Cool Hand Newt?
by Paul A. Gigot, Editorial Page Editor
The Wall Street Journal
Political Diary Online
Monday, 12 December 11
Newt
Gingrich is at his scrappy best as the underdog or minority leader. He
tends to get into trouble when he's riding high and begins to let his
sense of personal historical destiny get the better of his judgment. Now
that he's leading in the GOP presidential polls, the big question is
whether he can control his tendency toward condescension and vainglory.
His
first test came in Saturday night's ABC-TV debate, and he held up well.
Under attack from nearly all sides, he kept his sense of humor,
sheathed his snarl, and cheerfully rebutted the accusations. His
sharpest reply noted that the only reason Mitt Romney isn't a career
politician is because he'd lost a Senate race to Ted Kennedy in 1994.
But the gibe was softened with a matter-of-fact delivery and a
can-you-believe-this smile. The closest he came to a sneer came in a
reply to the "Newt Romney" barbs of Michele Bachmann, whose practiced
sound bites must be hard to take given her general lack of depth. But
Mr. Gingrich never stepped over the line that would make him look mean.
The
former House Speaker was especially good in admitting his marital
mistakes and saying he'd had to seek "forgiveness" and "reconciliation."
He also made the best of the hash he had made earlier in the week by
calling the Palestinians an "invented" people. That earlier remark
showed Mr. Gingrich still likes to be the candidate-provocateur, and his
campaign had to backtrack on Saturday and say he didn't mean that the
Palestinians had no right to a state. By the debate, Mr. Gingrich put
the issue in its proper context, which is the continuing Palestinian use
of terror against Israel.
Can Mr. Gingrich
maintain his message and personality discipline? His advisers say he's
mellowed with age and since his conversion to Catholicism and that he
has a new calm about him. Others say he can't help himself -- and that
he is, in the analogy offered by one Republican, "the Hindenburg," a
hydrogen airship that will blow up sooner or later. The nomination may
hang on who's right.
Let's see where this all leads us. Newt is no doubt better than the current anti American administration, but I still wish that Herman Cain would have had more staying power... do you think he will stay in the political arena?
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