Newt’s many faults are discussed everywhere.
So it’s impressive how little people get Newt. Even while talking about him ad nauseum.
Newt’s actually a chemist, of a sort. His favored (and necessary) efforts are to turn politics into their most gaseous state, that is to say radicalized and unpredictable. Amorphous. In this sense he truly is the anti-Romney and vice versa.
As a chemist, Newton Leroy Gingrich’s accelerant always is expediency. Look at the major events of his life. Expediency defines him from his first divorce through his calamitous years as Speaker to now running against LBOs and runaway judges. (An old acquaintance helped write that 52 page whackadoodle thing; if our experience writing for Newt is any guide he skimmed the intro then scrawled “Good effort, keep pushing. Newt.”)
“Keep pushing”. That drive to impart motion to politics is vital to his appeal and limitations. Newt is immersed in the Movement but not really part of it. Newt’s never even been a conservative. We don’t mean like recent (duh) denunciations by NRO, Santorum, etc. Newt’s on the Right because it’s expedient – they were and remain more pliable to his politics of expedient radicalism.
“Keep pushing” (we have that across our own papers somewhere, too). When politics are radicalized, when consensus boundaries and expectations are shattered, Newt finds his natural environment. He’s free. Whether you were for Paul Ryan’s budget or against it details for little minds. Nor whether you bashed a plutocrat for LBOs. Use a cable debate host like rag doll to mop the floor with a false narrative? All yesterday’s used tissues. “Keep pushing.”
Here’s a story. Republicans had just taken over the House. All of DC was in shock. Newt’s myth that he, Haley and the Contract had anything to do it another expedient fib. It was a last minute photo opp that gathered little attention. A famous pollster later got sanctioned by his professional association for claiming he did polling showing voters even knew about the Contract (trust us, we were there).
Still, Newt was Speaker. And it was a sweet ride for those tagging along. The Washington Post reporter covering X affairs called. He asked did the Speaker-elect really mean he would abolish X Department/Agency? Jack, then on Newt’s staff, passed the call to the Stiftung.
The Stiftung had no idea. There hadn’t even been a meeting on the subject. So we pulled a number out of thin air and said “Z function could be done by 28 people.” (28 sounded better than something round like 100). We laughed hanging up the phone.
And so across the WaPo the next day was “Gingrich Proposes Radical Slashing X to 28 people.” Newt was delighted. He didn’t care about the details. The *atmosphere* of radicalism is what he craved, keeping everyone off balance, preserving final options for him alone. Newt used to keep pestering Jack Reed, then the new Chair of the House Commerce Committee (it hadn’t been split by Tauzin’s ego yet). “Jack, of course we’re going to abolish the Commerce Department, and Education. So pick your own trophy. What ex-Department do you want over your fireplace?” (True quotes).
“Keep pushing”.
A gaseous maelstrom for the sake of preserving his expediency. Others — if they are honest — can regale you of countless times 1/2 staff would be pushing A legislation only to discover Newt personally cut a deal and promised interest groups B. *Everyone* is off balance but the most unbalanced of all.
The coup against Newt wasn’t just about some big egos ruffled. Reliance on expediency means Newt’s congenitally unable to govern – a staff, a majority or a House. It’s true he came up with 10 ideas a day, 7 looney, 2 iffy, one interesting. But all of that is symptomatic of his transcendent need to be unfettered by consequence, unbound by impact on others. Which also means his choice of Vice President should he be the nominee is critical — it’s almost guaranteed there will be something akin to a mutiny or coup in any Gingrich Administration. His final Gotterdammerung, perhaps.
“Keep pushing”.
When seen in this light, of course Newt in DC would call Marianne at home and tell her “I love you” while enduring the quiet ministrations of Callista. It’s not like there was a cigar, you know.
It’s tempting to say that Newton is essentially still an 11 year old boy. All of us and life itself are props for his fantasy narrative, in which he overcomes all dangers to save his People, slay evil (and thus redeem his expediency and win the (next) girl). Solopsism? We’ll leave the diagnosis to You Know Who. It was noteworthy to see him in South Carolina election night equating himself to Ronald Reagan, whom he demoted as ‘a B actor who starred with chimps’.
