That tubby, unlovable rogue Newt Gingrich is on a big roll. His poll ratings are surging ahead of the Florida primary next week. This despite the fact that almost everyone, even the good fellows at National Review, can see what a disastrous candidate he is. Gingrich has — this hardly needs saying — a terrible record in office, a long list of involvements in dodgy deals, an embarrassing private life, a dubious legacy as a man of ‘conservative principles’, and a deeply unpleasant face. (Sorry, but such things can matter in elections.)
For a good run-down of his failings, see here. Or, as a sample, look at this image flying around the internet:
No wonder the Democrats are upping their attacks on Newt’s rival Mitt Romney. They know that Newt the nominee would all but guarantee four more years of President Obama. (Not that Mitt represents much more of a threat, mind.) Republican voters, for their part, just seem to get bored and turn against whichever candidate happens to be winning.
Have American conservatives realised, like everyone else, that neither Romney or Gingrich has a coherent conservative philosophy or any real chance of reaching the White House? It feels at the moment as if they’ve decided they might as well make this election year a bit more fun — by sending in Gingrich rather than Romney — because he is at least the more entertaining cretin.
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