Interestingly, many of the recent attacks against Newt Gingrich have coalesced around this idea that Newt isn’t conservative enough to win the GOP presidential nomination. My first reaction is to argue that Newt is very conservative, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that perhaps these attacks can help voters realize why he is perhaps the perfect leader for the problems this country faces.
Too many conservatives seem to get stuck on principle and fail to move their agenda forward. The reality is that most Americans want America to work ~ liberals and conservatives ~ and if you can harness this desire you can accomplish a LOT. Newt’s detractors suggest that by working with Democrats like Bill Clinton he showed his true colors as a moderate (and not a right wing nut). I suggest that today, perhaps more importantly than ever before, we need to find ways to come together to deal with problems that seem insurmountable. Beating our heads against the wall to push our agenda forward without success is perhaps a strategy best left in the past.
For centuries armies unsuccessfully attacked the island fortress of Tyre ~ it was simply impossible to attack from the sea. The fortress had its own fresh water source and could withstand a siege indefinitely. Alexander the Great needed the island to be able to continue his campaign against the Persians, but his advisers and detractors thought he was insane for attempting to take the island despite the hundreds of years of history indicating it was impossible. Instead of using brute force Alexander turned to his engineers who designed and built a land bridge to allow his army to walk right up to the walls and attack them with traditional siege engine technologies. Alexander needed to take the city, but instead of solving the naval problem he decided to solve a different problem that no one before him ever considered. Once he laid out his plans it was obvious to everyone (his detractors and opponents) that he would be successful. I think Newt can be the same kind of leader. Will he spend his time on abortion policy and gay marriage? Probably not, but I would argue that when your house is on fire you shouldn’t be measuring for new drapes – you need to put out the fire.
Newt has literally written the book on every major issue we face as a country. No one else has as much experience (and if you think we don’t need experience just look at the current occupant of the White House if you want a novice running our country) getting things done on both sides of the aisle. Newt is willing to compromise when that compromise will advance the interests of our country.