’s American Solutions has been prividing analysis of the issues that face not only our economy but our nation at large. The establishment in particular holds contempt for both Cain and Newt. Cain, for even thinking he could challenge Romney in the first place let alone be critical of him and Newt for basically creating a differing view with the conservative “think-tank” culture and make it easily accessible to citizens.
I have had to make a determination now that we are down to four which of these imperfect men I must support. Not supporting one of them is not an option facing what we would be facing in an Obama second term. Personally, I do not second terms for anyone. In fact, I think Bush and his second term was disastrous and had many of the things happened in the first term, like the idea of a stimulus or bailout, they NEVER would have happened because Bush knew he would either have been challenged within the Party for the nomination or been defeated outright. Obama’s second term will be worse by far for this nation.
Newt, again while imperfect, has worked to balance a budget. We have a President whom cannot even get his budget proposal in own time and a Senate who wents years without even passing a budget. Most likely because they knew all along they could not get it passed anyway so we when month after month of having a continuing resolution government. Newt accomplished what most politicians only talk about and addressed welfare reform as well. I often wonder if the establishment holds a grudge because he got this through the House or because he had the audacity to work with Clinton. Which is more important to the GOP establishment; the citizens of the country or avoiding political cooperation. We live in an era where we have allowed our political constructs to co-opt issues like never before. Case in point have been issues like abortion and now Global Warming. Does climate change exist? Somehow I think that is better left in the hands of scientists than politicians. Surely, Congress must vote to fund research and development in their view but to refuse any investigation into this is not only arrogant but ignorant. It does not matter if we as individuals believe or not in global warming today, but should we at least be open to the research that may be discovered moving forward? Is all the data in today in 2012? I tire of elected leaders speaking to us as “experts” in areas like science, education, medicine and above all when life begins or doesn’t! Conservatives want to criticize Newt for his stance on climate change in large part because he has a willingness as American Solutions has to study the issue and not be blinded by some idealogical pre-conceived construct that to be a good conservative or Republican we must reject anything related to it, to include funding research. Newt has done more on energy independence than any other potential left adn with the support of Sarah Palin and her knowledge of the energy situation we face has many plans regarding this area but Newt also knows that any formal energy plan must take into account impacts on the environment—is this solely a liberal cocnern? Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world and it has done a wonderful job incorporating a balance between its dependence on an oil economy and its environment. Could this not be the model for the Southwest, Colorado and Louisiana? Why must any “environmental” concern be a liberal construct? Why must any policy than expelling millions of illegals who have already been here twenty years somehow be unconservative? Its ironic we have statute of limitations on crimes in this country that are acceptable but providing an avenue (any one) for illegals that have been here twenty plus years with ties to our community and have been productive members of society is someone not accepted by the conservative construct. Newt has been criticized by a Mitt Romney whose only position is “I am pro immigrant and want to reinforce legal immigration”– doublespeak for I have no solution to address this problem but if you elect me the issue will not get worse or better:)
So, if one is willing to jetison partisan constructs in this election and I encourage this election to be more than just about “Party” and if you are either a conservative claiming the flag of either the Republican, Democrat Party (all you bluedogs) or an Independent I think that if you look at leaders through a prism of accomplishment/position and advocacy it is very clear than on issues such as balanced budgets, welfare reform, defense appropriation, climate change issues,and immigration as well as energy independence I do not see how Newt Gingrich cannot at least get ones consideration. Throughout this process I have failed to see any candidate articulate positions-real ones or solutions than Newt. Whether we think we should be aligned with him or not given the media and establishment I encourgae everyone to evaluate these men on substance not rhetoric, on accomplishment not charisma, and on what we will need to address in the next four years and then let the chips fall where they may.
January 29, 2012 at 11:46 am
JS
Where is the evidence that supports this:
“The establishment in particular holds contempt for both Cain and Newt. Cain, for even thinking he could challenge Romney in the first place let alone be critical of him and Newt for basically creating a differing view with the conservative “think-tank” culture and make it easily accessible to citizens.”
January 29, 2012 at 11:49 am
And secondly, who is making this about Party? Are you actually trying to make the claim that the Newt vs. Romney race is about “principle” over “party”?
SERIOUSLY?
January 29, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Obviously Sara you must have not been paying too much attention to the timing of the hit pieces on Cain that absolutely where timed by the conserative-elite in the media who shill for the establishment of the Party that derailed Cain as soon as he began to show promise and move ahead in polling. This was mostly an attempt- again- to silence the Tea Party by the establishment. No way in heck this was the liberals on the other side. If you watch all these insider Washington-elite types (yes that means Pat Buchanan an others) it is rather amusing to see them rant on and on about how Newt is not a real Reagan Republican and should be ashamded for wrapping himself with Reagan and yet thats what Pat has done his whole career bot as a candidate and a pundit and so has George Will.
Seriously Sara, its always about Party!!! In the end Republicans will do what they always do and get behind the nominee regardless of what they tell you now:)