# Gingrich, We Hardly Knew Ye. . **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 9, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898 "2011-06-09T19:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/242 "2011-12-28T15:13:45Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > What else would he do? Admit fault and gracefully accept defeat? I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried a lawsuit next [Perry sues to get on Virginia ballot](http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7BR05020111228). ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/243 "2011-12-28T18:51:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > What else would he do? Admit fault and gracefully accept defeat? I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried a lawsuit next, or if the other candidates who couldn’t get on the ballot try to lobby the state to extend is deadline. At first I thought this was just going to be an embarrassment for him, but Virginia is a big state and its primary is on Super Tuesday, so if the race is still competitive at this point, it would really hurt. This is what happens when a book tour turns into a presidential campaign. The Potomac priamry was not on super tuesday in 2008. I wonder why the change. > [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > It looks like it means “registered to vote in Virginia”. And they check it by asking “Are you registered to vote in Virginia”, I’d imagine. > > Regarding Perry, according to one person: > > [http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/perrys-va-ballot-hopes-were-dead-arrival/274906](http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/perrys-va-ballot-hopes-were-dead-arrival/274906) > > Here’s a bulletin from the Board of Elections regarding gathering signatures. > > [http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/documents/Cidates/Bulletins/20120306PrimaryBulletin.pdf](http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/documents/Cidates/Bulletins/20120306PrimaryBulletin.pdf) > [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Perry sues to get on Virginia ballot](http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7BR05020111228). These are the sort of shenanigans you see in local elections, where people try to get each other knocked off the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/244 "2011-12-28T19:03:29Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Perry sues to get on Virginia ballot](http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7BR05020111228). Good for him. I’d hate to live the rest of my life not knowing if I would have finished fourth or fifth. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/245 "2011-12-28T19:10:33Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > Looking here: [2012 Republican Party presidential primaries - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_2012), it seems Virginia is worth 50 delegates. Won’t Gingrich (and Perry, I guess) have a hard time winning the primary if he’s heading in 50 votes in the negative? Did he not find this a significant concern? [Here’s](http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/meet-the-reason-newt-gingrich-isnt-on-the-va-ballot.php?ref=fpblg) a decent explanation of what happened. Basically VA puts the State parties in charge of vetting petitions to get on the primary ballot. Unsurprisingly, the GOP didn’t spend a lot of time actually enforcing the rules until recently, when a lawsuit brought the practice into question and the state GOP decided to start actually checking signitures for fear the court would take the power to vet their candidates. Apparently Newt and Perry campaigns didn’t get the memo that they had to actually make sure their signatures were legit, and so their petitions got tossed out. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/246 "2011-12-28T20:29:27Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Perry sues to get on Virginia ballot](http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7BR05020111228). Perry, a firm believer in states’ rights, is suing in Federal court. 😃 > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Apparently Newt was for Mitt Romney’s healthcare law before he was against it! That’s not the good part! The good part is [this](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:online.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204296804577123043147395330.html): > [@](#): > > R.C. Hammond, a spokesman for Mr. Gingrich…said the Newt Notes essay [endorsing Romney’s health care plan] wasn’t written by Mr. Gingrich himself… First Paul, now Newt… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/247 "2011-12-28T20:34:51Z")
Can’t **any** high-level pol keep track of what goes out under his name?! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/248 "2011-12-30T14:05:26Z")
Ginch [not giving up yet.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/29/newt-gingrich-virginia-ballot-ineligibility_n_1175638.html) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/249 "2011-12-30T16:41:26Z")
