# Patriotism: The Last Reguge of the Horndog (Newt Gingrich) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 10, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169 "2011-03-10T14:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/61 "2011-03-11T05:30:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The thing that really bugs me about Gingrich’s comments even more than his laughable attempt to blame patriotism for his adultery is that he’s also shielding himself behind religion. This is something that actually bugs me about a lot of scumbags who become religious converts - this notion that they have sought “God’s forgiveness,” so now it’s like all their previous assholery never happened and no one can criticize them for it. It ignores the people they victimized and cuts them out of the equation. It’s self-absolution. It’s bullshit. It’s his wives whose forgiveness he needs to beg for, not God. My personal opinion is whenever anyone says that God has forgiven them, I want to see the signed affidavit from God before I accept their claim. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/62 "2011-03-11T05:48:49Z")
I’m not even saying that people can’t have genuine conversions and genuine repentance. Of course they do. But in my experience, the ones who are sincere don’t sugarcoat or gloss or avoid owning up to their previous behavior. They don’t use their conversion as shield. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/63 "2011-03-11T05:49:07Z")
I was actually going to open a pit thread about this myself just now, until I saw this one. The guy is a complete jackass. That excuse was insulting, craven, dishonest, and showed that he has no strength of character. Also, for a guy who is supposed to be smart, that answer was _stupid_. Haven’t politicians learned by now that the best way to get past a scandal is simply to cowboy up and admit you screwed up? The guy’s one bimbo away from the full Jimmy Swaggart, tears and all. The sooner he gets off the political stage, the better. And to think I actually liked him once. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/64 "2011-03-11T05:51:47Z")
He’s not stupid. He has some political talent and acumen. He’s just completely amoral and egoistic. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/65 "2011-03-11T06:01:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yep – it’s kind of a religious version of _The Onion_. To flesh things out a bit more, when you arrive at the Landover site, the t-shirt and bumper sticker sales, the bizarro sermons, etc, all add up to a fairly transparent parody. The Landover forum (deeper in) is a little different in it’s conception and execution. (btw, there are essentially different administrations handling these 2 aspects of Landover, and they coexist on a not entirely amicable basis) The forum essentially is governed by 2 fundamental (sorry for the pun) rules, the 1611 King James Bible, is entirely accurate and totally free from any error, it is God’s perfect word for everything. The second rule is, when ever Republican (and of late, Tea Party) dogma conflicts with the King James 1611 Bible, Republican dogma trumps the Bible. Something the Landover True Christians take pride in, is that since there are so many conflicting Bible passages, they have the ability to take positions 180 degrees opposite each other in adjacent threads. Of course, conflicts in Biblical truth are never, never acknowledged, and they have a plethora of canned responses to anything that comes up. Now curiously, since Biblical accuracy is lauded at Landover, when Bible verses are posted, they are quoted 100% accurately (their forum software can automatically insert Bible verses when chapter and verse are entered in a post) and the level of Biblical scholarship is quite high. When Landover maintains that women are to be confined to menstrual hits during their ‘time’, or that women MUST marry their rapists, they are 100% correct in pointing out the Bible demands just that. When posters attempt to point out that Jesus did not mean that, they ALWAYS have more Bible verses that show that he DID, in fact, mean just that. Landover Forum really isn’t a parody, it is simply the rigid application of Biblical truth. (excepting the Republican waivers) That the ‘True Christians’ running the forum are all actually atheists in real life is irrelevant, they are making exactly and precisely the points that ‘real’ Christian literalist and Innerantist posters would make. It makes ‘Poes Law’ a moot point, the parody and the real thing are EXACTLY the same thing. I would contend, in all seriousness, that should ‘Judgment Day’ in fact occur, and God overlooks the 'insincerity of the Landoverians, He will nevertheless grant them salvation, simply because they were, in fact, correct in 100% of all their assertions. And that will not happen to the Catholics, the Westboroites, the Methodists, the Hindus, the Mormons, the Moslems, etc. Ever wonder why the ‘Fundamentalist Christian community’ never decried Nancy Reagan consorting with an ACTUAL witch?? Ever wonder why the ‘Fundamentalist Christian community’ is never up in arms over Newt’s infidelities?? Ever wonder why the ‘Fundamentalist Christian community’ never castigates Rush Limbaugh for being a drug addict?? Because Republican dogma DOES trump Biblical truth! ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/66 "2011-03-11T06:44:35Z")
