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The Spectacle Blog
Yesterday, the editors at National Review Online put out a memo imploring the conservative populace at large not cast its fate, much less its vote for Newt Gingrich.
And make no mistake. It was an anti-Gingrich editorial. If you visit their main page today you will be greeted by large, not so friendly red letters which read, “Against Gingrich.”
While the editorial is clear in its stand against Gingrich, it isn’t so clear who they are for. They also ruled out endorsing Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul leaving us with Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney. Well, unless Santorum surges in Iowa or Huntsman is the hunt in New Hampshire, I doubt they will waste an endorsement on either of those candidates. Which leaves us with Mitt Romney.
Or does it?
We will render further judgments in the weeks to come as the candidates continue to make their cases and are, just perhaps, joined by new candidates.
Well, it looks to me that the editorial board is looking for a Knight in Shining Armor to rescue them from their distress. But I hate to break it to them. Paul Ryan isn’t riding in on a white horse. Bobby Jindal won’t be hitching a saddle. Mike Pence isn’t behind Door Number Three and there will be no Mitch Daniels to offer a truce. The GOP field is what it is. Which means that NRO will do as they did in 2008 and endorse Mitt Romney. But it will be a reluctant endorsement. And Republican primary voters just might have other ideas.
A TRUE Consevative | 12.15.11 @ 4:30PM
My Doctor say's I am Seriously Mentally ill, but guess what?, I CAN VOTE!, and there is no way I am voting for a RINO or a Home Wrecker. I didn't join the Tea Party for the Free Coffee or Doughnuts(Although they help) , but to send this Kenyan Marxist back to Chicago with his tail between his legs.The 'Establishment' calls us Tea Party Patriots all sorts of derogatory names, say's were on a 'Crazy Train', well guess what than, I plan on riding this Bad Boy 'Off The Rails' if need be, I already eat out of garbage cans rather than take 'Govt. Assistance', you think those Black Helicopters and Predator Drones you keep following me with is gonna stop me?
teflon93| 12.15.11 @ 4:42PM
It's not a "reluctant endorsement"---Ponnuru, Lowry, Krikorian, Lopez, Hanson, French, and Trinko have been beating the drum for Romney for weeks and weeks.Ponnuru and Lowry write the editorials.
teflon93| 12.15.11 @ 4:43PM
And Ponnuru endorsed Romney in an article entitled "Mitt's The One".
teflon93| 12.15.11 @ 4:43PM
And Ponnuru endorsed Romney in an article entitled "Mitt's The One".
WJ| 12.15.11 @ 5:22PM
This web site is quite pathetic. All they can do is support Gingrich because he is in the GOP establishment????? Are you kidding me. Fat Newt is the epitome of GOP establishment. Ron Paul is anti establishment but according to the pseudo intellectuals on this site, he is un-suitable.
You are pushing a nominee that can't win (Newt) and you are going to give us 4 more years of Obama. Four more years of Obama's DOJ attacking Arizona for trying to protect it's citizens.
Of course the candidate you like would probably agree with the DOJ and it's love of illegal aliens.
Dan| 12.15.11 @ 6:18PM
Well, if the Newtster is the "epitome" of the establishment, then why is the establishment trying to ram as many shivs as they can into his flesh.
A house divided........... ANY house divided against itself cannot stand. So rest assured, it's not because Newt is one of them that they're trying to kill him off.
Their antibodies IDENTIFY Newt in a visceral way as NOT ONE OF THEM, which explains their unhinged fury at the thought of his nomination.
Newt they won't be able to control.
Romney meanwhile has already sold his soul to ingratiate himself with that establishment.
This is appalling.
I don't think I can vote for Romney in a general. There are too many foul forces behind him, too many unhinged supposed Conservatives who have been bought off, such as Romney's own house radio host.
This is appalling.
Interested Conservative| 12.15.11 @ 5:40PM
I am stumped by the anti-Newt vitriol. I understand the enthusiasm for Rep. Paul (or enthusiasm for almost any candidate), but the personal animus behind the attacks on Newt from the conservative side is fascinating.
The only similar episode, and a small one, I recall is the nomination of Sen. Tower as SecDef. At least that had some sinister undertones to it (IIRC - drinking?!?).
I understand an ideological case against Newt, and even extended, but milder, critiques.
But the guy is hardly an apostate, there's nothing hidden, and it's hard to imagine what else could drop.
The more this goes on, the more he becomes the anti-establishment candidate - an opportunity which I suspect even he didn't foresee and is only lately trying to exploit. It's certainly there.
Bob Grant| 12.15.11 @ 5:53PM
I agree . They are playing right into Newts hands. He could, if so desired, re-invent himself as THE anti-establishment guy because of the piling on against him and wage a holy war within the party.
