“I am ashamed of the negativity and the dishonesty that has characterized this campaign,” he said. “America deserves leaders who care enough to tell the truth. They deserve leaders who don’t shave corners, don’t play games, don’t take things out of context.” Newt Gingrich (quoted while in the International Church of Las Vegas)
After reading the above gem — delivered by Newt Gingrich inside a church in Las Vegas Friday night — I would have expected to read this morning that the former Speaker of the House had been struck by lightning. We know that some (many) politicians are fond of stretching the truth from time to time, but telling a whopper as big as this one — while standing in church no less — is almost too much for even Newt Gingrich. I say almost because it is abundantly clear that the man has no shame. No shame over committing adultery, no shame over acting arrogantly (and petulantly), no shame over violating ethics rules which cost him his Speakership, no shame over running slanderous ads accusing his opponent of abusing Holocaust survivors, and no shame over using the church as a campaign tool for his own deluded ambitions.
Mr. Gingrich was certainly right about one thing — Americans “deserve leaders who don’t shave corners, don’t play games, and don’t take things out of context.” Using his own criteria — which he is very careful not to apply to himself — Newt Gingrich has to be one of the most unqualified men to ever run for office of President of the United States. As National Review’s Rich Lowry wrote:
“Newt is the Republican Clinton — shameless, needy, hopelessly egotistical. The two former adversaries and tentative partners have largely the same set of faults and talents. They are self-indulgent, prone to disregard rules inconvenient to them, and consumed by ambition. They are glib, knowledgeable, and imaginative. They are baby boomers who hadn’t fully grown up even when they occupied two of the most powerful offices in the land.”
We didn’t need Bill Clinton when he was in office. We certainly don’t need a Republican version of Clinton today. Which begs the question: Why are so many Evangelical Christians enamored with Newt Gingrich’s candidacy? Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. However, if we truly believe that character matters — yes, even for conservative Republicans and not just for liberal Democrats — then conservative Evangelicals, particularly of the Southern Baptist variety, will conclude that they cannot support Newt Gingrich for the most powerful office in the world. He has already shown us in the past and continues to show us in the present that he lacks the character and moral integrity to be Commander-in-Chief. To continue with this charade — no matter how much one might be uncomfortable with Mitt Romney nor how badly one wants to see the current President defeated in November — is to be accused, rightly so, of hypocrisy of the highest order.
As fellow blogger William Thornton (SBCPlodder) offered on my recent post about Gingrich: “The Evangelical church in America today is much like Esau, selling our birthright for a mess of pottage.” Before diving into the food that Gingrich keeps serving, Evangelicals would do well to take a closer look. The closer they look, the more they will realize that the red meat that Gingrich dangles is nothing more than rancid meat that’s not even fit for pottage!
Totally agree with Rich Lowry about Newt. He nailed it. He is the republican version of Clinton. Narcissistic.
“Why are so many Evangelical Christians enamored with Newt Gingrich’s candidacy?”
Here is my take. He is the only one really taking on Obama and the media. He is running against Obama more than the others….or it looks that way, at least. People like that. It’s the economy, stupid. Remember that? It worked. Newt remembers that, too. I think Evangelicals are more concerned about the current “Road to Serfdom” than they are with personal morals.
Obama is the socialistic/fascistic (in terms of government sponsored businesses) family man. Ironic, huh?
One of the biggest problems we have is that several decent possible candidates who believe in free markets don’t want to run.
What will I do if it comes down to Newt and Obama? Who would you have voted for if one had the vote in ancient Rome, Nero or Caligula? That about sums up our problem.
Lydia,
I’m not necessarily talking about Newt vs. Obama as opposed to Newt vs. anyone in the Republican Party. I am no fan of Mitt Romney, mainly because of his Mormonism, but he seems to have the character and the background in order to give Obama a run for his money. If Gingrich were the nominee, I think Obama would win in a landslide. I don’t see how Gingrich can win the nomination at this point. The next few weeks will be crucial for whether or not Gingrich bows out, although even if he does, it will be less than graceful. Hope you have a great weekend and Lord’s Day. God bless,
Howell
A few more states, and perhaps the Gingrich nightmare will be over.
Bill,
I’m not sure that a few states will do it. Gingrich has shown so much arrogance and hubris that he is liable to believe he can still win the nomination, even as he continues to lose elections to Romney. But, like you, I hope that the nightmare ends sooner rather than later. God bless,
Howell
I heard Gingrich in person Nov 30 at Tommy’s Ham House Town Hall in Greenville, S.C.
Ike Reighard and Richard Lee are SBC insiders who could tell you more about Gingrich, not to mention Nelson Price of Shorter College who now rules the institutiion like Putin does the Russia.
Here is the elephant in the room for Bryant Wright, Price in re the Gingrich candidacy. How do yall engage Giberson and Stephens reservations in the Anointed.
The Anointed takes the scalpel to Al Mohler among others and gets right down to the real Nitty Gritty.
Without the dimwitted world view Southern Baptists have created over the last 30 years, there is no fodder for the likes of Newt Gingrich.
So Ronnie Floyd, Richard Land, Mohler, Francis Schaeffer and Paul Pressler created this monstrous campaign; no fertile soil, no fodder, no audience to be demagogged without the likes of David Miller and the above, therefor no Newt Factor without the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC. Look in the mirror cause Newt Gingrich is you
Stephen,
Hope all is well with you in the new year. Good to hear from you. I think that the unquestioning intertwining of religion and politics in the last 30 years has, as you put it, provided a fertile soil for someone like Gingrich to grow. If conservative Evangelicals, particularly Southern Baptists, were to take a hard look at Gingrich — the man — their would be no way that they could reconcile his character with his leadership. If we say we believe our leaders must be men and women of character, then we cannot give politicians a pass just because they happen to belong to our political party or share our political beliefs. While I am certainly not comfortable with Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, at least he has been married to the same woman for over 40+ years and has not engaged (at least not reported, which it most likely would be) in multiple affairs. As the old saying goes, perhaps we (Evangelicals in general and SBs in particular, have been hoisted on our own petard. Hope you have a great week. God bless,
Howell
Don’t get me wrong, Howell, I think Gingrich will be a disaster as the nominee for a ton of reasons. What I think what some folks are doing, by supporting Newt, is trying to send a big message to Romney to turn right and start running against Obama.
I cannot get excited about any of them.
The bigger problem, as you highlight in this post, are the churches which are inviting Newt in and endosing him. FBCJax recently did this to my utter surprise.
Thanks Howell for your reply and Lydia for the news about FBC Jax. I was not aware of that. Will be some explaining to do by the pastor as well as the TEbows.
NPR Fresh Air tomorrow will have an expose on the Casino operator from Las Vegas who is funding Newt’s Campaign. Apparently he got his start with ties to the Chinese Mafia. Could be a scorcher and an end to Newt. Still Richard Lee and Ike Reighard have some explaining to do.
Still the fertile soil of the SBC as fallowed by Paul Pressler should be pursued. Nelson Price and Shorter College is the latest focal point. To that end hope Howell Scott engages the reservations of Giberson and Stephens in The Anointed; and Lydia and her friends at SBC Voices David Miller and others have the integrity to engage The Anointed as well.