Tracing the Republican Party's devolution to one man: Newt Gingrich

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

As readers of The Washington Post and his syndicated column know, Dana Milbank covers politics with snap and crackle. His gift, and his dogged reporting, serve him well in his new book, “The Destructionists” (good title), on the quarter-century-long crackup of the Republican Party.

While reading it, a line by the late P.J. O’Rourke came to mind: “The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.”

Another line kept coming to me — Ronald Reagan’s farewell letter to the American people, which ends: “I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”

Reagan’s letter was dated Nov. 5, 1994. Three days later, Republicans won control of the House and the Senate, led by a pale rider named Newt Gingrich. And hell followed with him.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/08/05/tracing-republican-partys-devolution-one-man-newt-gingrich/

[Skittles]

1. sorry, I'd start with Reagan

that piece of shit made ignorance and greed fashionable

[stopdiggin]

3. a one two. Regan showed how to con the rubes

and then Newt showed the party how to use brains to fu** up the system. Throwing gravel in the gearbox.

[Faux pas]

4. I'm

with you on that one.

[SharonAnn]

11. Newt put all that into overdrive.

[Skittles]

13. exactly

he took Reagan's lead and ran with it

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Yeah, I have mentioned this for years now, Gingrich was the beginning of the end of America

and as bad as reagan was, Gingrich added a level of outright hatred of democrats to the mix and he told the party they must NEVER cooperate with dems and NEVER compromise with them.

He is a disguising asshole, and by his nature a treasonous asshole.

[Mme. Defarge]

5. Had this discussion with a friend

the last time we were together. I fingered Gingrich, but conceded Reagan, or even Nixon. Contrarian that he is, he cannot agree with me and said “Goldwater”. Perhaps he was right.

[Eliot Rosewater]

12. Gingrich was the first that I know of who made a POINT of saying NO COMPROMISE

that we are not or should not be a two party system and that the DNC was the enemy of the people.

I dont think we heard that before him, but I could be wrong.

[elleng]

6. 'And hell followed with him.'

sure did

[ms liberty]

7. Gingrich and his infamous memo

I loathe that person.

[Skittles]

8. the Contract on America

I remember

[3Hotdogs]

9. Ya gotta go back further..... Google Paul Wyrich and Justice William Powell.

Those two asshole lit the pathway to where we are now.

[Martin68]

10. I just read this in the Post. Excellent analysis. He traces the current disfunction to New Gingrich,

who is experiencing a surge in popularity in the GOP right now. I highly recommend reading the whole article. He enumerates a number of relevant factors and examples.