1964 Redux: I wonder how the weather is in Costa Rica?

[theoldwolf]

I remember clearly the horrifying moment in 1963 when I learned that Kennedy had been assassinated. I was in a taxi, coming home from school in Connecticut for Thanksgiving vacation. I remember just as clearly my mother's saying the following year, "If Goldwater wins the election, we're moving to Switzerland."

It's almost to that point again.

Recent news, at least according to the spinners:

1. Perry out, endorses Newt Gingrich.
   
2. 100 tea party leaders to endorse Newt Gingrich.
   
3. Newt Gingrich claims ex-wife's revelations are "old news."
   
4. Iowa caucus results were actually a toss-up.
   
5. Newt actually leading in South Carolina's polls.
   
6. Newt says, "If I win South Carolina, I'm the Nom."

Hqiz. The thought of Newt Gingrich in the Oval Office is enough to make me eye retirement in a lovely Latin American paradise where my pension would be enough to live on. I mean, it truly, really terrifies me.

I'm not saying Mitt Romney is the perfect alternative here, even though I support him at the moment. I'd rather see Ron Paul in office, but he's not perfect either, and I don't feel in my heart of hearts that he has a viable shot. But Newt Gingrich scares the hell out of me.

This is the man who told young Republicans, "I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don't encourage you to be nasty." And by the silken breast of Mogg's mother, this man is the poster boy for nasty. To quote Don Monkerud, "True to his word, Newt Gingrich and a group of his right-wing cronies reshaped the Republican Party, gained control of Congress in 1994, and pursued a mean-spirited extremist agenda aimed at issues like eliminating Federal nutrition standards for public school meals and stymieing a meat inspection system designed to protect the public from deadly E. coli bacteria. He led the Republicans in attacking Medicare and Medicaid and attempted to overturn clean air, clean water, and all environmental regulation. He denounced the Environmental Protection Agency as the '"Gestapo," drastically cut taxes for billionaires, and refused to raise the minimum wage to $5.25 an hour." This is not a man who will work to build a world that works for everyone, with no one left out. In the past, I've always been willing to say that I may not have voted for the man but I respect the office. For Newt Gingrich, I'd be willing to make an exception.

Looking at history, it would be jejune of me to think that the political leaders of my country should be held to a higher moral standard than those they govern, but I do it anyway. It's what I expect. We're all flawed, but I want those who sit at that desk in that office to walk a higher road than the rest of us, because in any organization, attitude starts at the top. I'm not blaming Gingrich for being divorced, it can happen to any one. Me included. And, there is a right way and a wrong way to end a relationship. You do not carry on an affair while you're married, you do not bring your girlfriend into your wife's bedroom, and you do not propose before your divorce is final. This guy has all the morals of the chicken crap I just scraped off my feet after going out to gather the eggs. It makes me shudder.

The scariest part is that there are fellow members of my country out there willing to throw money at this guy. The only conceivable reason is that if he were elected, they would stand to benefit in some way. A passage in the Book of Mormon relates, "Now those who were in favor of kings were those of high birth, and they sought to be kings; and they were supported by those who sought power and authority over the people." And that about sizes it up.

I'm tired of being run by other people's money. It's nothing new... it's the way of the world. But it's time for a change. So as much as I'd like to turn my back on our stinking, corrupt political system and live a life of peaceful hermitage, my country deserves more. Which is why I support the movement to Occupy the Courts, and change the constitution of our nation to declare unequivocally that money is not speech, and corporations are not people.

All across our nation, on January 21st, 2012, people will be gathering at courthouses - including the Supreme Court - to voice support for this concept. I'm behind them. If I'm not at the courthouse in Salt Lake, it will only be because I'm not feeling well right now, but if I can be, I will be there. As a country, we deserve much more than leaders who are elected by virtue of the moneyed corporations with very specific agendas for legislation. We the people are not happy, we the people are speaking, and those who walk the halls of power had better be listening.

