Want Real Solutions or Vacuous Personal Attacks?

by Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, Retired

Newt Gingrich has risen in the polls because of his command of the issues, proposed solutions to those issues and his incomparable delivery.  Yet, never in one’s lifetime has one observed the level of vitriol directed toward a candidate than is presently being directed at Newt. Fox News has all but abandoned any pretense of being “Fair and Balanced” as it pushes as hard as possible for its chosen candidate.  Fox’s tactic is as old as politics, trumpet one while maligning the other. Although Fox tries to obfuscate its evident bias by turning to selected third party apologists who on the one hand tear down Newt while trumpeting the virtues and electability of another candidate, its tactic is transparent.  Then there are direct venomous attacks by Fox senior commentator Brit Hume. One can raise a valid question: “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” There is no doubt on this score that Fox can absolutely claim to not be in the tank for one of its former analysts.

That noted, whenever a competing candidate turns to personal attacks it is a signal that he, she or they have lost the battle of ideas and strategic position. With the Iowa caucus two weeks away it is apparent that vacuous personal attacks are all that Newt’s opponents have to offer. The same attacks wouldn’t stand a chance against the billion dollar Obama campaign and multi-billion dollar media machine where for practical purposes campaign and media machine is one and the same.  Until now, one could count on Fox to be even-handed but in this case has shed its objectivity. It is so bad that any response by Newt to a personal attack is immediately analyzed then trumpeted as disqualifying. 

When one reads or hears, “Newt is scary,” “Newt is this or Newt is that” or, “so-and-so looks presidential,” one has to wonder whether or not there is any concern about the present occupant of the White House. If Obama’s first four years are any indication of the direction he wants to continue to take this country (i.e. more debt than all other administrations in history combined), one must conclude that the economy and the nation would be unrecognizable in another four. Now, that dear reader is a genuinely frightening prospect not only today but for future generations. College readers: PAY ATTENTION!

There is a Bible story where Jesus figuratively inserts Himself between a hostile crowd and a woman who was about to be stoned to death.  Imagine the scene, holding up His hand and looking each in the eye, Jesus said to the effect: “Any one of you who is without sin, step forward and I’ll move aside for you to cast the first stone.” Those who know me can attest that I am no Jesus of Nazareth, but I challenge anyone who is so pure in personal and political behavior to step forward and cast the first stone. Let me disabuse any would-be pretender: “don’t bother, there isn’t one!” (Oh, yes, this despite what the media would have all people, everywhere believe about Obama.)

Message to Newt’s Republican opponents: One is well aware of his past, his present shortcomings and his humanity.  This campaign is not about Gingrich, which of course is the focus of opponents’ efforts since they are incapable of competing in the realm of ideas and solutions; and, Newt will use those ideas and solutions to consign Obama to the ash heap of Chicago politics.

For Republicans voters in Iowa and across the country: Newt Gingrich has contributed more substance to the debate and to this country than all his competitors combined; I stand with him!  Learn more at: http://www.newt.org/

Semper Fidelis

Copyright ©  December 21st, 2011, by Robert L. Pappas. With proper attribution, this essay may be quoted and redistributed, except it may not be used in conjunction with any advertisement without the author’s expressed written permission.