Why Newt? Life is a Series of Percentage Bets

Newt is ethically challenged for sure, temperamental and given to self grandiose flights of fancy, absolutely. But if you think about it, most presidents have had many similar failings. Kennedy was a philanderer. Johnson and Nixon were given to intense bouts of anger and bullying. Carter's was the most radical president in history before the present occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. His lies were pretty much the same as most presidents, but they stood out given his holier than thou attitude. Clinton may have been well liked, but his personal failings are well documented. Obama sat in Reverend Wright's pews listening to anti American, anti semitic racist garbage and tacitly supported it by virtue of his continuing presence and deafening silence. The terrorist Bill Ayers, radical Islamist sympathizers, Communists and socialists were all counted among his mentors and friends. Certainly he is a deeply flawed human being.

Whatever a presidents personal failures were, they all had one thing in common. They hid them. Democrats are routinely assisted in this effort by the press, while Republicans have to deal with exaggerations of their failings. Hiding them is more difficult.

Yes, both are flawed. Isn't that part of the human condition? Nobody should defend Newt on personal issues. His supporters should acknowledge them, and express hope that he has changed. Neither should they try to dismiss his shortcomings with the liberal whitewash of, everybody does it. Everyone does do it to some degree or another, but that doesn't make it right, or even more forgivable. What supporters should do is hope he does not defend them, but rather asks the public to search their soul and see if they can forgive him.

I have written about his changing positions and his scary ideas. But as Donald Rumsfeld said, we go to war with the weapons we have, not the ones we wish we had. A year ago I said this nomination was Jim DeMint's for the asking. Unfortunately, he either didn't hear or didn't care.

He would have been a better weapon, but that is irrelevant. The best weapon we have now is Newt. He has a track record. His auditory record leaves much to be desired, but the things he actually did are as good and as important as any politician since Ronald Reagan. He had a major role in taking the majority for the first time in over 40 years, in welfare reform, NAFTA, lowering of the capital gains tax, highlighting several issues like the unfairness of the inheritance tax, and many more. As a legislator he was faithful to both social and fiscal conservatives.

The non Newt, Romney, has a failed auditory record and although a few things he did as governor of Massachusetts were good, they were trivial when compared with Newt's accomplishments. Add to that his signature effort as governor, health care, something he continues to defend even though it is a total abomination, and the choice becomes clear. Even his tax plan shows an ignorance of the economy (raising taxes on anyone earning over $200,000), or else he is pandering in spite of the fact that such a plan would be highly destructive.

Romney is a big government Republican. Newt may be one too, and many things he said in the past indicate he is, but the legislation he navigated through congress says otherwise. I can't be sure. I doubt anyone can. As the article title says, life is a series of percentage bets. We can only vote for the candidate most likely to put this great country back on course. That would be Newt.