This question may sound a little weird...until I explain why I ask: Did you miss the Republican Revolution and more important forget who lead that Revolution? Who lead welfare reform? Who lead the way to four straight balanced budgets in the 1990s? (It wasn't Bill Clinton, no matter how many times he claims credit.) Who lead the The answer, of course, is Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich.
"But Chris, in 1970 while running for Dog Catcher, Newt said X!"
Look, I get it, ok? Newt has said some less than perfect things. That's because he doesn't give out canned answers that he rehearses in front of mirrors and sometimes says something that is just his immediate reaction and then gives a more thought out position later. But you who start telling me that Newt is a liberal...or a Big Government guy, or whatever...WHERE YOU IN A COMA IN THE MID-90s?
One of the worst offenders in this is Ann Coulter, someone whose opinion I usually agree with, but she’s now she’s joining the anti-Newt camp and arguing that he’s not all that conservative. Which is a funny statement from someone whose endorsed MITT ROMNEY. You know, the guy who actually passed a statewide individual healthcare mandate? That guy. Now look, I’m not trashing Mittens either. (I do however, enjoy referring to Romney as Mittens.) I’ve been saying this since this race began…the only RINO in this race is Jon “I left my personality in Utah” Huntsman. (And, if you’re super-duper literal, Ron Paul, but that’s because he’s a libertarian rather than a conservative.) Romney is a Rockefeller Republican, Santorum is a Washington insider, but both have legitimate conservative credentials to some degree.
I’m sick and tired of this “everyone but my candidate/the candidate I wish would run but didn’t/some invented perfect candidate that doesn’t exist is a RINO” baloney. And that is the exact mentality that is now calling Newt a liberal, or a RINO, or a big government guy, or whatever. Which brings me back to my title to this post: Am I the ONLY conservative who wasn’t in a coma in the mid-90s?
In case you were, I’m going to now review Newt’s resume with you:
- Co-Authored the Contract with America
- Lead the passage of Welfare Reform, which cut entitlement spending significantly and ended lifetime welfare recipients.
- Cut the capital gains tax, a move that many economists state as one of the primary causes of the 90s boom (yep, Clinton fans, it wasn’t the tax increases).
- Balanced the Federal Budget four years in a row.
- Although not passed, fought for a Balanced Budget Amendment that would require a 3/5 majority of both houses to spend a cent beyond what the government receives in taxes; and a Constitutional Amendment to require a 3/5 majority of both houses to raise taxes.
So, to review, Newt lead the way on Welfare Reform, balanced budgets, cut taxes, and fought to make sure tax rates were not raised without a super-majority of Congress and requiring balanced budgets as a matter of Constitutional law. Yep, those are sure liberal policies. Not like the conservative pillar that is Mitt Romney. (If you’re picking up my sarcasm, it’s because I’m laying it on pretty thick.)
Now maybe you’ve bought the line that “Only Mitt Romney can beat Obama” or “Independents won’t vote for a conservative.” Please, do us all a favor. Please take your dominant hand, palm open and facing toward the back of your head. Is that in place? OK, good. Now thrust your palm forward really hard. Now that you’ve smacked yourself upside the head for me, please listen to me: Mitt can beat Obama. So can Newt. So can Michelle Bachmann. So can Rick Perry. So can Rick Santorum. So can Foghorn Leghorn. Obama is a miserable failure of a President. He is going to lose in 2012.
As far as the line that “Independents run from conservatives”: Right, because Bob Dole and John McCain won right? Oh and George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan lost, right? Oh wait…
To those of you who keep telling me that “Newt’s not a REAL conservative,” all I have to say is “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” I get it. He’s not your perfect candidate and therefore you’ve got your boxers in a bunch because you’re a big Ron Paul fan or you’ve bought the line that only Mittens can beat Obama. Newt’s not a RINO. Newt’s definitely not a liberal. He’s a dyed in the wool conservative.
If you want someone else, fight for your candidate. But please, listen to me: STOP SAYING ONLY YOUR CANDIDATE CAN WIN! Oh, and while we’re at it STOP SAYING EVERYONE BUT YOUR CANDIDATE IS A RINO OR A LIBERAL! Especially if that candidate is Willard "Mitt(ens)" Romney. (Looking right at you, Ann Coulter.)
If you want someone else, fight for your candidate. But please, listen to me: STOP SAYING ONLY YOUR CANDIDATE CAN WIN! Oh, and while we’re at it STOP SAYING EVERYONE BUT YOUR CANDIDATE IS A RINO OR A LIBERAL! Especially if that candidate is Willard "Mitt(ens)" Romney. (Looking right at you, Ann Coulter.)