Comments

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Many conservatives sound awfully confident, but I'm not convinced that anyone can prevent Obama's reelection. And that scares me.

I'll add to your concerns Gingrich's age. It recently came to my attention that he's as old as Reagan was at the start of Term 1. Younger than Dole in '96 and McCain in '08, but still past conventional retirement age. For such a busy job, I want someone who won't have to nap midday.

[tarinfirepelt.livejournal.com]

@ Deckard
They used that age argument against Reagan and he was one of the most active presidents out there. Obama on the other hand cant be bothered to do a thing except play golf and let other people lead while he takes the credit (and they the blame).

As Reagan said to Mondale in the famous debate "I will not bring age into the campaign. I will not take advantage of my opponents youth and inexperience." ;)

I fear as you do though about Obama's reelection. The only hope i have is that most of the damned fools that elected him in the first place are the students that are sitting with no hopes of employment courtesy of his recession. I pray they learned the lesson. But too many I see in the Occupy crowd now.

Once a Myrmidon, always a myrmidon.

@Old Wolf.
I am afraid that there is nobody perfect in the race. I gave my views on Romney earlier but I will vote for him over Obama. Newt is not my first choice either but I have hope that the old Newt that defeated Clinton in 94 and forced him into moderation will come out. Newt's rhetoric in the debates has me hopeful on this. We need someone who will take out the machete on the budget or we WILL go bankrupt. I like Santorum but I dont think he can win. Cain was my first choice, but even he was flawed with weak Foreign policy experience. That sexual harassment crap they ran him out with I dont believe for a second.

The quote you have here on Newt has to be taken in context with the time. Clinton had just tried what Obama succeeded in. And the Bush Senior spent like the moderate republican he is also. The budget was way the hell out of whack and Newt and the Freshman congress did what too few politicians will do. They made hard choices and cut where they had to and didn't spend unless it was necessary. And all those cuts and refusals to spend, were done in areas that the private sector could handle.

This is the man who told young Republicans, "I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don't encourage you to be nasty." And by the silken breast of Mogg's mother, this man is the poster boy for nasty.

We need someone nasty to stand up and fight for our constitution. Bush Jr ran that compassionate conservatism BS and got walked all over and blamed for every mistake other people made because he refused to fight. That is what Newt means, that is what he did, and that is something I totally support because I am tired of being called a neo-con nazi, which is reality nasty, because my leadership refuses to fight and defend my philosophy when the liberals lie and distort it and make me out as an inhumane bastard. I am very concerned Mick wont do this. He has been reaching across the aisle a few too many times and the likes of Pelosi and Reed are such extreme socialists you just need to defeat them, not compromise.

[tarinfirepelt.livejournal.com]

Let me pick apart the quote. Sorry to go on like this but the more I read it, the more it irritates me.

To quote Don Monkerud, "True to his word, Newt Gingrich and a group of his right-wing cronies reshaped the Republican Party, gained control of Congress in 1994, and pursued a mean-spirited extremist agenda

I want to throttle Hziq-holes that call the Republican agenda mean spirited. Is it mean spirited to want people to be able to support themselves rather then make them slaves to the welfare state? Sometimes parents have to kick their freeloading kids out of the basement and force them to grow up. Do they do it out of hate? The kids may kick and scream saying so but the parents did it out of love. Conservative like myself want people to support themselves and unfortunately the only way to do this is often to eliminate the programs that are enslaving those "children" who wont grow up. Its called tough love. It also is morally correct as the government has to take money from others to feed those who refuse to grow up. THAT is unfair and the real mean spiritedness comes when the producers like me holler at being overtaxed and are called greedy bastards because we protest our hard earned labor going to those that sit online and play WoW 12 hours a day.

Those with real disabilities BTW are not who I am talking about. They deserve help. Though I prefer it through charity.

aimed at issues like eliminating Federal nutrition standards for public school meals

Should be the domain of the state. Read the 10th amendment.

and stymieing a meat inspection system designed to protect the public from deadly E. coli bacteria.

