The Discerning Texan
All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke
-- Edmund Burke
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Newt's Brilliant Idea
Words are inappropriate to describe how much I admire former Speaker Newt Gingrich. If he were to become a serious candidate for President (and he may... later), the checkbook would be open and the dollars would be flowing.
Gingrich is starting an initiative to try and get candidates from both parties to debate frequently--not just with other Primary candidates in their own party, but also against the Opposition party, during the primaries. Gingrich and others from across the aisle like former New York Governor Mario Cuomo are promoting the idea in order to lessen the bitter partisan campaigns of the recent past by encouraging ongoing party-to-party discussion of the issues. Gingrich argues that it does not encourage dialogue and bipartisan solutions to American problems to simply have the parties go to opposite corners and for each party to fan the flames of red-meat partisanship with "their own". The idea is by (occasionally, not every time) getting primary candidates to debate other primary candidates of the other party, the country might experience less fire-breathing partisanship and more real dialogue. Gingrich has already begun this process himself, and yesterday he held a dialogue with liberal New York Senator Chuck Schumer, which will be followed by other dates debating Democrats across the country.
Of course it goes without saying that Gingrich is--quite simply--brilliant, and that a man with the combination of his intellect, his charisma/presence, and his ability to articulate and argue for those ideas would no doubt be a serious danger to all-fluff-and-no-substance candidates like Hillary and Obama in any debate. And no doubt his ongoing debtes with Democrats around the country will be "good practice"... to say the least.
But his personal prowess aside, Gingrich deserves his props for this debate the other party idea. In addition to the points discussed above, this approach would give primary voters a good look at the debating skills of thier favorite candidates up against the party they will run against in the fall--if you will, a sneak preview of possible Presidential debates. I especially like this idea, because it would encourage candidates of both parties to get away from the current practice of showing one "face" to their own party to get the nomination, and then showing another (opposite) "face" in the fall in order to win the general election. Party to party debates during Primary season (or before) would give each party a much more realistic idea of what their Primary candidates really stand for, while hopefully taking some of the bitter negativity out of campaigning. I personally think it is a tremendous idea, and the fact that Gingrich came up with the idea only makes his candidacy that much more attractive.
I listened the other night to Captain Ed's web radio cast where he interviewed Gingrich, and I came away with the impression that he really does want to get in--but that he wants to wait until fall because he believes this two-year Presidential campaign business is ridiculous. I hope he does run: I truly think he can be another giant of a President like Ronald Reagan; and never has our country needed such a leader so desparately. Please, Mr. Speaker: this is your calling.
Gingrich is starting an initiative to try and get candidates from both parties to debate frequently--not just with other Primary candidates in their own party, but also against the Opposition party, during the primaries. Gingrich and others from across the aisle like former New York Governor Mario Cuomo are promoting the idea in order to lessen the bitter partisan campaigns of the recent past by encouraging ongoing party-to-party discussion of the issues. Gingrich argues that it does not encourage dialogue and bipartisan solutions to American problems to simply have the parties go to opposite corners and for each party to fan the flames of red-meat partisanship with "their own". The idea is by (occasionally, not every time) getting primary candidates to debate other primary candidates of the other party, the country might experience less fire-breathing partisanship and more real dialogue. Gingrich has already begun this process himself, and yesterday he held a dialogue with liberal New York Senator Chuck Schumer, which will be followed by other dates debating Democrats across the country.
Of course it goes without saying that Gingrich is--quite simply--brilliant, and that a man with the combination of his intellect, his charisma/presence, and his ability to articulate and argue for those ideas would no doubt be a serious danger to all-fluff-and-no-substance candidates like Hillary and Obama in any debate. And no doubt his ongoing debtes with Democrats around the country will be "good practice"... to say the least.
But his personal prowess aside, Gingrich deserves his props for this debate the other party idea. In addition to the points discussed above, this approach would give primary voters a good look at the debating skills of thier favorite candidates up against the party they will run against in the fall--if you will, a sneak preview of possible Presidential debates. I especially like this idea, because it would encourage candidates of both parties to get away from the current practice of showing one "face" to their own party to get the nomination, and then showing another (opposite) "face" in the fall in order to win the general election. Party to party debates during Primary season (or before) would give each party a much more realistic idea of what their Primary candidates really stand for, while hopefully taking some of the bitter negativity out of campaigning. I personally think it is a tremendous idea, and the fact that Gingrich came up with the idea only makes his candidacy that much more attractive.
I listened the other night to Captain Ed's web radio cast where he interviewed Gingrich, and I came away with the impression that he really does want to get in--but that he wants to wait until fall because he believes this two-year Presidential campaign business is ridiculous. I hope he does run: I truly think he can be another giant of a President like Ronald Reagan; and never has our country needed such a leader so desparately. Please, Mr. Speaker: this is your calling.
Labels: Newt Gingrich, Republican, US Politics
