Options
Print
8 Comments
Post a Comment
Email
Newtzilla Conquers All?
· Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Newtzilla is back.
Six weeks ago, during the last Newt Gingrich surge, I wrote here that "conventional weapons are useless against Newtzilla. ... Everything bad about Gingrich -- the flip-flops, the wives, the ego -- is known. Once voters have convinced themselves they can overlook that stuff, it's hard to change their minds simply by repeating it."
For a while, it looked like I was wrong. The relentless artillery fire from Mitt Romney's "super PAC" seemed to have felled the gray-maned leviathan in the cornfields of Iowa. But as anyone who has studied the oeuvre of Toho Studios (makers of more than 25 Godzilla films) knows, this is what usually happens to the heroic creature in the second act.
Godzilla always seems to be vanquished by King Ghidorah (a.k.a. Monster Zero) or some other nemesis, only to come back at the end, his atomic breath destroying all who stand in his way.
Newtzilla is a different kind of kaiju (Japanese for "strange beast" or "giant monster") but not that different. Like Godzilla, Newtzilla has remarkable healing powers, allowing him to recover from charges that he wanted an open marriage and that he parasitically fed on Freddie Mac.
His own version of atomic breath is quite formidable. Just ask CNN's John King and Fox News' Juan Williams. He draws power from the popular resentment of the GOP establishment that he has been part of for decades and the widespread burning desire to make the entire press corps -- conservative media included -- march around the public square in dunce caps.
That the Republican equivalent of the elite civil defense forces is now desperately trying to stop him in his tracks only makes his support grow.
For most of the primary season, Gingrich insisted voters should support him because he's a great debater and can defeat President Obama by challenging him to a series of three seven-hour debates -- or is that seven three-hour debates? I can never keep it straight. It was tactically smart but also a bit silly. Obama can always decline; presidents have done it before. Also, beating a president in a debate doesn't automatically translate into beating him in the Electoral College.
Regardless, he's changed the argument. "People actually misunderstand what's going on," he explained Saturday night after his South Carolina win. "It's not that I am a good debater. It is that I know how to articulate the deepest-felt values of the American people."
That's the great thing about Gingrich: He can make describing himself as the divine manifestation of the vox populi sound self-deprecating. Still, he's basically right. He's managed to transform into a spokesman for all of the rank and file's frustrations, insecurities and grievances as well as their hopes and ideals.
He never could have pulled it off were it not for Romney's shortcomings. For whatever reason, Romney seems like a creature put on Earth to blend in with the humans and report back what he finds. He clearly likes earthlings, and they in turn find him pleasant enough, and surprisingly lifelike. Occasionally he finds the right words, but he rarely connects them to the right tone. This dearth of convincing passion in the front-runner makes the passionate base of the party want to look elsewhere -- even to Newtzilla.
Which is why he's surging in Florida, beating Romney overall and, in one poll, among nearly every demographic, including women and minorities -- even though Romney has been saturating Florida with ads for nearly a month. The Romney campaign and his super PAC are firing at will with negative ads.
But such conventional weapons probably won't do the trick this time. They might even backfire, either by turning off voters or by making Newtzilla angry.
Romney's challenge is greater than he realizes. Long unable to connect with voters on his terms and his timetable, he must now try with time running out, and without seeming desperate.
No doubt there's a temptation in the Romney camp to out-populist Gingrich, to beat him at his own game. It would be a good strategy if Romney was up to the task. But my hunch is that we would only see an unconvincing animatronic impersonation, a MechaNewtzilla, if you will.
Right now, Romney's best hope is time, because history shows the only thing that can truly defeat Newtzilla is Newtzilla himself. The question is, is there time?
(C) 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Third-party content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Patriot Post.
Options
Navigation
Subscribe
Former Senator Fred Thompson: "Thanks to The Patriot for your considerable efforts to hold back the 'Clintonistas' while I was in the Senate. The Patriot's message provides a critical touchstone for those inside the Beltway who have forgotten who they serve." It's Right. It's Free. Subscribe now!
The Right Opinion
Arnold Ahlert: With Democrats, You're Either All In - or All Out
Oliver North: Memorial Day 2012
Ken Blackwell: Remarks on Religious Liberty
L. Brent Bozell: Canada's 'Scientific' Museum of Smut
Michelle Malkin: Obama's Land of the LOST
Rebecca Hagelin: The 'Gay Marriage' Spin
David Limbaugh: Obama and Leahy vs. Sir William Blackstone
Linda Chavez: Overreach by Unions in Wisconsin
Mona Charen: Obama's Education Hypocrisy -- Again- Jonah Goldberg: Big Business Gets the Hollywood Treatment
Charles Krauthammer: The Joy of Winning- Arnold Ahlert: Catholics vs. Obama
Navigation
Grassroots Commentary
Policy and Analysis
- Heritage Foundation Insider
- Heritage Foundation Research
- American Enterprise Institute
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- The Cato Institute
- Hoover Institution
- National Rifle Association
- Ludwig von Mises Institute
- Citizens Against Government Waste
- National Center for Policy Analysis
- The Heartland Institute
Our Mission
"The Patriot's mission is to advocate for Essential Liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and to promote free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. Our objective is to provide Patriots across our nation with a touchstone of First Principles through brief, informative and entertaining analyses of relevant news, policy and opinion from reputable research, advocacy and media organizations, so they may better support and defend those Principles, and enlist others to join our ranks." —Mark Alexander, Publisher
The Patriot Post is not sustained by any political, special interest or parent organization, and we accept no advertising. Our mission and operations are funded entirely by the voluntary financial support of Patriots like you!
