Newt Gingrich Has Lost His Mind
April 24th, 2007 by MICHAEL STICKINGS, Assistant Editor
Joe has already addressed Newt Gingrich’s claim that liberalism is to blame for the Virginia Tech shootings, but here, below, are my thoughts in response to that idiotic claim.
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In case you haven’t heard, Newt Gingrich has found the cause of the Virginia Tech shootings. Or, rather, he has found something upon which to pin the blame:
Liberalism.
Yes, that’s right. Liberalism.
On ABC’s This Week on Sunday, he blamed the shootings (and such violence generally) on video games, what he called “dehumanization,” and “the fact that we refuse to say that we are… endowed by our creator, that our rights come from God”. Stephanopoulos pressed him — “what does that have to do with liberalism?” — but all Newt could come up with was a rambling, incoherent mess that included “situation ethics,” “the use of language which is stunningly degrading of women,” and McCain-Feingold. Yes, McCain-Feingold. While political speech is being restricted, he claims, “it’s impossible to restrict vulgar and vicious and anti-human speech”. (Crooks and Liars has the video/transcript. So does Think Progress, along with more from Newt’s past. For more, see The Carpetbagger Report, PoliBlog, and DownWithTyranny!.)
I would conclude that he’s lost it, but I’m not so sure he had all that much to lose. I agree that some video games are violent and that young people should not have access to them, but it is ridiculous to claim that video games were behind this massacre. As well, it’s ridiculous to claim that atheism (or, rather, not believing in Newt’s God) or the absence of speech codes were behind it.
Let me address three points in particular:
1) Conservatives once argued, and occasionally still do argue, against speech codes on college campuses. Just to show what an unironic theocrat he has become, Newt is here arguing for speech codes, for restrictions on freedom. (As he has before. Apparently the First Amendment means so little to him that he is more than willing to defecate all over it.)
2) Conservatives once argued, or claimed that they argued (for it’s all mostly spin-happy rhetoric), for personal responsibility — a culture thereof, in fact. (Remember Bush in 2000? Remember how Clinton was held up as a model of personal irresponsibility?) They ridiculed liberals for suggesting that crime was social, not just personal and moral. But here we have Newt suggesting that the culture is to blame for what happened at Virginia Tech.
3) Apparently, according to Newt, there was no such violence and no such crime before liberalism, that it’s all a strictly liberal phenomenon. And, too, according to Newt, there is apparently no such violence and no such crime where Christianity, or at least Newt’s version of it, is strong. Consider that Newt is a history teacher. Consider how little Newt seems to know about history. I needn’t mention what was going on in the world before liberalism and when Christianity was the faith of choice and/or coercion.
Newt may have lost his mind, but he is dangerous because many people still, for whatever reason, seem to pay attention to him. And many on the right obviously share his view that liberalism is to blame for all of society’s ills.
If liberalism can be blamed for anything it is for allowing Newt and his simple-minded ilk to speak freely in a free and democratic country. But that, we liberals argue, is what liberalism is all about: freedom. Newt doesn’t get that, but it’s good that he is free to make such an ass of himself and that we are free to call him on it.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at 10:54 am and is filed under Mass Murder, Popular Culture, Liberalism, Virginia Tech, Newt Gingrich, Society, Christianity, Crime, Politics. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
April 24th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Vote republican and you end up with idiots like Newt. So after he leaves office the people that voted for him pay to hear him ramble on that same old ignoramus BS. So you tell me, has the gene pool been corrupted or not?
April 24th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Contratulations, Michael - you wrote an entire post about a bunch of things Newt Gingrich never said.
He did not blame the VT shooting on liberalism, or atheism, or video games. He did not propose any speech codes.
Whether you’re being dishonest or ignorant only you can know.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Not even close, you’re not even close…
Here’s a link so you can watch him say it himself
April 24th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
SteveK:
Thank you for documenting the fact that Gingrich didn’t blame the shooting on liberalism, atheism, video games, etc. In fact, he didn’t even mention VT in the statement you cited.
Also note that the initial question was about Columbine, not about VT.
Are you incapable of reading or comprehending? Or are you simply dishonest?
April 24th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Not even close-
Stephanopoulus reminded him what he had said about Columbine , then asked him if he still stood by the same prescription today- that meant did he still believe that liberalism was to blame for the current tragedy. Newt said yes he does. He didn’t mention VT, but its obvious to anyone who watched it that’s what they’re talking about. If he blamed Columbine on liberalism, why would it surprise anyone that he would blame VT on the same thing?
I wonder what he blamed Oklahoma City on, LOL.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
He didn’t blame Columbine on liberalism either. He made a case that liberal values contribute to a worse society. Are all liberals so simple-minded?
April 24th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Woah… ‘Not even close’ is getting a little pissy! ‘Not even close’, had you followed my link and ‘watched’ the clip you wouldn’t look so foolish.
