This is my Nut post for the week of June 13. Post #14 was an extra with the big news of the en masse defection of almost all of his campaign staff, plus his entire operation in Iowa.
I only tuned in for a few moments here and there to last night's CNN sponsored GOP debate in New Hampshire. An online HuffPost review summarized it. After detailing others' responses, the blogger said: "Newt Gingrich also was there."
So it sounds like he neither distinguished himself nor found another foot in which to shoot himself. I guess that's good news for the Nut, and he seems determined to keep on going. Probably until the financial reports come in -- which will undoubtedly be horrible for him.
A few more nails for the coffin:
1. In all the flurry of defections from his campaign staff last week, it was hardly noticed that Georgia's former governor Sonny Purdue also deserted him to go over to Tim Pawlenty's campaign.
2. It was pointed out that his big show of centering his headquarters in Georgia is really another one of Nut's shams. Yes, he rented office space in Buckhead and made his announcement from here -- but reports are that Nut has not visited Atlanta since the announcement, that the office is closed, and that the rental furniture has been returned. And that was even before the campaign staff all resigned.
Good riddance. Nut was never a Georgian, and I resent his claiming otherwise. He had a job teaching history here for a while and was elected to Congress. But he is not "from" Georgia. He's not even a southerner of any sort. He grew up, as I understand it, as an army brat and lived hither and yon.
3. Now it looks like Nut may be in trouble again from crossing over funds from his charities to his political interests. This is part of what brought ethics charges against him when he had to resign as Speaker of the House. He has created parallel empires of foundations to collect tax-exempt money and business enterprises to produce and market videos, books, etc. of his ideas. And sometimes the lines cross, as when the charitable foundations purchase bulk quantities of his books, films, and DVDs, or when they pay for charter jets to whisk him across country for speaking engagements -- promoting his ideas. But then where does that end and building his political career begin. It's murky -- and deliberately so.
Bah humbug.
Ralph
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nut said today that he feels "liberated" now that his campaign staff has quit. Meaning, I guess, that we can see Nut run his campaign as a series 0f media events rather than any grass-roots, meet the people activities.
ReplyDeleteI waver between thinking (1) that this is all his narcissistic belief in his own ideas -- and he thinks they are so important that, if he just gets them out there, voters will block to the polls to put him in office; and (2) that he knows he won't be nominated and this is a way to increase his lucrative enterprise of selling his books, videos, and DVDs.
Whatever . . . I think we can count on Nut's predictable, self-destructive behavior to, well, destroy any chances. So just wait for it.
Here's my prediction: Callista is the answer. She's already found out that she will be blamed by the media and pundits for being a destructive force in his campaign and painted as Dragon Lady on top of already being The Other Woman. It doesn't seem likely that her charms (whatever they are) will win over the media or the public. At some point, she will decide that enough is enough, and then Nut will get out of the race. Because, as he keeps reminding us, he and Callista make all major decisions together.
ReplyDelete