Maybe Newt Had a Point…But When in Doubt Follow Reagan

In the wake of Tuesday’s election results, I’m very happy with the outcome of Virginia and New Jersey. Honestly, I didn’t think Christie was going to pull it out in the Garden state, but I couldn’t be happier John Corsine was given the boot.

However, I really wanted Doug Hoffman to win the 23rd CD seat in Upper New York. That tri-fecta would not only have sent a megaton message to Washington, but Conservative would have staked a greater foothold in the GOP.

In the heat of battle, I said some harsh things about Newt Gingrich for endorsing De De Scozzafava, a Liberal Republican, over Conservative Doug Hoffman. In farness to Newt, he got a lot of grief but he wasn’t alone in his endorsement. House Minority Leader, John Boehner, Minority Whip Eric Cantor, and Sen Pete Sessions and others also backed Scozzfava, but to my knowledge, they didn’t receive the same wrath from other Conservatives that Newt did.

In an interview with Sean Hannity today, Gingrich explained that he was informed by 11 Republican Chairman that they had selected Scozzafava as the Republican candidate in the special election. I think Newt deferred to the judgment of the local party bosses and really didn’t know anything or knew Scozzafava from a can of paint. He also noted that the GOP bosses failed to consult Mike Long of the Conservative Party prior to selecting Scozzafava.

Well, it all became a big mess and Newt Gingrich got caught in the neat grinder.

Moving forward, I hope the GOP will learn its lesson of what happened in NY 23. Select candidates wisely and don’t blur the lines of Conservatism for political expediency. Follow what Ronald Reagan said:


Ronald Reagan - Let Them Go Their Way

Let Them Go Their Way
March 1, 1975
2nd Annual CPAC Convention

“I don 't know about you, but I am impatient with those Republicans who after the last election rushed into print saying, "We must broaden the base of our party" -- when what they meant was to fuzz up and blur even more the differences between ourselves and our opponents.”


“Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?”


“A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.


“I do not believe I have proposed anything that is contrary to what has been considered Republican principle. It is at the same time the very basis of conservatism. It is time to reassert that principle and raise it to full view. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.”

From The Last Tradition