2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Race

[Andalusian girls]

naturally but the general attack wave of "law-abiding rich man" will be worn by November, much as Obama "palling around with terrorists" and the Reverend Wright controversies were old news by the general thanks to Hillary

[Gwynplaine]

The taxes thing is so ridiculous and uninteresting. There's so many easier legitimate reasons to dislike Romney.

[ronin sparthos]

What, no love for Gingrich?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...wAQ_story.html

By James V. Grimaldi,

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in 1999 asked his second wife for an “open marriage” or a divorce at the same time he was giving speeches around the country on family and religious values, his former wife, Marianne, told The Washington Post on Thursday.

Marianne Gingrich said she first heard from the former speaker about the divorce request as she was waiting in the home of her mother on May 11, 1999, her mother’s 84th birthday. Over the phone, as she was having dinner with her mother, Newt Gingrich said, “I want a divorce.”


Shocked, Marianne Gingrich replied: “Is there anybody else?” she recalled. “He was quiet. Within two seconds, when he didn’t immediately answer, I knew.”

The next day, Newt Gingrich gave a speech titled “The Demise of American Culture” to the Republican Women Leaders Forum in Erie, Pa., extolling the virtues of the founding fathers and criticizing liberal politicians for supporting tax increases, saying they hurt families and children.

“When a liberal talks about values, will he or she actually like us to teach American history?” Newt Gingrich told the women’s group. “Will they actually like young people to learn that George Washington was an ethical man? A man of standards, a man who earned the right to be father of this country?”

Appearing at a campaign event in South Carolina on Thursday, the former speaker called the interview by his ex-wife “tawdry and inappropriate,” and refused to answer any questions about it.

“I’m not going to say anything about Marianne,” he said, as his third wife Callista stood a few paces behind him.

Marianne Gingrich said she was speaking out for the first time this year because she wanted her story told from her point of view, rather than be depicted as the victim or suffer a whisper campaign by supporters of Newt Gingrich’s presidential bid.

“How could he ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people?” she said.

Asked about the timing of the revelations, she said she had had so many requests for interviews that “it was unavoidable.” She said that during a campaign season, “I knew I wouldn’t get through this year without” doing the interview.

The Gingrich campaign spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

In the four weeks after that 1999 phone call, Marianne and Newt Gingrich saw a counselor. During that time, he seemed to vacillate about what he wanted to do. Marianne Gingrich had learned the name of his then-paramour, Callista — now his wife — though Newt Gingrich never talked about her by name.

Newt Gingrich asked Marianne for an “open marriage” so that he could continue to see whoever he wanted. Marianne Gingrich, who had attended services in a Baptist church with Newt Gingrich, refused.

She said she decided to go public when she heard someone make derogatory comments about her on a radio program.

“Truthfully, my whole purpose was to get out there about who I was, so Newt couldn’t create me as an evil, awful person, which was starting to happen,” she said.

She talked on video for two hours to ABC investigative reporter Brian Ross, an edited version of which will be broadcast on Thursday night’s “Nightline,” and a transcript of which was released today. She laughed when told that some were reporting that she had a “bombshell,” and emphasized that many of her views of Newt Gingrich and his political positions are positive.

In anticipation of the interview, Newt Gingrich told NBC’s “Today” show that his divorce was a private matter. He said his daughters from his first marriage had written a letter to ABC News asking the network to spike the broadcast.

“Intruding into family things that are more than a decade old is simply wrong,” he told NBC.

Newt Gingrich has said that he has asked God for forgiveness, but Marianne Gingrich said he has not spoken to her since the divorce.

Staff writer Nia-Malika Henderson and researcher Alice Crites contributed to this report.

It can't be a coincidence this drops right before the SC primary.

[quannum]

what part of that is news?

[ronin sparthos]

The part where it's making the rounds two days before the primary.

[quannum]

ah, makes sense. i guess it did happen a long time ago and people may be unaware.

they left out that this was all happening while newt was leading (and succeeded in) the impeachment process of president clinton for a beej.

[Gwynplaine]

what part of that is news?

