This topic will become Gingriches ‘Bain’ debate I suspect. He can try to act affronted all he wants but it’s not going away. The man has too much baggage smoldering from his checkered past and it adds up to poor choice to be prez.

jeanie on January 20, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Democratic voter here. I don’t think anyone cares about these issues as much as people like to state. Everyone knows of his marital problems but at the end of day we’re electing a president, not Jesus. Still won’t vote for him though but objectively speaking if he becomes a nominee, the people who are likely to vote for him aren’t going to be voting for Obama because of extra marital affairs. We all know that, so its a non-issue really if he gets the nomination.

As far as this incident my sympathy is with Gingrich. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on, its insulting to the intelligence of the American audience to open a debate with this issue and in this fashion as if Americans feel this is the number one priority Americans are concerned with. It was disgusting.

I don’t watch CNN for this very reason because their prioritizing of what is important as far as reporting the news and issues has gone so far down over the past 5-10 years that its embarrassing.

Of course Newt did magnificently in the debate, as is usually the case. He clearly won it, and yes, did so in the first five minutes.

Remember when righteous indignation required the indignant to be righteous? Yeah. Those were good times.

Well said.

Allahpundit on January 19, 2012 at 9:16 PM

No one is righteous in 2012 so I suppose indignation has lost its place in this election.

Imagine for a moment that EVERY candidate up there has the same past as NEWT …
Who has your vote, and why ?

pambi on January 20, 2012 at 9:57 AM

I’ll play along:

Newt would win my votes hands down. Why?

1. Rick Santorum – since his entire reason for running is his social con credit, this would kill his campaign and he would have the decency to quit.

2. Mitt Romney – since he is already susceptible to anti-Mormon bigotry, proposing an “open marriage” to his wife would smack too much of polygamy and he’d have been dead before Iowa.

3. Ron Paul – I don’t smoke dope.

So, since I’m an anyone but Obama voter, I’d have to hold my nose and vote Newt, warts (likely genital) and all. He’s the only candidate with an ego grotesque enough to think this is not a disqualifier, so if everyone was as much of a slime in their personal lives as Newt he’d win by default.

There! Is that the answer you were looking for?

HUAH!

THIS! 2nd Infantry, HUAH! in response.

AP misses a very simple point, I think. Before Newt beat that guy down on his own network, it was not a Republican debate, but rather just another Dem “moderated” little play using Repub actors to dance to the media’s pro-Obama tune. The second Newt smacked King, his staff, his network, and their Dem media colleagues in their collective chops, it turned into a Republican debate.

For that, yes, Newt “wins.”

Christien on January 20, 2012 at 1:26 AM

YES, Newt wins for that. Newt eviscerated a liberal in a very level headed way. AP does not understand being in the position of having the entire weight of the LIBERAL media drawing their guns on him. Newt labelled the liberal king and his liberal co-conspirators in a very calm manner that mittens is unable or unwilling to do. What other repub has had the guts to do that other than bibi netanyahu against owebamster?

Doesn’t change my question.

pambi on January 20, 2012 at 10:31 AM

‘the same past as Newt’… Do you mean the same serial adultery? Well, if every candidate tried to brush off their history of serial adultery by saying, as Newt does, “that’s ancient history!”, then none of the candidates could mention the “ancient history” of Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Rezko, or any of the other features of Obama’s history. So that might affect the campaign.

Or, by ‘the same past as Newt’ do you also include – a loose canon sabotaging the tea party movement (as Newt did with his unfounded criticism of Ryan’s plan), championing global warming and championing a federal health care mandate?

Is your question restricted to Newt’s serial adultery or are his last decade of crazy, attention seeking policy endorsements also to be considered?

You guys missed Newt’s greatest offense of the evening….he called John King…GASP…BY HIS FIRST NAME!!!!

“John, it was repeated by your network. You chose to start the debate with it. Don’t try to blame somebody else. You and your staff chose to start this debate with that.”

xblade on January 20, 2012 at 4:22 AM

Well, as you know John is English for Juan, so it is obviously racist.

Doesn’t change my question.

During the Clinton scandal the media, especially CNN, was doing everything they could to make excuses, to minimize the scandal, to tell us his personal life was none of our business, and make it go away. According to them, any mention of the scandal and the scandal itself was a GOP ‘hit’. Now ABC, CNN, and the media has attempted this ‘despicable’ tactic…and was properly HAMMERED for it! LOL! Lovin’ it!

Imagine for a moment that EVERY candidate up there has the same past as NEWT …
Who has your vote, and why ?

pambi on January 20, 2012 at 9:57 AM

By the same past as Newt, do you mean -

- Helping derail the Tea Party movement with a selfish attack on the Ryan plan?

- Broke his vows and cheated on 2 wives (that we know of)?

- Cuddling with Pelosi?

- Trashing capitalism and dissing Romney’s legitimate business record?

Sure, Gingrich (and Santorum) played an important role in the conservative congress… in the 1990′s.

The reality is, of course, no one has the same past as Newt. Only Newt has it, and only he should have to live with it.

– Newt, channeling his AGW stance with Nan-Nan

And once again, the kids, and now grand kids, have to live through this and be forced to take sides, opening the wound once again, all for a few points of ratings…destroy a family.

right2bright on January 20, 2012 at 8:13 AM

I agree with you to a point BUT Newt had to know this was coming. Even before he announced his candidacy, should he not have ascertained what his ex was going to do before she went into vindictive whore mode?

What does his ex wife have to do with being President?

Newt broke his vow with his first wife.

He cheated on his second wife, again breaking his vow to cheat with what would become his third wife.

Spare me the condescending stuff about Jesus not being on the ballot. A man who lashes out at conservative philosophy (Paul Ryan’s plan, Romney’s legitimate work experience) and who can’t keep his vows should raise questions.

Gingrich, Palin & Perry are set to embark on the “Standing Ovation for Philandering Pigs” tour of the south.

JA on January 19, 2012 at 10:37 PM

Are you saying that Palin and Perry are philandering pigs? If so, you are a real piece of lying s..t!

( .. and then peddle their ‘poor me’ story to the MSM, of course.)

/meow
/.

CaveatEmpty on January 20, 2012 at 9:03 AM

Thread winner!!!!