David Brooks dutifully attempts to put lipstick on the pig —
Of all the major Republicans, the one who comes closest to my worldview is Newt Gingrich. Despite his erratically shifting views and odd phases, he continually returns to this core political refrain: He talks about using government in energetic but limited ways to increase growth, dynamism and social mobility.
However, there are places even a professional GOP shill like Bobo won’t go.
So why am I not more excited by the Gingrich surge?
In the first place, Gingrich loves government more than I do. He has no Hayekian modesty to restrain his faith in statist endeavor. For example, he has called for “a massive new program to build a permanent lunar colony to exploit the Moon’s resources.†He has suggested that “a mirror system in space could provide the light equivalent of many full moons so that there would be no need for nighttime lighting of the highways.â€
Seriously?
At least Brooks, in this instance, appears to be honest about what he thinks, from within his little bubble. And given the whacko set of characters from which to choose, Gingrich probably does sound the most reasonable to him. The strange circumlocutions of Newt’s mind have kind of a simpatico with the similar insular strangeness one usually hears from Brooks. The music they make together is ugly, but at least it’s music, of sorts.
I think Gingrich’s idea of colonizing the moon for the purpose of extracting materials at least belongs in the category of Serious Ideas Worthy of Debate. Saw a show on cable about a year ago, detailing all the mineral wealth that’s there, and the various ways people envision for retrieving it. There were a lot of people (John Glenn among them) who were very disappointed in Obama’s decision to focus NASA toward Mars (and other heavenly bodies) and away from the moon. I don’t know what Obama’s reasoning was – did he feel that the moon was close enough and lucrative enough, and that private enterprise was developed enough to achieve its exploration without government help? or what – I wish I knew.
The other idea about space mirrors to light our highways is pretty whacko to me. On the other hand, there are serious people advocating space mirrors to focus and beam the sun’s energy to collectors on earth for electric generation, which is probably what Newt was referring to but mangled the concept in his mind.
Here is the ever insipid Brooks describing part of his core philosophy:
“But how you believe something is as important as what you believe. It doesn’t matter if a person shares your overall philosophy. If that person doesn’t have the right temperament and character, stay away.”
And that explains both Bobo and his verbal and written stylings – which could put a kilo of cocaine to sleep.
He wants to have the “right” temperament and character.
Btw – I’m starting to hear the cries from Conservatives that “Romney’s a Socialist,” and that ‘Newt’s too Liberal!’
Mitt isn’t a Socialist.
He’s a narcissist. And he loves himself no matter what position he takes, even if it’s the opposite of the position he held the day before.
And Newt isn’t too Liberal – neither is he too Conservative.
What he is, is a perfect Nihilist – with sociopathic narcissistic tendencies.
But then, aren’t all Nihilists?
Newt is a Selfist.
Newt is a loose cannon. Hopefully he’ll get the nomination, go down to crashing defeat (exposed by Obama as the empty bombast that we all know him to be) and become, forever, political wallpaper.
So why am I not more excited by the Gingrich surge?
You’re not as stupid as you look?
[Gingrich] has no Hayekian modesty to restrain his faith in statist endeavor.
Wait, never mind.
Aren’t conservatives supposed to give a damn about a person’s character? I seem to recall certain conservatives like, I don’t know, maybe Newt Gingrich or David Brooks expressing concerns about Bill Clinton’s character. So, worldview aside, shouldn’t it matter that Newt Gingrich is a shameless asshole who would trade his last shred of integrity, if he had one, for a blowjob? From my own observations I’m reasonably convinced that Barack Obama isn’t a dick, and I hope David Brooks would agree. Shouldn’t that matter?
http://www.youtube.com/user/JibJab#p/c/599028BDEB04B409/2/kVFdAJRVm94
Have a laugh or two with this.
“he has called for “a massive new program to build a permanent lunar colony to exploit the Moon’s resources”
Sounds like an excellent idea, and Newt would be just the guy to head the effort, onsite!