The part where it lets Leftists dismiss someone without having to consider or discuss ideas or policies. And there are plenty of valid reasons to dislike Ginrich! But the party of blind emotionalism can't form a sentence let alone think.

[archibaldcrane]

Gingrich wants to eliminate the capital gains tax. Fuck Gingrich. The fact that he can't keep his dick in his pants and has no chance of becoming the President of the United States because of it is just the delicious icing on the cake.

[SamanosukeShiva]

Don't want to start another thread just for this, I figure I'll just ask here, probably not a correct place to ask but whatever.

I just got my citizenship about 6 months ago, so I'm new to the voting scene. How do you guys research your candidates, and bills/laws etc? Can anyone point me to a beginner's guide to voting?

[Demosthenes11]

The part where it lets Leftists dismiss someone without having to consider or discuss ideas or policies. And there are plenty of valid reasons to dislike Ginrich! But the party of blind emotionalism can't form a sentence let alone think.

you mean like how the media lambasted john edwards over his affair, or bill clinton? how about hillary clinton being too "manish"? Obama and his birthplace?

Gingrich and conservatives are not special, don't claim some bullshit libruhl bias here.

The ironic thing to what you are saying is, Gingrich's scandal actually is pertinent to the candidate. The faggot runs on a platform of family values. When you do that, this shit should be brought up and thrown in your face, because it makes you a hypocrite

[archibaldcrane]

I just hate that the concept of open marriage is being demonized in the media. If the asshole hadn't started cheating BEFORE he asked for an open marriage, he would've been doing the right thing given his desires and situation.

[Demosthenes11]

I just hate that the concept of open marriage is being demonized in the media. If the asshole hadn't started cheating BEFORE he asked for an open marriage, he would've been doing the right thing given his desires and situation.

for sure. the media hates "different" relationships. If you don't fall under a monogamous, heterosexual couple, then you don't have good "family values"

[Dantrag]

I just hate that the concept of open marriage is being demonized in the media. If the asshole hadn't started cheating BEFORE he asked for an open marriage, he would've been doing the right thing given his desires and situation.

They don't care about open marriages. Just when you fucking cheat for 6 years and then tout how you're all about family values but you fucking gave your first wife divorce papers on her death bed and then fucked someone for 6 years while married to your 2nd wife and then asked for an open marriage and called her and said you loved her while your mistress was in the same bed as you were. Again, while touting you're a family values kind of guy. And saying that gays are ruining the sanctity of marriage. Fuck you Newt.

[Cantih]

Don't want to start another thread just for this, I figure I'll just ask here, probably not a correct place to ask but whatever.

I just got my citizenship about 6 months ago, so I'm new to the voting scene. How do you guys research your candidates, and bills/laws etc? Can anyone point me to a beginner's guide to voting?

It varies from place to place, but here in California you generally get a small booklet before each election, and it has a non-partisan overview and for/against statements/rebuttals for each proposition on the ballot, and the back section usually has the full legalese text. It's usually a good place to start looking. Beyond that, it's web searches and sorting out bias.

As for candidates, Governor & Senator you can generally get news from mainstream sources. Representatives, State Legislature, and smaller, you'd need to start looking at small local papers, but beware useless puff pieces.

Also, unless it was part of your citizenship process, remember to register to vote.

[Talint]

Gingrich and conservatives are not special, don't claim some bullshit libruhl bias here.

The ironic thing to what you are saying is, Gingrich's scandal actually is pertinent to the candidate. The faggot runs on a platform of family values. When you do that, this shit should be brought up and thrown in your face, because it makes you a hypocrite

After the horseshit last night of John King opening up a debate with a fucking retarded question about this, offering no context, history, or follow-up; and allowing professional politician Newt Gingrich to pontificate how it's irrelevant, how evil the media (particularly CNN) is, how it makes it harder to govern, and how republicans have it oh so hard when it comes to media portrayals, no one is ever fucking allowed again to complain about liberal media bias. The audience ate that shit up at every possible turn, making Gingrich come off way better than he should have. He even got John King to subtly admit wrongdoing, like they did something wrong. Instead, John King should have confronted him on the fact that he runs as a "traditional values" conservative, and his actions aren't even close to the shit he's preaching.