It’s a good thing gay marriage is not allowed. We wouldn’t want to take away from the sanctity of Newt’s third marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/67 "2011-03-11T13:32:50Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He’s also glossing the real cruelty with which he treated his first two wives. He didn’t just cheat on them, he callously dumped both of them when they got sick - serving his first wife with divorce papers while she was in the hospital with cancer… Nitpick. He did not serve his first wife with divorce papers while she was in the hospital with cancer. According to his first wife and their daughter, he showed up with their 9 year old daughter and a legal pad to discuss terms of their divorce right after she had gotten out of surgery, and was still doped up on medication. I’ll leave it as an exercise to the reader as to which is more assholish. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/68 "2011-03-11T14:45:26Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Nitpick. He did not serve his first wife with divorce papers while she was in the hospital with cancer. According to his first wife and their daughter, he showed up with their 9 year old daughter and a legal pad to discuss terms of their divorce right after she had gotten out of surgery, and was still doped up on medication. > > I’ll leave it as an exercise to the reader as to which is more assholish. Trying to take advantage of incapacity to trick someone into an agreement is… well, consistent with Newt’s character. As Bill Maher put it, actual newts aren’t this slimy. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/69 "2011-03-11T15:49:36Z")
So by this logic, Tiger Woods must be, like , 17 times more patriotic than Ol’e Newt. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/70 "2011-03-11T16:12:02Z")
> [@UncaThomas](#): > > This is behavior characteristic of almost all Pols. Remember the Lewinsky affair? Did Bill ever say he was sorry? I heard he didn’t have sex with that woman. And during his time of trouble, he called in Jesse Jackson as his “spiritual advisor” to counsel him on his infidelity. Of course, Jackson was photographed visiting the White House during that time with his mistress of the moment with whom he fathered an illegitimate child. Some spiritual advisor there. Technical point - I believe [Clinton did apologize and take responsibility](http://www.perfectapology.com/clinton-apology-quotes.html) for the Lewinsky stuff. I recognize lots of Democrats and Republicans both do not take responsibility, and see rules as things that apply to ‘everyone else,’ but Clinton apologized. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/71 "2011-03-11T16:16:16Z")
I note bemusedly Newt is now Catholic. Did he not realize how this would complicate the situation regarding wives number 4, 5, and 6 ?? ---
**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:** [March 11, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/72 "2011-03-11T16:18:40Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > I note bemusedly Newt is now Catholic. > > Did he not realize how this would complicate the situation regarding wives number 4, 5, and 6 ?? If he wants to get married six times, maybe he’ll follow historical precedent and create his own church. ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/73 "2011-03-11T16:22:57Z")
> [@UncaThomas](#): > > I wouldn’t vote for Newt for dogcatcher if he was the only one running. > > But… > > This is behavior characteristic of almost all Pols. Remember the Lewinsky affair? Did Bill ever say he was sorry? I heard he didn’t have sex with that woman. And during his time of trouble, he called in Jesse Jackson as his “spiritual advisor” to counsel him on his infidelity. Of course, Jackson was photographed visiting the White House during that time with his mistress of the moment with whom he fathered an illegitimate child. Some spiritual advisor there. > > And who can forget the charming John Edwards, banging Rielle as he campaigned for Prez while his wife campaigned for him and had breast cancer? > > To sum up, most of them are dirtbags. Somehow we manage to select the worst and the dullest when we should elevate the best and the brightest. > > There’s nothing special about Newt’s dirtbaggery; in fact, it’s all too common amongst all of our pols. In case you’ve forgotten it, while Newtie was cheating on one of his wives, he was also acting all self righteous and moral…over Bill Clinton’s cheating. In fact the Repubs have this kind of hypocrisy down pat. So how come John Edwards isn’t running for Prez—and Newt is. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/74 "2011-03-11T17:04:43Z")
and of course, Brocks [beat me to it…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=600246&highlight=tiger+woods) Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![heatmiserfl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@heatmiserfl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heatmiserfl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/75 "2011-03-11T18:39:25Z")