The Faustian bargain Newt seeks to close is different than 1994. There, as mentioned, his Speakership was an after thought, the Contract meaningless in the election. Here he wants the deal signed and sealed on the grandest possible American stage. His appeal to “keep pushing”, to “destroy”, “revolutionize”, “remake”, “dramatically overhaul” promises not just electoral victory.
Some supporting him don’t actually have a great deal of faith in pluralistic democracy or find caveats to render results ‘fraudulent’. What Newt’s selling is a dream. His siren call? “Imagine a future public theater (the election) *and* compelling hated institutions (the media Hollywood, etc) to document and concede their defeat.” Newt’s facility articulating this is because he’s asking them to join the joyride of his own 11 year old’s inner narrative.
“Keep pushing”. And together we will stand over the political corpses of hated psychological archetypes (an African American president of modest achievement, few convictions and little actual political will). That he will then turn on them hasn’t occurred to them at all.
DrLeoStrauss says
@Sam Lowry re two and out vs long slow glide, your words came to mind watching The Daily Show. It used to be lacerating. Now, it’s moving towards vaguely comforting. If it becomes The Jay Leno Show for the next generation – that’s a nice, long fade.
Sam Lowry says
Chapelle certainly dominated the pop culture space 2004-6. Phrases and references to skits from his show popped up in conversations with a very diverse cross section of people. Part of me wanted him to do another season or two. Probably best he didn’t, though. Better to burn out than to rust, and all.
Sam Lowry says
Oh….I suppose we’ll have plenty of time to review all of Newt’s “accomplishments” when we’re chillin’ out on Newt’s Moon Colony (via TPM) !
Or, a shorter version comes from Dave Chapelle’s Black Bush: Mars, Bitchez! The United States of Space!!
Dr Leo Strauss says
Really neat to see how ahead of his time Chappelle was. Even though subject-matter dated, the energy and glee seem fresh even now.
Newt’s been persistent about Mars at least — he was pushing for an X Prize of some billions for anyone who got to Mars first from the 1980s and 1990s. How they were to receive the prize once they got stuck on Mars, less clear.
The society most likely to take on such authority-enhancing technological showpieces will be Asia. Newt’s wasting his time insulting cable news hosts. He should he camping in Beijing, Hong Kong and Seoul. Showing clips from that show!
sglover says
I was profoundly moved by Hope’n’Change’s new plea: If only America were a little more like the army, it’d be SO much easier to get things done! Who can argue with that?
Dr Leo Strauss says
Hi old friend, his army reference was revealing wasn’t it? Have often wondered why I Am Fighting For The Middle Class 24-7 even wants a second term. Aside from vanity.
DrLeoStrauss says
@metasonix The WSJ opinion page rips you off and calls the fields losers deserving to lose.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203806504577178594236642420.html
DrLeoStrauss says
Last nite’s snoozer debate in Florida did produce comedic moments if one kept awake to hear. For instance, Newt’s self-aggrandizing list of historical accomplishments not only includes ‘helping to defeat Communism’ as a obscure congressional back bencher wholly unconnected to Reagan’s policies (and assuming Reagan’s policies were in fact proximate cause).
Last nite, he also took credit for helping to shape Jack Kemp’s economic world view (laughable to those who were around JK at the time). Newt also claimed he helped Arthur Laffer invent his infamous Laffer curve (for supply side economics, famously debuted on a napkin).
Where might he go next?
“Momma Mia’ is after all is ringtone . . .
Aldershot says
Pink!? Truly, a man for all seasons.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Aldershot Oh, sorry for being a buzz kill! [autotune] Let’s get this party started . . . [/autotune]
Acela Express, cafe car is open!
Dr Leo Strauss says
Point taken, that really is the damning critique,
Aldershot says
Killjoy. I wanna get on the Newt train!
But over the last couple months, your semi-recent post on Newt and his scatter-brained handling of that six-sigma type meeting, where he was changing the program half-way through, kept surfacing in my mind. And now this.
metasonix says
What amazes me is not Newt’s behaviour. Opportunistic bastards have always existed. If America were a “vital” nation, I would expect him to have 28 different rivals, at least one of them willing to order up hit-men to have Newt assassinated.
Instead, what are his rivals? Romney and Santorum. The former is a snotty frat boy who can’t ad-lib, the latter is so stupid I seriously wonder if he needs help to go to the toilet.
Washington is getting fat and complacent in its old age.