Gingrich is Finished, Comic Relief is Over

Never mind the specifics of what Marianne Gingrich, second Newt wife said. The mere fact that she spoke out brings into clear view the incredible difficulty that Newt has in making the case for himself in so many aspects of what some Republicans desire in a candidate and what the nation needs. The problem is not just to determine if, indeed, Newt did ask Marriane for an "open marraige." If the request was made, it was, at least, a stab at some kind of transparency in the relationship. The problem is that there are three of them - wives, I mean. That means that at least twice, Gingrich made a major decision in life that, by his own reckoning, was fatally flawed. If he cannot decide, by his own admission, what is good for himself, how is he going to decide what is good for the nation. Forgiveness, if he ever really asked for it, does not, by the way, make the forgiven one more holy, more mature or more intelligent.

It might be interesting, however, to have Newt explain which mistakes he confessed when asking God for forgiveness. There are so many possibilities and one wonders if he really could remember them all. The two affairs while married, for instance, would have definitely required a good amount of not telling the truth and to more than just one person. Which staffers were asked to be complicit by keeping quiet (you know that sin about causing others to sin - it's considered worse than just sinning yourself)? The follow-up question could be what he learned from each sin that was forgiven...the first time it was forgiven and then the second time it was forgiven. Then I wonder what dispensation he received from the Catholic Church to take communion as the church does not recognize divorce. Can polygamists still participate in the Eucharist?

It just is too unseamly for the candidate of the "family values" party to have so many divorces trailing behind him and to complicate the matter, the potential first lady was eight years an adulterer with Newt. Imagine the possible questions to Newt and Callista on the campaign trail about those eight years.

Personally, I don't care about Newt's sex life or his infidelity. The problem with Newt is the problem with his party - they have bad ideas for governing the nation.

Gingrich should have known that his history would be his undoing and it will be, because, when push comes to shove, even if he did receive a small uptick in support from the usual backlash to bad news, the Republicans will not tolerate a candidate who, on their own sacred social issues, is, according to their own standards, one of the most prolific sinners. He can be forgiven. But no one will forget and especially not the true Evangelicals in the heartland. Goodbye Newt.

The lingering question is how a person like Newt Gingrich with so much baggage both personally and politically (from his days in the Congress) can go so far down the road without either the electorate giving him a clear indication or realizing himself that he never really had a chance. The same could be said about the big money that supported him. If you are looking for someone who knows how to invest their own money in a winning cause to take charge of your money for investment, then get the list of Gingrich donors and do not ever contact them.

To add to this puzzling reality is the fact that Gingrich is not the only one who, for reasons that should have been obvious to the candidate themselves as well as the electorate, should never have gotten as far as they did in the primary process. We still remember Herman Cain. It could be that the lesson here for the rest of us is that the air in the high altitudes of arrogance that are bred by the system of power brokering as it it exists in a corporate run state such ours is mighty thin and causes the death of those brain cells that ordinary would prevent such delusions.

In this sense, the Cain exit, the Perry exit and the soon to be Gingrich exit are more reflective of the public's need for Sarah Palin to reappear now and then to serve as comic relief.

The real worry comes when you consider that the remaining candidates for the Republican party are quite aware of who pulls the strings and are ready and able to lead the next coupe on the hopes of ordinary people for some form of economic, social and political justice to prevail within our boundaries.

Getting on the Record

Just for the record I want to make my US presidential election in 2012. Romney will win the Republican nomination. Obama will win the general election. There still are not enough stupid people in the United States to hand the reins of the government back to the Republicans. And, in fact, it is the economy, stupid. The last time the economy was in the hands of a Republican president it went south, big time (not to mention the debt piled up by two wars we did not need to fight). Obama has overseen the process of addressing the problems created by his predecessors and the initial stages of the economy coming back; plus, he managed to get health care passed which no other president has been able to do. Did he perform the way I wanted him too. No! I wanted singl-payer health care and immigration reform that allowd for amnesty, both of which would make this country healthier.

By the way, speaking of stupidity, our local U.S. Congressman was recently quoted as saying that we cannot remove the tax cuts from the rich because it is their money that drives the economy. Really, And, where did they drive it? Right, you got it - exactly in their direction. If they are the drivers then they should be arrested on several violatons of the law and common sense. So, a few days later, this same Congressman was on the floor of the house denouncing how Obama had mismanged the economy. So, which is it...is Obama driving or the rich? You have to wonder sometimes if the politicians think we don't listen or it doesn't matter that what they say has some level of consistency (or lack of demagogery).

But, given the conditions of the economy and the wars when he inherited the office and the Republican House, I would say that he has performed admirably. If he can manage to get the absolutely logical and advisable agreement to remove Bush tax cuts for the rich, we will do even better in this year and the years to come.