And it still won’t end. Neither Romney nor Gingrich left any rhetorical or robo call tactical nuclear device undetonated. Every canine in the American Southeast has tinnitus from the whistles. There’s no ’11’ on the dial. It’s astonishing.
In one sense it’s 2008 again but not HRC/Boy King. Huckabee recall took his grudge match with McCain to the bitter-most end. And he got a sweet TV deal and a new Florida bling-worthy crib out of it. Not bad for a few months of real work.
Newt’s already outside the Huckabee zone, denouncing justifiably the (remarkably feeble) ‘Republican establishment’. Besides, Fox wouldn’t be the end goal. Newt’s closing in on 70 and got ‘F U’ money already. And Ailes for his part has Glenn Beck’s rise and fall as fresh, cautionary memory. Although, Newt probably could rock a blackboard into Salvador Dali territory.
So how far can pique take Newt? He declared in his defiant (but undeniably weaker from exhaustion) election night he’s going on to every state. The New Newt MK XX’s a populist now. And wants moderates and Democrats (?) to join him. It’s so ON with the ‘Establishment’.
Veteran Newt watchers can place bets on how soon he petulantly turns on ‘Republicans’ in general. A small line, easily crossed any morning with a low sugar balance. From there, Americans themselves are unworthy of his genius? That only he can reclaim ‘American Civilization’ by ‘revolution’? He’s already thinking that right now.
What we wonder is what’s left for Romney or Gingrich to say? What attack left unsaid? What sleezy robo call unmade?
The Romney and Newt Florida election nite speeches make clear it’s Newt who retains the initiative to further radicalization. He alone would unhesitatingly hand out gasoline with glee. To burn his last bridge behind. How embarrassing should he discover he’s down to his last match. And simply whiffs out.
What do you think? Will Newt bow to traditional political realities? Or pursue his radicalism to its internally logical end?