The Republicans: Perpetually Lacking an Alternative
Published in Dagens Nyheter
(Sweden) on 28 November 2011
by Gunnar Jonsson (link to original)
(Sweden) on 28 November 2011
by Gunnar Jonsson (link to original)
Translated from
by Grace Olaison.
Edited by Heidi Kaufmann.
The USA’s Republicans are still on the hunt for Anyone-But-Romney — any presidential candidate but the boring Mormon turncoat, Mitt Romney. According to opinion polls, it seems the grassroots have found a Messiah in Newt Gingrich.
In some ways Gingrich is not a bad alternative. Stupid he certainly is not, rather too intelligent for his own good (with a tendency to consider everybody else as idiots). However, he can debate history, foreign policy crises and American health care without stumbling, qualities that the other non-Romneys seem to be sorely lacking.
Gingrich is a minor legend within his own party. His “Contract with America” gave a colossal victory in the congressional vote of 1994 and forced Bill Clinton to start over with his presidency. However, it was also here that the problems began: that which was perceived to be hyperconservative in the ‘90s is wishy-washy liberalism among today’s Republicans.
The deportation of 11 million illegal immigrants is the doctrine of the party, but Gingrich considers this to be inhumane. He called the Republicans’ budget proposals right-wing social engineering. Until recently he even believed that climate change was real. When the tea party movement discovers what Gingrich thinks, he’ll be in deep trouble.
He doesn’t have an entirely spot-free past either. Congress imposed on him sky-high fines for financial improprieties in the ‘90s. Furthermore, two out of three marriages have crashed and burned due to infidelities, which were even happening when he attempted to get Clinton removed for dishonorable conduct.
Last summer, Gingrich was almost knocked out of the game. His election organization was described as a Cadillac campaign on a Bud Light budget, and the entire staff resigned. Gingrich still has just as little money as the discipline a candidate must have.
As rapidly as he opens his mouth to impart new ideas, he manages to stick his foot in it. Calling Obama’s Democrats a “secular socialist machine” as dangerous as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was not believed by conservative analysts to be especially clever.
Gingrich as a presidential candidate could probably be an entertaining but definitely reckless project. President Gingrich sounds utterly terrifying.
In some ways Gingrich is not a bad alternative. Stupid he certainly is not, rather too intelligent for his own good (with a tendency to consider everybody else as idiots). However, he can debate history, foreign policy crises and American health care without stumbling, qualities that the other non-Romneys seem to be sorely lacking.
Gingrich is a minor legend within his own party. His “Contract with America” gave a colossal victory in the congressional vote of 1994 and forced Bill Clinton to start over with his presidency. However, it was also here that the problems began: that which was perceived to be hyperconservative in the ‘90s is wishy-washy liberalism among today’s Republicans.
The deportation of 11 million illegal immigrants is the doctrine of the party, but Gingrich considers this to be inhumane. He called the Republicans’ budget proposals right-wing social engineering. Until recently he even believed that climate change was real. When the tea party movement discovers what Gingrich thinks, he’ll be in deep trouble.
He doesn’t have an entirely spot-free past either. Congress imposed on him sky-high fines for financial improprieties in the ‘90s. Furthermore, two out of three marriages have crashed and burned due to infidelities, which were even happening when he attempted to get Clinton removed for dishonorable conduct.
Last summer, Gingrich was almost knocked out of the game. His election organization was described as a Cadillac campaign on a Bud Light budget, and the entire staff resigned. Gingrich still has just as little money as the discipline a candidate must have.
As rapidly as he opens his mouth to impart new ideas, he manages to stick his foot in it. Calling Obama’s Democrats a “secular socialist machine” as dangerous as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was not believed by conservative analysts to be especially clever.
Gingrich as a presidential candidate could probably be an entertaining but definitely reckless project. President Gingrich sounds utterly terrifying.