“It’s not that I’m a good debater. It’s that I articulate the deepest felt values of the American people.”
Newt Gingrich
The swift and surprising rise of Newt Gingrich in the estimation of South Carolina’s primary voters is not explained by a sudden persuasiveness in his position on, say, Hamiltonian statism. Electoral politics being what they are – tear down,
dumb down everywhere you go – it isn’t likely that even his most fervent supporters could articulate Gingrich’s nuanced views on a range of policy matters.
But it doesn’t matter. Nuance is never rewarded in politics. In the long, drawn-out season of primaries and caucuses, nuance — subtlety, shading, refinement — is not only unnecessary but anathema to victory. (Which seems counterintuitive and just plain wrong since, the deep flaws of this phase of the process notwithstanding, there’s plenty of time to get wonky and technical and specific about any number of important issues — all those town hall meetings and homey sitdowns in diners and such.
No, Newt won because he has a rhetorical style suited for the mean-spirited times in which we live. Bombastic, grandiose (by his own admission), ever put-upon, Gingrich never blushes when he spins incredulous tales of victimhood; his is a red face of self-righteous indignation.
He’s famously impossible to work with. His narcissism is legendary. While he addresses the tricky matters of his infidelity and multiple marriages with the language of confession and forgiveness, he seems more than happy to sermonize on the supposed moral frailties of others.
He exploits the fears and resentments of the voters he courts. In parts of South Carolina, as in other parts of the nation, blasting cultural and media “elites” — as Gingrich did in his Saturday night victory speech — is a cheap and disingenuous way to score political points. And the adoring crowds don’t seem to sense how easily they’ve been manipulated.
But this oratory does nothing to articulate a vision, encourage honest reflection, heal divisions, instill hope. Despite his own faux-modest assessment, it isn’t the “felt values of the American people” that Newt gives voice to. It turns out that what many Americans want is someone who will articulate their deepest hatreds. Gingrich is more than willing and capable.
And then there’s the Racialized Politics of Newt:
I’m prepared, if the NAACP invites me, to go to their convention and talk about why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps.
The hubris is breathtaking, the ignorance stunning. And the political momentum gained by remarks like this both chilling and dispiriting.
But this is the world of “truthiness” that Gingrich inhabits. A world where facts aren’t allowed to interfere with the way he believes things to be. (One truth here, in fact, is that there are many millions more whites than blacks who receive food stamps).
All this — and only this — for many long months to come because this will sustain the resentment of those schooled in the cynical one-sidedness of journalists and pundits for whom every policy or position of “the other side” is reflexively derided as gross incompetence or calculated evil. (Can’t the critics just make up their minds? Is President Obama completely clueless or gleefully plotting the ruin of the republic?)
For all the big, breezy, bombast of the grandiose Gingrich his is a politics of smallness. And there is little of the truth in it.
January 22, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Nicely written! Gingrich’s bombast and political manipulative articulation is very scary. He says hateful things nicely and articulates them for the masses who rise to his banner. This election, as a pundit explained last evening, has now shifted from the right, to the far right with Gingrich’s SC primary win. There’s no going back now. The die has been cast. No matter who the nominee is the bombast and outrage over a foreigner, a black man, becoming President of the United States, will be on full display come convention time in Tampa. The hateful elements of the far right electorate now their have their megaphone in place to spew out their ‘truth’ and the saddest part of all this is that so many of these folk claim to be Jesus followers. Newt has now risen to the forefront of the outrage and he knows he can capitalize on the ignorant and uneducated conspiratorially minded people who believe these are the end times. Sad, truly sad.
January 23, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Funny how different people view the same thing!
In the original post I read, “A world where facts aren’t allowed to interfere with the way he believes things to be.” which to me would sum up the Obama/Pelosi agenda. (We have to vote on it so you can know what’s in it…I would laugh if it weren’t such a serious threat to our Republic.)
And then in the comment there is , “He says hateful things nicely and articulates them for the masses who rise to his banner.” Hate-fulness seems to be a term that is used for Republicans/Conservatives…Maybe because they are said ‘nicely’ as opposed to the vitriolic ‘UP-Front’ hatred that was shown for George Bush, and the utter idiocy of hatred that describes anyone who doesn’t fall for the Liberal lunacy. Let’s see…racist (only a moron would categorize all Republicans as racist), Mean-spirited (only a moron would categorize…..), want dirty air and water, (only a moron…)and , I’m afraid the list goes on, ad nauseum…mainly because the morons have nothing else to show.
One of the differences in Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans will, most often, denounce their ‘own’ for failures, while the Democrats place it as a badge of honor and denounce any one who brings it up or questions it.
Oh, and….”He exploits the fears and resentments of the voters he courts.”
I thought that was Al Gore!
Different strokes for different folks, right?
January 23, 2012 at 5:35 pm
BTW…please pardon me for using the term ‘moron’ in my comment. I really am NOT a Liberal, though the use of that perjorative certainly makes me sound like one.
January 25, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Nothing in my comments rk was intended to lump all Republicans together. As a Christian, I find it easy to lumped in with those who claim to be Christian, but are the farthest thing from it. Believe it or not, I have some very far right friends who I’ve had the honor to work and fellowship with. Although we do not see eye to eye on politics we are both able to respect each others political leanings and get important work done. We have, because of our differences, been able to learn about one another and how we view the world. I consider myself a liberal, a Democrat and I’m proud of both, but first and foremost, I am a Christian, a Disciple, a Jesus Follower. Thankfully, God is not a Democrat or a Republican. If my ability to respect those I don’t agree with and a have productive, valuable and meaningful relationship with is considered by you or anyone else as ‘liberal lunacy’, then I am guilty as charged and thanks be to God for my lunacy. Peace be with you.