Going mildly OT with Moonbat, the colonization of the moon is a good idea, but not under a wingnut formula of making public the enormous cost, and private any potential profit. The sure winners in space exploration are private companies, almost always related to defense industries with the connections that go with it. Private companies are now inventing cheaper ways of delivering humans to sub-orbital space. I’m encouraged by this approach because cousins of the defense industry will sell the most expensive solution they can devise. The international space station should be the ‘dock’ where a lunar ‘bus’ stops so passengers and perhaps minerals change planes to vehicles designed to return to earth. With that infrastructure in place, a lunar colony becomes feasible, though it would not turn a profit for a long time. Any company who wants to ‘play’ should pay a commission on anything they mine, and submit to safety and ecological rules established and adapted to changing circumstances. Again, this encourages innovation by private business without allowing reckless exploitation.
“I think Gingrich’s idea of colonizing the moon for the purpose of extracting materials at least belongs in the category of Serious Ideas Worthy of Debate.”
The Chinese have expressed an interest in dragging mineral-rich asteroids to Earth orbit for mining. It would be a shame if our technological inferiors beat us to such activities.
But, we are now in “bizarro world”. Any reasonable idea GOP a candidate has is 100% likely to vilified (e.g. Perry and Gardisil, or Huntsman on (initially!) climate change); any horrible, awful, hateful idea– and I’m sure Newt has as many of those as the next candidate– will be “red meat” for the plebes.
Newt is another “flash in the pan”, though– Cain just quit based on women problems; Newt has those PLUS Freddie Mac. I’d LOVE to see Obama vs the amphibian, but I think it’ll be Mittens, a harder target to beat.
I actually kinda like that solar-mirrors idea, and I’m not sure why I’ve seen so many people on both sides of the blogosphere act like it was an insane suggestion. Interesting bit of lateral thinking, IMHO.
Gingrich is the most self absorbed politician I’ve ever seen…and he has a genuine knack for deflecting reality through the art of double speak…When asked about recieving 1.8 million from Freddie Mac for his “historical” consultations he said,..”Oh no, I didn’t recieve that money..it was the Gingrich group who was paid that money” So what’s he saying?..Casper got a some of the lucre?
You can’t justify paying somebody that kind of money for anything that Newt has to offer..so in other words..it’s as good as stolen money that Newt ripped off from the American taxpayers.
Got to listen to Brooks talk about his article on NPR yesterday. Why oh why? Can’t they find ANYONE else?
“I actually kinda like that solar-mirrors idea, and I’m not sure why I’ve seen so many people on both sides of the blogosphere act like it was an insane suggestion.”
Most people do not AT ALL “think out of the box”. If the coal mining bosses and the off-shore oil drillers were building wind turbines and solar farms instead of ripping the tops off mountains and creating disastrous oil spills (plus global warming!), people would not despise them. There is no reason they couldn’t do these things; they are stuck in narrow thinking.
Lynne,
NPR obviously has an “Insipid” quota to fill.
And Swami,
Next time you see Newt “The Wizard of Ooze” Gingrich, I want to plant this thought – watch when Newt gets all full of himself, like when he was bragging about not needing to lobby since he was making $60,000 a speech – because if you watch his mannerisms and the cocky way he stands, he moves and sounds like a GA version of Ralph Kramden when he’s bragging – except without the basic common sense, decency and kindness of Ralph.
Or his faithful love of his ONLY wife, Alice.
I keep waiting for Newt to come out with, “Rachel ——- I’ve come ——– BACK!”, or, “Neeoh… I have no string of ‘poloponies…'” like a Southern version of Reginald Van Gleason III.
I just hope and pray that Newt’s never voted in so that he can lecture the American people and tell them that he’s “KING! KING OF DA CASTLE!!!” and that we’re all just “lowly peasants!!!”
But I do hope he gets nominated, because I can hardly wait for the Lincoln-Douglas debates between him and Obama, and he stands there, sweating, saying, “Of course my plan can core a apple! Zip-zip!”
And when Obama tells me he must not be ‘zipping’ right, ’cause nothing’s happening, Newt can drawl Ralph’s famous – Hamana-hamana-hamana… “
I was thinking of Kramden’s line – “To the moon!”
But it’s not fair to compare Newt to a blue-collar guy. He’s just another Cheneyish parasite living off OPM.
Corruption, thy name is Newt.
Newt/Obama debates would be delightful because there’s be some great “zingers”–unusual in the sterile debate format.