Monday, January 30, 2012

THE FUTURE OF NEWT?

Wow, this is just awesome:

Gingrich: I wouldn't accept debate versus Obama moderated by reporters

Newt Gingrich threatened Monday to skip any debate as the Republican nominee versus President Obama that's moderated by a member of the media.

"As your nominee, I will not accept debates in the fall in which the reporters are the moderators," Gingrich said at a rally in Pensacola. "We don’t need to have a second Obama person at the debate."

... Gingrich has made his debating prowess a central selling point of his candidacy, promising fantastical showdowns with Obama in the general election. A frequent applause line for Gingrich, for instance, is his promise to challenge the president to seven, three-hour Lincoln-Douglas style debates....


I am so very, very sorry this guy won't be the Republican nominee. The only thing that would be more advantageous for Obama than getting to stand on a podium and watch Gingrich unleash hours of obnoxious, self-important cockamamie rhetoric in debates would be Gingrich engaging in a divaesque refusal to debate Obama unless the presidential debate commission changed all the rules that have applied to debates for decades, just to accommodate Newt.

And, really, what an idiot: doesn't Gingrich realize that, without debate moderators as foils, he'd be back home right now, as much of an also-ran as Bachmann, Huntsman, and Perry? His insults of debate moderators have been the only real high points (although I don't think that's the right expression) of his campaign.

****

But it occurs to me that we may be getting a glimpse of Newt Gingrich's possible future.

I could see him riding the rails from town to town, with nothing but a portable lectern and a cardboard valise, offering to take on any and all comers in ... a series of Lincoln-Douglas debates! Three hours! No moderator! Come one, come all! Step right up! Do you think you have what it takes to out-pontificate The Mighty Newt?

He could be like an itinerant pool hustler -- except he'd be an itinerant pool hustler of civilization-altering transformational change! It would be awesome! Maybe he could even do one of these debates on the moon!

(X-posted at Booman Tribune.)

5 comments:

merlallen said...

Gingrich could win a debate with his own rules, number one is make shit up. I could win a debate with that tactic

BH said...

Pretty much the Wm Jennings Bryan Chatauqua career path after 3 prezzy losses & resignation as Wilson's Sec of State, crossed with Minnesota Fats taking on any locals. A noble destiny indeed... but dammit, I was hoping for the lumpenright to hate more on Mitty & keep The Newt afloat. Eh well.

c u n d gulag said...

Oh, great idea!

And while 'The Ol' Professor' is off debating the auto mechanics assistant, Callista can join in the grift.

She can sell some powdered medicine to make your man not want to resort to 'Madam Palma and Her 5 Lovely Daughters,' when he's bored with his marriage, and also sell some hair products on the side!

I just hope for her sake, the poor stupid bitch doesn't get sick, or The Ol' Professor will be off with some younger model.

The Ol' Professor probably never needed to resort, like the rest of us men, to "Madam Palma..."

Somehow or other, that ugly MFer found some younger willing assistant who'll be glad to jerk, suck, or insert. the old man's little gherkin into a willing orifice.

Money and power are the greatest aphrodisiacs.

Bluesborn said...

Newt really is a smug self righteous clown.If there is a more transparently egotistical politician/self promoter out there I would love to know who.Even Palin doesn't manage to spawn the same amount slithery self indulgence and laughably misplaced moral superiority,and that is saying plenty.

aimai said...

You are overthinking this, Steve M. Gingerich never expects to have to stand by any previous statement if it is no longer advantageous to him. He's the king of "that's not operational now." He says this now because a) he does not expect to be the nominee so it doesn't matter what he promises and b) it plays well with his homies so what's the harm? If by some miracle Newt managed to be the nominee he'd re-survey the landscape and decide whether Newt's prospects as candidate and as grifter (two different things) were improved by debating with this moderator or that. Then he'd announce his new decision with as much fanfare as he could manage whether he was contradicting his earlier stance or simply expanding on it. Its in his nature. A foolish Consistency is the hobgoblin etc...

aimai