haha omg Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! Until I read that article, I didn’t realize that Virginia is Newt’s home state! BWAHAHAHAHA! He missed getting on the ballot in his own fucking state! How awesome is that! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/250 "2011-12-30T16:54:22Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > haha omg Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! Where’s this quote come from, and why are you so fascinated with it? > [@](#): > > Until I read that article, I didn’t realize that Virginia is Newt’s home state! > > BWAHAHAHAHA! He missed getting on the ballot in his own fucking state! How awesome is that! Gingrich was a military brat, born in Pennsylvania. He lived in Georgia for a couple of decades before being elected to Congress, representing a Georgia district. He remained in Virginia after he left Congress. I don’t think he’s got much of a home state advantage there, any more than any of the others running for President who maintain residences in Virginia do. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/251 "2011-12-30T17:02:01Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Where’s this quote come from, and why are you so fascinated with it? [explained here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=635786) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/252 "2011-12-30T17:03:26Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > [explained here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=635786) Ah, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/253 "2011-12-30T17:17:53Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Ginch [not giving up yet.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/29/newt-gingrich-virginia-ballot-ineligibility_n_1175638.html) It wasn’t Newt who filed the suit, it was some Tea Party guy in Virginia, who’s inviting Newt to join the suit. The claim is the signatures were counted incorrectly. It will be interesting to see how Newt responds. He’s already been caught on camera admitting that his campaign turned in fraudulent signatures, so if he joins the suit, well… that’s just Newt being Newt. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/254 "2011-12-30T17:36:56Z")
Well, you make it sound like they _deliberately_ submitted fraudulent signatures (meaning, he knew about it, was behind it, whatever). He said one of their volunteers did so (meaning, he was betrayed by an over-zealous idiot). My question is, is he going for sympathy and claiming #2, while in actuality #1 is the truth? So what is Gingrich’s (and Perry’s) argument? “We didn’t turn in 15,000 signatures, but we did turn in more than 10,000, and even if you know and I know that we don’t have 10,000 _valid_ signatures, we should still be allowed on the ballot because…” Because we _meant_ to have 10,000 valid signatures? They sound like kids who didn’t turn in their homework. Because you’re not really trying to win this thing? Because it should have been easy to get 15,000+ signatures in Virginia, if you were organized and making an effort? Bah! If they were good Republicans, they’d drop out now and give Romney a clear shot for Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/255 "2011-12-30T17:39:43Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Where’s this quote come from, and why are you so fascinated with it? I’m either single-handedly starting a new trend, or, um, doing something else. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/256 "2011-12-30T17:59:47Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Well, you make it sound like they _deliberately_ submitted fraudulent signatures (meaning, he knew about it, was behind it, whatever). He said one of their volunteers did so (meaning, he was betrayed by an over-zealous idiot). Maybe he can blame ACORN. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/257 "2011-12-31T01:16:45Z")
Newt, on [modern politics](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7edadbea-333d-11e1-8e0d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1i4R8gH3u): > [@](#): > > “Politics has become a really nasty, vicious, negative business and I think it’s disgusting and I think it’s dishonest,” he said. And then he shed some tears recounting his mother’s illness. I shit you not. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/258 "2011-12-31T05:21:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Newt, on [modern politics](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7edadbea-333d-11e1-8e0d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1i4R8gH3u): > > > [@](#): > > > > “Politics has become a really nasty, vicious, negative business and I think it’s disgusting and I think it’s dishonest,” he said. > > And then he shed some tears recounting his mother’s illness. I shit you not. That’s classic frontier chutzpah right there, as it was coming from the guy who wrote ["The Magna Carta of attack politics’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOPAC#GOPAC_memo). Maybe just as he turned against anyone else in his own party who stood in his way, Newt Gingrich of 2011 is turning against Newt Gingrich of 1994. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/259 "2011-12-31T05:38:00Z")
“Frontier chutzpah”? Never heard that one before. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/260 "2011-12-31T05:50:25Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > That’s classic frontier chutzpah right there, as it was coming from the guy who wrote ["The Magna Carta of attack politics’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOPAC#GOPAC_memo). Too bad none of the other Republicans have the guts to say, “Newt, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/261 "2011-12-31T15:27:22Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > “Frontier chutzpah”? Never heard that one before. It’s from [Blazing Saddles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/quotes) > [@](#): > > Olson Johnson: [after Gabby Johnson’s speech] Now who can argue with that? I think we’re all indebted to Gabby Johnson for stating what needed to be said. I am particularly glad that these lovely children are here today to hear that speech. Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed the courage little seen in this day and age. This was far and away the most polite thing I could say about Newt’s comments. My thoughts on him would get me thrown out of The Pit under the old rules. The really scary thing is I’ve seen Blazing Saddles enough times that I understand every word Gabby Johnson says, clear as a bell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898.md?page=14)