The Bryan Fischer award is given to those who displays weapons-grade projection in accusing their opponents of their own worst traits. Newt Gingrich is the walking embodiment of that concept, a man who, with a completely straight face, slams his opponents for negative campaigning when he, more than anyone else, taught conservatives how to do it. It was GOPAC, his group, that put out a 1996 memo telling followers how to portray their opponents in the most negative light possible using specific codewords.
Often we search hard for words to help us define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.
decay… failure (fail)… collapse(ing)… deeper… crisis… urgent(cy)… destructive… destroy… sick… pathetic… lie… liberal… they/them… unionized bureaucracy… “compassion” is not enough… betray… consequences… limit(s)… shallow… traitors… sensationalists…
endanger… coercion… hypocrisy… radical… threaten… devour… waste… corruption… incompetent… permissive attitudes… destructive… impose… self-serving… greed… ideological… insecure… anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs… pessimistic… excuses… intolerant…
stagnation… welfare… corrupt… selfish… insensitive… status quo… mandate(s)… taxes… spend(ing)… shame… disgrace… punish (poor…)… bizarre… cynicism… cheat… steal… abuse of power… machine… bosses… obsolete… criminal rights… red tape… patronage
Now Newt is accusing Obama of running roughshod over Congress and being too arrogant to listen to the views of others. Seriously.
Mefferd: Many people think that there has been a flagrant abuse of power in the executive branch under this president, how will you conduct yourself differently if you end up being elected?
Gingrich: Well first of all I am going to try to work with Congress, not just run over it. I think that he has adopted an attitude which is very destructive. So start with that. I was in Congress for twenty years; I respect the Congress as an institution. My sense is that Obama doesn’t actually respect anybody but his own judgment and he doesn’t understand the idea of a larger system that has lasted for 230 years and that has an importance and a power beyond any one fight or beyond any one person and so he is pretty willing to capriciously break things up.
Whatever they’re smoking on Planet Wingnuttia, it’s powerful stuff. The last thing Obama can be accused of is imposing his will on Congress; if anything, the exact opposite has been true. And Newt criticizing someone for not listening to others and thinking he’s brilliant? Another irony meter bites the dust.
12 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
abb3w
January 31, 2012 at 9:32 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I don’t care how fun the buzz, some levels of brain damage mean it’s just plain bad.
Mr Ed
January 31, 2012 at 9:43 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
so says the Washington outsider.
maureenbrian
January 31, 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
And to add to the fun he’s up for copyright violation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/newt-gingrich-eye-of-the-tiger
Ed Brayton
January 31, 2012 at 9:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
That’s funny. When I heard him using that song, I joked that it was safe, that Survivor would be the last ones to make him stop using it just because they’re so happy that someone, anyone, still uses their music for any reason. Guess I was wrong.
MyPetSlug
January 31, 2012 at 9:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Not to mention, and I can’t believe you left this out, that he’s bashing Obama for supposedly riding roughshod over congress while making campaign promises to crush the judiciary by ignoring rulings he doesn’t agree with, abolishing whole federal district courts he doesn’t like, using federal marshal to haul judges before congress to explain rulings, and then possibly removing them from the bench. Yes, but its *Obama* that “doesn’t actually respect anybody but his own judgment and he doesn’t understand the idea of a larger system that has lasted for 230 years”.
Reginald Selkirk
January 31, 2012 at 10:16 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Why point out Gingrich’s hypocrisy when you can point out the hypocrisy of his critics?
But that’s not enough. We’ve got to go three dreams deep!
reverendrodney
January 31, 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Reginald:
Newt and those critics are all rowing the same boat.
aaronbaker
January 31, 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Americans have the historical memory of mayflies. Gingrich’s worst malfeasance occurred in those hazy 1990s. It might as well have been 44 BC.
Michael Heath
January 31, 2012 at 12:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
MyPetSlug writes:
When Mr. Gingrich alluded to this, he followed-up in a Face the Nation interview in which he “clarified” his views. Which was all of this but only if Congress would join the Executive. Essentially he’s promoting the idea that two of the three branches of government can gang-up on the other and their way with the other. Of course Bob Schieffer, perhaps the worst journalist to ever enjoy such a lofty bully pulpit, never extracted a citation from Gingrich validating the constitutionality of such. Gingrich did offer that as a historian, he’s got an advantage over constitutional lawyers to remain consistent with the founding principles of the Constitution – yes, an incredibly ludicrous assertion only David Barton fans are dumb enough to applaud.
d cwilson
January 31, 2012 at 12:47 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ed:
You might as well rename the award the Newt Gingrich Award. The total amount of things that he lacks self-awareness of could just about squeeze into the Grand Canyon.
Aquaria
January 31, 2012 at 1:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Newt Gingrich is the walking embodiment of that concept, a man who, with a completely straight face, slams his opponents for negative campaigning when he, more than anyone else, taught conservatives how to do it.
Lee Atwater just turned over in his grave.
exdrone
January 31, 2012 at 10:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
maureenbrian @3, I think Roget’s would like a hook-up with Survivor’s attorney.