Who’da thunk it? Newt just secured the polygamist vote over Romney.
So the skinny is that Newt asked his second wife for an ‘open marriage.’ Drudge quotes him as saying “You need to share me…”
Apparently, like Obama, Newt wants to redistribute the wealth too. (Or what passes for it in Newt’s mind.)
Newt loves his country so much, one wife just cannot contain him.
Newt is a tool.
Look, I hope he has had a change of heart and regrets his previous actions, but this level of jerkiness is a disqualifier as far as I am concerned. It is no wonder that his current wife Calista never leaves his side. She knows first hand that he cannot be trusted.
Newt has been a lying, cheating, disingenuous tool for most of his adult life. Many of these characteristics have been equally on display in his public life as well. I can hope he has changed, but the truth is that his behavior during this campaign makes him seem like just the same ol’ Newt to me.
You are done Newt. If you have any grace in you, apologize to your family for dragging them through this again and get out. If we want a jerk for President, we have other choices.
January 19, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Some of the greatest saints have been the greatest sinners. I am not saying that Newt is a saint, but I certainly hope he is aiming to be one. I could care less about what he did in his past life before his conversion to Catholicism. Once one is baptized in the faith, all stain of sin is taken away. If God can forgive, then so should we.
January 19, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Jean
This is not a matter of forgiveness or condemnation. It is about judgement and trust. As I wrote in my post, his behavior on the trail seems like same ol' same ol'.
It is folly to say that because he converted, these things don't matter in selecting a man to lead the country.
A man may be forgiven for his alcoholism, but you still don't want to put him in charge of the bar.
January 19, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Patrick,
When one converts, their character evolves through the grace of God. I have witnessed this in my own life and time and time again in the lives of many others. Newt is not perfect, but I think he is a saint in comparison to Obama.
I am praying that the Holy Spirit will guide us all to make the best decision in the voting booths. I have also been praying since Obama was elected for a pro-life Catholic/Christian to replace him.
I think that for Newt's ex-wife to have publicly come out and shared this information reveals something despicable about her character. Was she paid by George Soros or the Democrats to say this? Or is she just embittered about the past?
To me, none of this matters. It is the past and needs to remain there. He is a practicing Catholic today. He and his wife, Calista, have done wonderful things to promote the faith. He has excellent leadership qualities and has done an excellent job in the debates.
I humbly respect your opinion and beg to differ with you.
Now Romney is a different story.
January 19, 2012 at 5:22 pm
I'm afraid Patrick is right. As much as I'd like to get behind Newt – for his intelligence, his experience, and his conservative credentials – it's going to take some time to erase the betrayal of two abandoned wives. He needs to prove he can walk the talk, and he hasn't done it yet.
January 19, 2012 at 5:23 pm
You know something? I don't care anymore. This rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It's arguing on whether we should dance the polka or the Dougie on the edge of the bubling volcano. We have a problem with our CEO. He needs to be replaced. The replacement could be a one eyed, three legged, ugly, and adenoidal billy goat with bad gas as far as I'm concerned.
January 19, 2012 at 6:11 pm
"The replacement could be a one eyed, three legged, ugly, and adenoidal billy goat with bad gas as far as I'm concerned."
I agree with you Dympha, although I also agree that the younger Gingrich, at least, seems to have had the morals of a goat.
In regard to Marianne, Newt wife 2, for those keeping score, I would have nothing but sympathy for her, except she that served as mistress for Gingrich while he was married to Newt wife 1, which makes her take down of him as a philanderer ring a bit hollow in my ears.
January 19, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Lets not forget that this second ex wife you are taking information from was dating Newt before she got a divorce from her first husband. I've also got a few ex girl friends who if you asked them what they think of me would not resemble the faithful Catholic husband and father of 4.
January 19, 2012 at 7:03 pm
If you can't get a horse, you get a donkey.
Right now, can't we get Santorum? Has the ship sailed on that one?
January 19, 2012 at 7:22 pm
If I'm not mistaken……. I don't believe that was said in reference to his present wife. I know this is all a bit crazy, but he is presently in a valid Catholic marriage…on the 3rd try, no? I'm not saying he has a very good track record, but it seems he's had a conversion…and an annulment of previous non-sacramental marriages…and please God he now understands what marriage actually is.
January 19, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Um, didn't we already know this? The second wife has not revealed anything new. She was cheating WITH him when he was married to his first wife. While I hate for her that she was cheated on, I really don't think this sheds any new light on Newt. We all already knew this. So the question becomes, do we believe he had a conversion? Apparently the church thought so, enough to let him marry in it. He is still better than Obama in my book. But Santorum has always been my guy anyway.
January 19, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Let's keep our eye on the ball, which is to get Obama the abortionist out of the White House.
January 19, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Newt was a scoundrel in his private life, but he never sold out the pro-life cause for political expediency as Santorum did by backing Specter over Toomey.
January 19, 2012 at 8:40 pm
You are being grossly unfair to Newt Gingrich. He is a convert to Catholicism and was honest with his wife which is more than most powerful people can claim.
January 19, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Newt was a scoundrel in his private life, but he never sold out the pro-life cause for political expediency as Santorum did by backing Specter over Toomey.
Dede Scozzafava says hello.
He is a convert to Catholicism and was honest with his wife which is more than most powerful people can claim.
Yes, if only more Catholic men could be as honest in declaring that they want to have sex with other women. What a role model.
January 19, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Only the small-minded mistake sarcasm for cleverness.
January 19, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Only the small-minded mistake sarcasm for cleverness.
And only people with no adequate response mistake cliches for argument.
January 19, 2012 at 9:39 pm
If we can only vote for a perfect candidate, then we cannot vote for anyone.
January 19, 2012 at 9:46 pm
I apologize for my comment, Paul. It really wasn't very charitable. Here is a good article on Newt and his family's response to his second wife's comments.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/politics/gingrich-wife/?hpt=hp_t1
I like Newt because I think he is our last chance to get a true pro-life conservative in the White House. Santorum probably doesn't have much of a chance.
January 19, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Apology accepted, and I offer my own in return.
I offered my take about Newt here. Long story short, while I can accept that the man may have changed, I think too many are a little bit too naive in taking his conversion as a sign that he's a changed man. To be as charitable as I can be, Newt was a not a nice guy while in public office. Again, I will allow that he has changed, but we should want to hold our potential leaders to a higher standard.
As for your assessment about electability, I'll again repeat what I said in response to a similar comment on my blog:
If anything, the morally clean gentleman who twice won statewide election in a moderately blue state is more likely to win a general election than one of the most nationally reviled political figures of the past 20 years. Honestly, Obama is so unpopular that almost any conservative who retains the support of the base is very likely to win. Finally, considering the ins and outs of this primary season, I don’t know how anybody can predict the mood of the electorate 10 days out, let alone 10 months.
All that being said, I consider Newt to be the second best option running, although that is more a condemnation of our choices than anything else.
January 19, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Not for nothing, but wasn't he cheating on his second wife with his present wife? Unless I'm mistaken, he was asking his second wife to "share" him with Callista! Callista must have both known about and been ok with the indecent proposal!
Look, I believe that people can truly change and conversions are often undertaken with genuine sincerity. However, only God can see the heart. What man sees, on the other hand, is another philandering sleaze aspiring to the White House. It might have worked in 1992, because that particular sleaze was charming and charismatic. Not gonna happen for Newt.