Liberal bias in the media my fucking fat ass. The media is so afraid of being portrayed as liberal that they'll let conservatives body slam them with trumped up boogeymen horseshit.

[Kuya]

I think the audience might be more conservative than the candidates in this primary:

The audience of 1,500 will comprise members of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference and Tea Party Patriots, as well as state and local officials from South Carolina. Expect them to boo lustily -- and to amplify an already loud theme in conservative and Republican circles: that the "mainstream" media is against them. Gingrich, a master of media bating and bashing, has risen in the polls partly on the strength of that notion.

The audiences have been loudly patriotic and enthusiastic about the campaign. But their outbursts have also uncovered a GOP id that cheers for Texas' vigorous use of the death penalty; cheers repeated attacks on the national media, even when it is embodied by Fox News moderators; boos at the suggestion that the federal government, not the states, should enforce immigration laws; boos at anything less than a send-them-all-back immigration policy; boos a gay soldier who asks a question about gay rights; cheers at the mention of waterboarding and torture as a means of interrogating terrorism suspects; and boos at an African-American reporter who asks repeated questions about race, poverty, inequality and racial stereotypes.

The changing role of the "mainstream" media is one explanation for the vox populi tone. Facing conservative suspicion, some networks decided to partner with Tea Party, state party or other grassroots organizations to stage the debates, and part of the co-sponsors' price was to bring along a partisan audience. (Thursday night's CNN debate is co-sponsored by the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.)

In an era of reality TV shows and other in-front-of-a-live-audience programming, a debate with an absent or silent crowd is also a tough sell, too sedate and silent for today's tastes.

And even by the standards of the recent past, this season's debate formats and candidate strategies seem to lead more inexorably to snappy sound bites designed to play to the crowd.

The result is more rowdy -- and revealing -- than perhaps GOP strategists intend or want, at least if they care about making an impression behind their hard core.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1211827.html

[ronin sparthos]

After the horseshit last night of John King opening up a debate with a fucking retarded question about this, offering no context, history, or follow-up; and allowing professional politician Newt Gingrich to pontificate how it's irrelevant, how evil the media (particularly CNN) is, how it makes it harder to govern, and how republicans have it oh so hard when it comes to media portrayals, no one is ever fucking allowed again to complain about liberal media bias. The audience ate that shit up at every possible turn, making Gingrich come off way better than he should have. He even got John King to subtly admit wrongdoing, like they did something wrong. Instead, John King should have confronted him on the fact that he runs as a "traditional values" conservative, and his actions aren't even close to the shit he's preaching.

ilu.

Seriously when you run waving the flag of family values and moral superiority you cannot then turn around and cry foul when someone exposes your multiple divorces, philandering attitude and general mockery of the conservative values you're supposed to be upholding. Some people can handwave the lies away but you should be made to answer for them. Instead what got from King moderating was the ability for this to be spun into poor Newt being beaten by the media, pummeled as he tries to be a better person.

Give me a break.

If you say something in the public sphere R, D or I you should be taken to task to back up the shit you say. Wanna talk about the economics or polices like Gwyn mentioned above? Fine, but shut the fuck up about family values in the process because your record shows Newt could care less about that.

@Demo

You forgot Tony Wiener. How could you. The liberal media didn't tear him apart after the sexting scandal. Nope, sure didn't.

[quannum]

America's Next Top President.

[RKenshin]

The part where it lets Leftists dismiss someone without having to consider or discuss ideas or policies. And there are plenty of valid reasons to dislike Ginrich! But the party of blind emotionalism can't form a sentence let alone think.

Is this serious? lol

What good do statements like this do?

If the majority of the voter base was as obsessed with discussing proposed plans/policies/roles of government as they are with stereotyping and calling each other names/pointing fingers at the other guys, we'd be living in a utopia of a nation.

But of course, instead, we have this.

[Mazmaz]

Any idea if I can watch the Colbert rally somewhere?

This is the best I could find, but would like to see what else there was: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_...south-carolina