He could pull it off because of his superior intellect but his inner demons (which NRO alludes to in the piece) could sabotage him, the party, the election, and therefore the chance to remove the dictator from office.
A big risk supporting this guy. Which, I guess, is the point of the article.
Interested Conservative| 12.15.11 @ 7:00PM
I suppose - no risk, no reward.
I have nothing against Gov. Romney, but the reverse is too true also - how is he compelling, daring, exciting or demanding?
Al Adab| 12.15.11 @ 5:53PM
Very sad to watch as National Review forgets it was Rockefeller and Romney along with a few others who so opposed the Conservative Movement from its inception. That the son could receive support given the fathers' positions regarding Conservatives and their co-founder Goldwater, as well as Georges' views about NR itself is beyond belief. The eastern establishment accomodationist wing of the GOP has betrayed the Movement time and again and led us to defeat after defeat. Can we not remember and repeat the words that Everett Dirksen spoke to Thomas Dewey, "Twice we have followed you down the road to defeat. We will not follow you again."
Clint| 12.15.11 @ 5:58PM
Gingrich And Romney Are Serial Traitors To Conservatism.
We Are Being Set Up By The RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges.
These Are The RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges Who Gave Us The Serial Traitor To Conservatism, John McCain Of McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy,McCain-Lieberman,Gang Of 14, Opposing Bush Tax Cuts Of 2001 & 2003,TARP.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.
Interested Conservative| 12.15.11 @ 7:54PM
1 - Speaker who legislated 4 years running of balanced budgets, after leading the effort to retake the house after a 40 year drought.
2 - GOP governor of Massachusetts - think it could be in play in a presidential race?
What does TEA stand for anyway?
Conservative Bob| 12.15.11 @ 6:39PM
The GOP establishment and the press in concert with the Obama regime are seeking to select our candidate for us.
No one has cast a vote yet!
Do not be pushed by the talking heads or the "experts". We are selecting the candidate we feel will best lead this country back to sanity, not the candidate that will best preserve their gravy train.
The fools (elites) of both parties have brought us to this sorry place in our history, why would we listen to them about anything?
Let’s see who actually can win primaries and build momentum. The pendant class and the camp followers hope to push this to a conclusion before any of us lesser beings from fly over country cast a single ballot.
MikeN| 12.15.11 @ 7:14PM
What if Tim Pawlenty reenters his name into the race?
Bob Grant| 12.15.11 @ 7:31PM
Would that be a philosophical question like the tree falling in the forest?
Brandon | 12.15.11 @ 8:24PM
Thanks for writing this. I am so fed up with all these Beltway insiders attacking Newt for his "conservative heresies." So the guy isn't a total ideologue and hasn't uniformly and mindlessly march in lock-step with righty philosophy. He's an independent thinker who's idea are consistently, for 30 years, to the right of center. Basically, he's in line with country in that sense. And he has the kind of bombast to tackle great problems. That's a good thing. I love Hume, Krauthammer, Victor Davis Hansen, George Will...all those cats. But they need to pipe it. They always talk about how big Newt's ego is. Well, they all have egoes too, which has a lot to do with why they can't stomach him. They want to be the smartest guy in the room. But guess what, Newt is. It's his time to shine and I'm on board.
PCP Smoker| 12.15.11 @ 8:45PM
I read The American Spectator. NRO's brand of conservatism doesn't suit me anymore.
Nite| 12.15.11 @ 9:18PM
The National Review article irked me to no end. Governor Rick Perry was our Governor until last June, when we moved to Florida. He has been an excellent Governor in TX. He is a staunch conservative, pro-life, pro-military, defense hawk, small government, secure the borders, and I will tell you that the cost of living is MUCH lower in TX and wages are considerably higher than Florida. In fact we were not hit with a lot of the problems of other states. I can't imagine why National Review would take that very ugly tone and trash a good conservative. The candidates they are pushing don't have the experience and I don't consider them electable. Just my opinion.
Jeff Powell| 12.15.11 @ 9:25PM
Whew! I'm so glad NRO pointed out all Newt's heresies and inconsistencies. It certainly makes it clear that we all must support Romney or Huntsman, the true conservative candidates.
Why, I'm sure NRO would have mentioned if Mitt had actually declared himself to be a progressive, down-played his party affiliation, then worked to enact socialized medicine in Massachusetts. Or if Huntsman had abandoned his party and governorship to become Obama's pet Republican in China. Goodness knows no true conservative or Republican worth their salt would do such things!
NRO has much to be proud of! I wouldn't be surprised if they started receiving "strange new respect" from the MSM and David Frum as a result of their evolved brand of conservatism!