National Review Calls On Gingrich To Quit

[g5000]

I bought my first magazine subscription with my own money when I was still a teenager. That magazine was National Review. In the turbulent morass of the violent liberalism of the times, National Review felt like pure oxygen. I grew up to greatly admire William F. Buckely and his fellow-traveler, Ronald Reagan. We knew before anyone else that Reagan would be President of the United States.

Today, I am sorely disappointed in the devolution of the conservative movement. However, this morning someone shot off a flare, requesting the movement be rescued by one of the psychotic maniacs who have hijacked conservatism.

The editors of National Review are calling for Newt Gingrich to get out of the race so that Rick Santorum will have a fighting chance of defeating Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination.

Santorum has won more contests than Gingrich (who has won only one), has more delegates, and leads him in the polls. In at least one poll, he also leads Romney. It isn’t yet a Romney–Santorum contest, but it could be headed that way.

We hope so. Gingrich’s verbal and intellectual talents should make him a resource for any future Republican president. But it would be a grave mistake for the party to make someone with such poor judgment and persistent unpopularity its presidential nominee. It is not clear whether Gingrich remains in the race because he still believes he could become president next year or because he wants to avenge his wounded pride: an ambiguity that suggests the problem with him as a leader. When he led Santorum in the polls, he urged the Pennsylvanian to leave the race. On his own arguments the proper course for him now is to endorse Santorum and exit.

As we all know, what Gingrich demands of others he does not apply to himself. If he did, he would be reporting to jail, since he called for Barney Frank and Chriss Dodd to be in jail for having connections to Fannie and Freddie lobbyists.

This is not the first time the editors of NR have kneecapped Newt. Last December, they pointed out he has far too much personal baggage to be an honest representative of conservatives. Something with which I have repeatedly pointed out on this forum.


So step aside, Newt. Your turn came and went a decade and a half ago.