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January 21, 2012 4:57 PM

On strong exit polling, CNN has projected Newt Gingrich will win the South Carolina Republican Primary. 2/3rds of respondents say the recent debates were a significant factor, where Newt lashed out at the media, and CNN specifically, for beginning the debate with his second ex-wife's allegations that he had wanted an "open marriage", calling it "as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."
posted by disillusioned (6 comments total)

I just can't imagine why John King didn't say, "With respect, Mr. Gingrich, you seemed to feel differently about the relevance of sexual infidelity and the office of the Presidency when the politician in question was Bill Clinton."
posted by Pater Aletheias at 5:00 PM on January 21, 2012 [8 favorites]

For those who thought the marriage issue would hurt Newt in South Carolina, I have but two words: Mark Sanford.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 5:02 PM on January 21, 2012

This cements my feelings that the Right/GOTP would rather have someone who will pummel and perform a metaphorical public lynching of sorts on Obama in the debates, rather than ultimately having a good shot at winning the presidency.
posted by Skygazer at 5:03 PM on January 21, 2012

"as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."

Don't sell yourself short, Newt. I know you can imagine all kinds of things in all sorts of neighborhoods of despicable.
posted by benito.strauss at 5:03 PM on January 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

Consider also Charles Pierce:

He tried, lamely, to be a statesman, and the party faithful ignored him. Once he became the vandal he was born to be, the political arsonist among the abandoned tenements of Republican thought, he was bound to take off again. The base doesn't want someone whose ideas on job creation will triumph because they are superior to the president's. They want somebody who can beat him bloody, vicariously, on their behalf, somebody who can "put him in his place." They want someone who will kill the administration just for the sheer fun of watching it die. That's why Newt's fortunes took off after he slapped around Juan Williams on Monday night, and that's why they went into hyper-drive on Thursday when he declared to be "despicable" any public mention of the chronic staff-banging that wrecked his second marriage and that helped wreck his speakership.
posted by mightygodking at 5:03 PM on January 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

I suspect it was more Newt's willingness to proudly own his racism in the face of Juan Williams's questions than the open marriage thing that set his campaign on fire in Sth Carolina. Which is to say I agree with Skygazer above. What they really want is someone who'll put that uppity n-word in his place.
posted by yoink at 5:06 PM on January 21, 2012 [1 favorite]