by Etse Sikanku on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 11:15am
There’s been a lot of talk about how Democrats are salivating over the prospect of taking on Gingrich rather than Romney. I understand in the backrooms of the Democratic operation offices some are doing flip dances and boasting about how they’re going to win 49 states if Gingrich becomes the nominee. I beg to differ. I think this race is actually going to be closely fought one if Gingrich emerges on top.
It’s not difficult to understand why Democrats view Gingrich a weaker opponent. In an era where being a Washington insider is uncool as it can get, Newt carries the burden of the bona fide career politician. His speakership is viewed as the ultimate model of the tempestuous, partisan and combative politics that produces gridlock. Right now, Americans are tired of the bickering and gamesmanship that go on in DC. This past week, ordinary citizens picketed around the offices of House Speaker John Boehner chanting “Pass the jobs bill” Pass the jobs bill. Clearly, democrats will have the chance to channel that anger to a dyed-in-the-wool Washingtonian like Gingrich.
Perhaps even more debilitating for Gingrich than his political history is his commercial antics. Again, there is palpable anger throughout the United States against an increasing inequality gap between the rich and the poor or between the top 1% and the 99%. For many Americans, Gingrich belongs to the 1%. The liberal mainstream media are painting him as “scam artist” and self-serving politician whose only interest is in using political capital as a means to personal gain. In fact John Sununu, former White House official and a Romney surrogate is reported to have used the word “self-aggrandizing” in a recent conference call. This is definitely not a tag any politician wants to be associated with in these days of economic malaise, joblessness and growing animosity against the so called 1%.
However if all the democrats have against Gingrich are tales of historical baggage then 2012 might not be the home run they deem it to be. First, people change. Newt has apologized for some of his missteps in the 1990s. Almost everyone who knows Newt knows about all his political and personal troubles including two failed marriages. Surely conservative voters are well aware of all this baggage but have decided to go with Newt because they want a man they identify with who can take the fight to Obama. Newt’s failures have been reported reported and over reported in the news media so much so that it sounds dead on hearing. There will be nothing new to the ear anymore and Newt is lucky to belong to a race where these dalliances will be forgiven. Once this hurdle is cleared, all we have is a Gingrich who excites conservatives, who will take the fight o Obama and who can use his debating and intellectual prowess to match up or perhaps outmatch Obama. Despite all his baggage Mr. Gingrich is actually leading Obama 46-44 in the battleground state of Ohio.
Romney on the other hand will be easy fodder for Obama. Here’s a man who does not even excite members of his own party. Republicans cannot bear to have Romney on the ticket and the antipathy towards him is so strong that many conservatives will most likely just stay away if Romney gets on top. Romney’s biggest strength in the generals lie in the economy but things could get better and Obama should be able to carve a strong economic argument for 2012. That being said, there are other factors that might seriously affect the 2012 race including the much awaited Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare the biggest policy initiative of the Obama administration, Eric Holder and his fast and furious shenanigans and the state of foreign policy in the heat of campaign season. 2012 is by no means a closed election and the earlier democrats realize this, the better for their own prospects.
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