# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/162 "2011-12-10T17:03:02Z")
Next time[this opera](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_It_Ain%27t_So,_Joe) comes to town, check it out. > [@](#): > > Composer’s view > > “When watching the US Vice Presidential debate in 2008, I was struck by the extraordinary musical contrasts between the voices of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, as well as the convergence of two such fascinating life stories, both containing tragic, heroic, and comic elements. The audience for my opera _Say it ain’t so, Joe_ will experience a surreal and fractured vision of that remarkable encounter, as well as brief glimpses of other contemporaneous events and political figures, with some fantastical digressions.” – Curtis K. Hughes ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/163 "2011-12-10T18:28:02Z")
Gingrich has gotten a huge boost since Cain imploded and is up 37-23 in the latest Gallup tracking poll. It’s crunch time for Romney. The race will soon freeze over the Christmas break and the Iowa caucus is on Jan3. If Newt can win that and come a strong second in NH he will have a lot of momentum going into SC and Florida where he is already polling well. After that it will be a long hard slog and it’s not clear whether Newt can raise the money and organization to pull through but ideally Romney doesn’t want to find out. He would like to knock back Newt right around now and needs to spend a big chunk of his war chest on negative ads. There are two major lines of attacks: Newt is too erratic and has too much baggage. And second, attack Newt from the right on issue where he has strayed from conservative orthodoxy. There are lots of Republicans who don’t like Newt including some hardcore conservatives; it would really help Romney to get some of them to attack him openly. It would also help Romney if Perry got some traction especially with religious voters. It’s probably too late for Perry to become a serious contender again but he has the money to become a spoiler siphonong off some evangelical votes from Newt in Iowa and muddying the result. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/164 "2011-12-10T18:50:31Z")
And the [“ideas” keep coming](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/politics/gingrich-suggests-a-reversal-of-mideast-policy.html?ref=politics&gwh=3DF0EDD9DE52ADC2C0096D89FE3F9ABA). Palestinians are an “invented” people: > [@Newt Gingrich](#): > > …I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places. You people, whose parents and grand parents and countless generations who have lived in the region: you’re just Arabs. Go to Arabia where you belong, or one of these other “many places.” You Christians who have lived there for countless generations as well? What? There are [Palestinian Christians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Christians)\*? Who knew? But who cares, since Palestinians are an “invented” people. And you’re just Arabs anyway. Go away. (\*Palestinian Christians are about 9.8% of the non-Jewish Arab population in the Palestinian territories, according to the CIA Factbook in the Wiki article linked above.) ---
**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 10, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/165 "2011-12-10T19:33:06Z")
I too have had a chance to go may places. I grew up not far from an airport! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/166 "2011-12-10T19:37:29Z")
> [@](#): > > And they had a chance to go many places. I wonder if that’s a subtle jab at the Dome on the Rock. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/167 "2011-12-11T01:33:41Z")
Does anyone else think his wife looks eerily similar to McCain’s wife? ---
**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 11, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/168 "2011-12-11T01:43:17Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Does anyone else think his wife looks eerily similar to McCain’s wife? I hadn’t, but now that you mention it, is there a factory somewhere churning them out? [Cindy McCain](http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/old_pictures/cindymc3.jpg). [Callista Gingrich](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCYw2H3DVUI/TfPA7ooSG-I/AAAAAAAAEhw/hZakrXSVMS4/s1600/Callista+Gingrich.jpg) Callista particularly has a real Stepford look to her. Cindy looks more like a dominatrix. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/169 "2011-12-11T01:47:37Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Callista particularly has a real Stepford look to her. Cindy looks more like a dominatrix. In view of recent events, I needed a reminder why it’s just as well that I remain a Republican. Thank you for providing it. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/170 "2011-12-11T01:49:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > [Callista Gingrich](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCYw2H3DVUI/TfPA7ooSG-I/AAAAAAAAEhw/hZakrXSVMS4/s1600/Callista+Gingrich.jpg) AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Can’t sleep, it will eat me! ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/171 "2011-12-11T02:32:29Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I hadn’t, but now that you mention it, is there a factory somewhere churning them out? [Cindy McCain](http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/old_pictures/cindymc3.jpg). [Callista Gingrich](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCYw2H3DVUI/TfPA7ooSG-I/AAAAAAAAEhw/hZakrXSVMS4/s1600/Callista+Gingrich.jpg) Callista reminds me of the [Martian hit woman](http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Mars%20Attacks) who tries to kill Jack Nicholson in _Mars Attacks_. Same plastic hair, same plastic expression. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/172 "2011-12-12T02:02:23Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I hadn’t, but now that you mention it, is there a factory somewhere churning them out? [Cindy McCain](http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/old_pictures/cindymc3.jpg). [Callista Gingrich](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCYw2H3DVUI/TfPA7ooSG-I/AAAAAAAAEhw/hZakrXSVMS4/s1600/Callista+Gingrich.jpg) > > Callista particularly has a real Stepford look to her. Cindy looks more like a dominatrix. GGAAAAAHHHH! Warn me when you’re going to be posting scary stuff like that! Christmas on a cracker! (And to think, Ann Coulter once had the nards to say that the Repubs have “all the pretty girls.” Hoo-boy. :rolleyes:) > [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > Callista reminds me of the [Martian hit woman](http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Mars%20Attacks) who tries to kill Jack Nicholson in _Mars Attacks_. Same plastic hair, same plastic expression. Yeah, Callista looks like she’s about to bite Martin Short’s face off. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/173 "2011-12-12T02:50:26Z")
Callista Gingrich in that picture looks like a cross between Christie Brinkley and Hillary Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/174 "2011-12-12T03:03:34Z")
Callista Gingrich’s hair freaks me out. It’s like snap-on hair. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/175 "2011-12-12T07:39:47Z")
I have been reading a bit about the debate and clearly Romney did not have a good night. Why on earth did he attack Gingrich about the Palestinian quote. It was indeed inflammatory rubbish which no serious candidate would say but it was also exactly the kind of thing which conservatives lap up. Romney needs to attack Gingrich from the right, the way he attacked Perry on immigration. And he obviously shouldn’t have offered that silly 10,000 bet to Perry. What kind of person bets 10,000? And why is he attacking Perry anyway? Perry is his best hope for siphoning off conservative votes from Gingrich. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/176 "2011-12-12T08:53:29Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > And he obviously shouldn’t have offered that silly 10,000 bet to Perry. What kind of person bets 10,000? I kinda liked the idea of the betting bit, but he should’ve saved it for some actual factual disagreement and then pressed it harder. The debates could use a little more “put-up or shut-up”, but on some topic that they could’ve actually built a bet around. So far as I could tell (it wasn’t super clear), Romney wanted to bet on Perry’s ability to prove what Romney meant by changing some of the wordings in his book, which is way too subjective, there’s no way anyone could arbitrate that objectively. I don’t think the 10k thing is that big a deal. Its no big secret he’s rich, and it would look kinda weak for a millionaire to be offering to bet 50 bucks. > [@](#): > > And why is he attacking Perry anyway? Perry is his best hope for siphoning off conservative votes from Gingrich. He was responding to an attack from Perry. Its not like he could just say “yea your right, I’m a flip-flopper”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/177 "2011-12-12T09:02:44Z")
That pic of Callista nearly made me poop. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/178 "2011-12-12T10:12:49Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > That pic of Callista nearly made me poop. When you wanted to poop, or wanted NOT to poop? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/179 "2011-12-12T12:40:26Z")
Callista’s eyes make me long for the serenity of Bachmann’s eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/180 "2011-12-13T05:43:13Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Its no big secret he’s rich, and it would look kinda weak for a millionaire to be offering to bet 50 bucks. Everyone knows he is rich but he doesn’t have to go out of his way to remind everyone that he can afford to throw away money frivolously. Many politicians are rich and could afford to bet 10,000 but wouldn’t do so in a public debate. Aside from the amount of money, evangelicals often disapprove of gambling and while they aren’t Mitt’s primary constituency, he doesn’t need to gratuitously drive them away either. The whole thing just seemed clumsy and gimmicky. He should just have defended himself directly and moved on. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898/181 "2011-12-13T06:36:07Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > …Aside from the amount of money, evangelicals often disapprove of gambling and while they aren’t Mitt’s primary constituency, he doesn’t need to gratuitously drive them away either. Evangelicals don’t approve of gambling. [Mormons, _really_ don’t approve of gambling.](http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/doctrines/gambling_eom.htm#_ftnref1) > [@](#): > > The Church has been and now is unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation, or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may be possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to encourage the spirit of reckless speculation, and particularly to that which tends to degrade or weaken the high moral standard which the members of the Church, and our community at large, have always maintained. We therefore advise and urge all members of the Church to refrain from participation in any activity which is contrary to the view herein set forth. Care to 'splain that one Willard? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gingrich-we-hardly-knew-ye/584898.md?page=10)