Didn’t blame liberalism… blamed liberal values… right.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
As usual Gringrich has shown once again he is his own worst enemy. And yet I respect this man because he can come up with more ideas in a week than most people can come with in their lifetime. Sorry Mr Sticklings but if you cannot reconize talent like Mr Gingrich than it is you who has lost his mind
April 24th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I must be dense- I don’t get the difference between blaming liberalism and blaming the liberal values of a society. I guess that ’s more palatable for a conservative than blaming lax gun laws that allowed a mentally ill person to obtain a semiautomatic.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Blaming liberalism for making society worse does not equal blaming liberalism for a particular incident. If you can’t acknowledge this basic distinction then you are either a simpleton or you are being dishonest. Gingrich did not blame liberalism for the Columbine or VT shootings.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
‘Not even close’ are you being a jerk on purpose or is it just in the wingnut DNA? Either way, it shows and it does nothing for your argument.
How about trying to issues instead of playing attack dog.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
How about trying to address the issues instead of playing attack dog.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
SteveK is irony-challenged:
“…are you being a jerk on purpose or is it just in the wingnut DNA?”
“How about trying to address the issues instead of playing attack dog.”
April 24th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I think liberalism makes society better- people in authoritarian societies pay a heavy price for a little security- and people who believe in God commit violent acts just as often as those who don’t.
Newt wasn’t objecting to living in a liberal society when he got married three times and cheated on two wives while in Washington. Is he the victim of our societal values?
April 24th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Liberalism is authoritarian.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
‘Not…’ I was, I even gave you a link so you could watch Newt say what you profess he didn’t say.
You, on the other hand…
In reply to:
Michael: Whether you’re being dishonest or ignorant only you can know.
SteveK: Are you incapable of reading or comprehending? Or are you simply dishonest?
To kritter: Are all liberals so simple-minded?
and To Michael: Whether you’re being dishonest or ignorant only you can know.
To SteveK: Are you incapable of reading or comprehending? Or are you simply dishonest?
To kritter: Are all liberals so simple-minded?; and, … then you are either a simpleton or you are being dishonest.
I guess you think you’re using the subtily ploy… sorry, ‘Not…’ it isn’t working.
I’m finished replying to your pissy posts.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Not even close- Its just like Bush and Cheney never said Saddam and 9/11 were related. They just implied it heavily over and over. Newt is sending the message that liberalism has created an environment that led to this incident. So what did he do in Congress to limit violent video games? Or curtail violent rap lyrics? I remember Tipper Gore doing that- but wait she’s a liberal!
April 24th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
God I hate not having a preview option! I’d clean it up and repost but it was to ‘Not…’ and he/she won’t actually read it anyhow.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
“I even gave you a link so you could watch Newt say what you profess he didn’t say.”
I watched it. He didn’t say it. You’re lying or you’re confused.
“So what did he do in Congress…”
Conservatives don’t believe all problems are to be solved by the federal government.
April 24th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
If what happened a Virginia Tech is due to liberlism, then Newt stay out of my commonwealth……we don’t want your conservative kind of ignorance in Virginia.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Well, as Michael said- Newt is lucky to live in a country where he is allowed the freedom to make an ass out of himself, and I guess he takes advantage of that regularly. Our troops are over in Iraq defending those liberal values that he so carelessly scoffs at. I tell you what he can do- he can voluntarily give up his American citizenship and live in Saudi Arabia. He won’t have to worry about the effects of violent video games or the loose morality of the culture over there, and we won’t be stuck with hypocritical moralizing over here.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Newt Gingrich, the elder statesman of the Reepublikins. Here’s what passes for deep thoughts in the Reepublikin Party:
“In every election in American history both parties have their cliches. The party that has the cliches that ring true wins.”
That’s our Newt.
Oh, Not even Close is at a hotel in some alternate universe. Reality is checked at the door.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
He won’t have to worry about the effects of violent video games or the loose morality of the culture over there, and we won’t be stuck with hypocritical moralizing over here.
So the opposite of having any moral values at all is living in Saudi Arabia?
There is no acceptable middle ground. Its either Sodom or Riyad?
April 24th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Not even close: You know, people will reject the message if they reject the messenger. Your attitude defeats anything useful you may have to say. Cheers.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Nobody- Yes, there’s middle ground - but polarizing politicians like Newt seldom reach it. Why? Because they politicize tragedy in order to score brownie points against their opponents (in this case liberals) Also, Because having had a less than moral lifestyle for many years in Washington, Gingrich is the wrong messenger. And finally, because in reality a nutcase grabbed a gun and went off on innocent students and faculty—-end of story.
Cho was mentally ill- not the end result of 35 years of liberalism. I don’t agree with the Focus on the Family message that those who don’t believe in God live a life of evil- leading to this kind of tragedy. Sometimes those who believe in God live a life of evil leading to this kind of tragedy.
I associate liberalism with valued freedoms . Are there excesses in our society that I wish didn’t exist? Of course. But do I think the answer is to return to the 1950’s traditionalism? There’s no going back. Only Forward.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Calm down, children. Gingrich is “pre-campaigning,” learning if there’s support for him as a Presidential candidate.
September 27th, 2007 at 8:00 am
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