JohnH
Newtzilla, Godzilla, hell, even Romnyzilla.....Any "zilla" but Obama!
Posted January 25, 2012 at 11:06:47 AM
Tex Horn
Most American probably don't really give a hoot about Newt's sins, so to speak. Why? How many divorced people are there in America? Many. How many people in America have committed adultery? Many. People will forgive Newt for that, because he's like many of them.
Romney? He seem intelligent, but you can see weakness in his eyes. With this Congress (which, I believe, will remain in power) we need someone with more guts than Romney. I guess it's going to be Newtzilla.
To me, Newtzilla is a good speaker (debater), but he doesn't seem friendly. He's not attractive, in any sense that I can see. And Obama will use him as someone to fear if you are in the "middle class." And it will probably work, drawing the weeny Independents and middle-of-the-roaders to Obama's side. He'll argue that Newtzilla" isn't "fair." So, it appears to me that we're looking at "four more years..."
Where's the common sense candidate that America can relate to?
Posted January 25, 2012 at 12:45:41 PM
RudyT
" For whatever reason, Romney seems like a creature put on Earth to blend in with the humans and report back what he finds."
absolutely priceless! Thanks for the LOL
Posted January 25, 2012 at 12:46:51 PM
Clarence E. DeBarrows
I do appreciate your contributions on the Bret Baier show, Jonah, as you're usually, physically and constitutionally a tad to the right of Wacky Juan. But for clarity, why the not so subtle shot and negativity regarding Newt? I mean we're only looking for a viable candidate to beat Obama, not a saviour.
Posted January 25, 2012 at 12:58:00 PM
PDK
Of the 8 original republican candidates Newt and Mit are the least conservative and most liberal. Between the liberal MSM doing its usuall hatchet job on the most conservative, Backmann and Perry, and the only black daring to leave and forsake the democrat plantation, they have culled from our party, the republicans, and our ideology, the conservatives, the candidates they will allow us.
I believe it is time for conservatives and republicans to stop watching the Liberal MSM, and do things for ourselves, to have our own tv stations and our own debates with our own moderators. Where does the Liberal MSM get off running both sides, F them.
Anyone but Obama truely must rule the day, but I must say I would one day, before I die, like to experience the joy of a true conservative President, especially with conservative houses. I realize this would pain liberals greatly, but it would save America, much to their chagrin.
If Santorum rises the Liberal MSM will bring out the hatchet and do him too. It is going to be a choice between the two most liberal republicans. Newt or Mit, Mit or Newt, like most I will accept anyone but Obama.
Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.
Posted January 25, 2012 at 2:34:53 PM
readinglady
Tex Horn and others...
Why is everyone assuming there is only the two candidates out there. We must choose one or the other. How about Rick Santorum, he's smart, experienced, speaks articulately and has good ideas and to topit off hasn't trashed other Republicans. The fact that he has little money is probably the problem.
Posted January 25, 2012 at 5:38:20 PM
Sherry
Why are people surprised when we get liars and frauds in positions of public trust when they allow themselves to be led by media driven opinion polls? When we de-value values what do we value? The FEDS devalue the dollar, the politicians pay the banks with trillions of de-valued dollars. The banks pretend to loan home buyers no-valued dollars. Banks foreclose on home buyers for having no supply of their own no-valued dollars with which to pay off the no-value dollars for which they signed the deed to valuable land and property. So, not only do the citizens end up owing the world for the pretend value of the pretend dollar, the banks own the real property that should belong to real citizens because the politicians filtered the no-value dollars to the banks to keep the charade in operation.
This is the true value of value voters. Fraud, deception and de-valued value.
Posted January 25, 2012 at 7:56:44 PM
Jeremy
Speaking of Romney, Jonah writes, "He clearly likes earthlings, and they in turn find him pleasant enough, and surprisingly lifelike."
The phrase "surprisingly lifelike" has got to be the best description yet written of Romney.
In 1941, Truman said, "If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany...". I would like to suggest that the Republican electorate adopt a version of Truman's strategy. That is, we should vote for Romney when Newt is in the lead, then vote for Newt when Romney is in the lead, and so on. With luck, this will result in a brokered convention, where some genuine conservative could sneak in and get the nomination.
Posted January 26, 2012 at 12:59:40 AM