I honestly dont remember the specifics of this but I dont remember widespread outbreaks of e-coli despite the predictions of the overdramatic.

He led the Republicans in attacking Medicare and Medicaid

He lead the attempt to REFORM medicare and medicaid in an attempt to avoid the insolvency crisis where we are now. We knew it was coming 20 years ago. It would have been a hell of a lot cheaper to fix it then. But the politicians elected to kick the can and here we are now.

and attempted to overturn clean air, clean water, and all environmental regulation.

At the time I was living in Western Kentucky. Those bills were ravaging the mining industry in the region that was the backbone of the local economy (About the only economy in Western Kentucky). HUGE unemployment rates and mine closures all over. They needed to be overhauled and written in a way that recognized economic reality and didn't shut down all of Appalachia. Or eliminated completely and again put to the states as per the 10th amendment.

Just take a look at how the Obama Administration is abusing the EPA powers in the Southwest and you can see why that agency needs to go. Let the states handle it. Most of their regs are more stringent than federal standards anyhow.

He denounced the Environmental Protection Agency as the '"Gestapo,"

See above. It WAS being run by some real eco-fanatic Clinton appointees at the time.

drastically cut taxes for billionaires,

You know as well as I why you cut taxes on the rich. Unlike poor people they have the spare money to invest, which grows the stock market, which grows jobs.

and refused to raise the minimum wage to $5.25 an hour."

Minimum wage increases cost jobs as the employers cut minimum wagers to readjust for their payroll limitations. They then cause inflation as the market readjusts to the artificial influx of more money, which destroys the spending power of everyone who didn't get a raise. Therefore no MW raise as it would inhibit job growth, devalue the currency and raise inflation. Economics 100.

[tarinfirepelt.livejournal.com]

This is not a man who will work to build a world that works for everyone, with no one left out.

I totally disagree. By not kowtowing to special interest legislation (Which is not benefitting everyone by definition) and making broad covering bills, he IS working for worlds that work for everyone.

change the constitution of our nation to declare unequivocally that money is not speech, and corporations are not people.

I can not disagree with you any more strongly here. The solution is not to limit speech. The solution is to watch you politicians like a hawk, and if they are corruptly influenced by this form of speech, vote them out of office. NEVER limit the speech of the whole because of the misdeeds of the few. Particularly when the solution is already there.



Gosh it sounds like I am a Gingritch supporter. I am not. I am just offering my pragmatic view when I have to hold my nose and pull the lever again. My vote is still pretty simple. Anyone but Obama.

The primaries will be decided by the time the New Mexico Primary comes around so its all a moot point for me. >:( Gotta vote the locals and knock our democratic federal senator out of office though to get Reed out of the way.

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

I, on the other hand, sound somewhat like a liberal, which I'm not. But I'm firmly convinced that something must be done to limit the power of corporations in the political process, because they are not the people who invest in them. They are run by boards of directors and executives who profit massively and obscenely from the people whom they exploit, and contribute massively to candidates who can be bought and influenced to legislate on their behalf. This is not government by the people, it's government by capital, and is not what our constitution guarantees. Removing corporate influence in politics is in no way limiting speech, which is guaranteed to individuals only. The decision guaranteeing corporate personhood was an abortion, funded by and purchased by the corporate world.

[tarinfirepelt.livejournal.com]

I still think the solution is in throwing out the politicians, but I am in complete agreement in the fact that big money is corrupting the process. As are all the other lobby groups.

On a seperate note. Did you see Newt tear the CNN moderator a new ass-hole in the debate? About time someone stood up to those jackals.

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

He pretty much owned the whole debate with that one move. If I were a politician, God forbid, I'd probably come back with something like, "Well, Mr. Rohner, I talked to your parole officer yesterday and he told me that you've started beating your wife again. Would you care to comment on that?"

Asshats all around.