So Gingrich Won South Carolina With…

… A flawless record? A history of business success? An unblemished political career? Exceptional debating abilities? Maybe on the last one; one could argue that. But is that why he won? No. I don’t think so.

I hate this, but I need to throw in a caveat here: I don’t support any of these guys. Not Romney, because of his record of flip flopping. Not Santorum, because… well… I should spend some time on that, but suffice it to say that ideologically, I can’t support him. Not Paul, because to probably most Americans, he’s about half way ‘round the bend.

But this is about Gingrich, and his win in S. Carolina.

Gingrich, in my opinion, is not a charismatic person. He can argue well. He’s politically cunning. He’s an historian and it shows. And he has a quick mind together with all of the previous attributes, makes him a great debater. And, like all of us, he has a past. He ushered in the contract with America that most people on the right think was a good thing. It certainly won him the speakership of the house.

But he also was the first and only Speaker of the House ever to be reprimanded by congress – and for ethics.

Again, I hate this, but I have to point out again that I am not for anyone – yet. And I am certainly not for Gingrich – yet.

A little more than a week ago, Gingrich led the charge against Romney that many, many people on the right, pundits as well, said was tantamount to an attack on the soul of the right - capitalism. Perry, and Perry supporters especially, were disparaged everywhere for their attack on “the foundation of conservatism” capitalism. How it happened I don’t know, but the one who led the attack this dastardly attack on capitalism, Gingrich, managed to survive his anti-capitalist bent virtually unscathed and he began to beat the drum for Romney to open his tax records.

This, to me, is astonishing. What are Romney’s tax records going to reveal about Romney? That he’s rich? That he successfully manages his money according to the tax law that allows people at his level of wealth to do? And this is an indicator of his being bad for the right in what way exactly? Is this not just another attack on Romney for being a… gasp… capitalist?

When it comes right down to it, even we on the right don’t like rich people. We are just as envious of them as people on the left. The main difference between we on the right and they on the left, is that we are less hypocritical about our hope to one day be one of those people that both the right and the left hate – rich.
So, Gingrich knocked Romney back on his heels and leveraged everybody’s envy of the rich by clanging the gong of tax returns. But is that why he won S. Carolina?
Everybody knows why Gingrich won S. Carolina, but not everyone is going to emphasize too heavily the reason. Gingrich won S. Carolina because of a one and a half minute verbal slamdown of the CNN debate monitor who, like other debate monitors in this primary campaign have done, wanted to be the memorable event of the debate. He acted the idiot and got what idiots deserve.

And we on the right awarded that slamdown with S. Carolina.

For the third freaking time; I do not support anyone. But I really don’t support Gingrich. I don’t support Gingrich because he is the first and only Speaker of the House ever to be reprimanded by congress. For ethics.

I was a Perry supporter. Was – keyword - dammit. I read in many places to the effect that Perry had a good record, he just couldn’t articulate it. You know, I disagree with that assessment a lot. There’s a truism in our culture that a record speaks for itself. Perry’s didn’t for some reason.

But neither is Gingrich’s record speaking for itself, not because it is out there, like Perry's, but because it isn't. It's hidden.

It’s possible that I could be brought around to supporting Gingrich, but not until his record is laid on the table. Not until I know what it was in those ethics – repeated – ethics hearings that caused him to be reprimanded by Congress and to go down in history - you know – like Clinton – second President in history to be impeached. Gingrich was the first in history in his position. Until Gingrich can say what it was that he did to deserve reprimand, I will not support him.

So what was it that won S. Carolina for Gingrich?

I think that the talent of the collective left is their ability to first sell, and then to believe with passion, a losing argument. I believe that by-in-large, the entire philosophy of the left – that those with less are inherently entitled to that which those with more have eventually impoverishes everyone, in many ways – is the epitome of a losing argument that the left through history, has been able to sell to a relatively large segment of society. Snake oil.

But if S. Carolina is any indicator, then we on the right have our own unique demographic locked up.

Gingrich won the debate, and then S. Carolina because of a sound bite. And with that, we’ve cemented our lock on the coveted ‘fickle’ demographic.