> [@UncaThomas](#): > > I wouldn’t vote for Newt for dogcatcher if he was the only one running. > > But… > > This is behavior characteristic of almost all Pols. Remember the Lewinsky affair? Did Bill ever say he was sorry? I heard he didn’t have sex with that woman. And during his time of trouble, he called in Jesse Jackson as his “spiritual advisor” to counsel him on his infidelity. Of course, Jackson was photographed visiting the White House during that time with his mistress of the moment with whom he fathered an illegitimate child. Some spiritual advisor there. > > And who can forget the charming John Edwards, banging Rielle as he campaigned for Prez while his wife campaigned for him and had breast cancer? > > To sum up, most of them are dirtbags. Somehow we manage to select the worst and the dullest when we should elevate the best and the brightest. > > There’s nothing special about Newt’s dirtbaggery; in fact, it’s all too common amongst all of our pols. Nope, nope, nope. You don’t get to do that. Repubs and Dems are not equivalent in these matters. Not only do Repubs campaign on religion and family values, they legislate their so-called religious beliefs. Also, without their family value/ religious bullshit, social conservatives have no reason to vote for them. (Well, besides the racism and sociopathic selfishness.) Oh and the Repubs impeached a President for a blow-job and a gotcha ya ‘perjury’. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/76 "2011-03-11T20:12:22Z")
You people with your Stalinesque liberal bias have no sense of humor. All Gingrich meant was he calls his dick ‘America.’ Ahem, Old Newt Gingrich was a good ol’ man He jumped out the window with his dick in his hand He said, “'Scuse me, ladies, I’m doing my duty. Won’t you pull down your pants and gimme some booty?” ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/77 "2011-03-11T23:31:16Z")
> [@Skip](#): > > It’s a good thing gay marriage is not allowed. We wouldn’t want to take away from the sanctity of Newt’s third marriage. That would be like building an Islamic community center on the hallowed ground of the former Burlington Coat Factory… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/78 "2011-03-12T06:30:50Z")
As a Republican and a polyamorous person, I am repulsed by ol’ Newtie. I have some regrets, I have behaved in ways I am not proud of at times, but I never ditched a girl with cancer. This guy is scum. And he won’t be getting the nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/79 "2011-03-12T21:39:02Z")
Correct me if I am wrong but to be married in the Catholic Church the previous marriages must be declared invalid or he could not be married. If that is the case by Catholic standards and Newt the newly devout convert he was only married once, to his current wife. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169/80 "2011-03-12T23:04:04Z")
What I would love to hear just one journalist ask Gingrich (or Barr, or Beck, or Limbaugh, or Chuck Norris, or Anita Bryant, or any of about umpteen million other “gay marriage is against the Bible!” folks to whom this applies) is how they reconcile their supposed beliefs with the fact that while Jesus said **Jack squat** against/for/about gay relationships, yet in three different Gospels (more than mention the Magi, the Beatitudes, more than agree on his last words, etc.) he condemns divorce and remarriage. > [@](#): > > Matthew 5: 31-32 > 31 It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ > [COLOR=“Black”]32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [/COLOR] > [@](#): > > Mark 10: 11-12 > 10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. > 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. > 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” > [@](#): > > Luke 16:18 > > 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. There are other scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, saying essentially the same thing. Most damning perhaps is Malachi: > [@](#): > > Malachi 2:15-16 > > 15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. > > 16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the LORD Almighty. How do they reconcile this with their own divorces? Or for that matter how do they reconcile “Thou shalt not commit adultery” with “but gay marriage is worse of course”? Sickening interpretations I’ve heard are “Jesus was only speaking to Jews” (?!?!?!?!- he was Christ, therefore I think his words are relevant to Christians). Personally I’m not Christian so I don’t care if the Bible says divorce is wrong or right or okay so long as the husband does the Chicken Dance backwards while playing castanets while the wife plucks a banjo, but how do the anti-gay-marriage and anti everything else other people are doing reconcile this with their own lifestyles? You can play with the words and context all you want to but there’s just not a lot of wiggle room. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patriotism-the-last-reguge-of-the-horndog-newt-gingrich/574169.md?page=5)