Florida Primary January 31st.

[Peter]

The first Florida debate is tonight and just prior to that event, there is a huge turn around in the Florida polls per Rasmussen as of January 22nd.

Gingrich 41 percent,

Romney 32,

Santorum 11,

and Paul 8 percent.

Gingrich is heavily leading in the 65 and older group and the state is a retirement haven. It’s the way our system works, but how a candidate performs is as important as their substance, and usually, the best campaigner wins. Sarah Palin was superb but John McCain was dismal. Obama was already anointed by the press over Hillary, much to her’s and Bill’s surprise, but he was also a superb campaigner. Newt is a contradiction because he has had a poor or nonexistent campaign staff but he is great in the debates, and for “sound bites”in news conferences. Romney has fumbled badly on two issues, Bain and his income taxes, which is inexplicable. Those should have been no problem.

After tonight, the next Florida debate is January 26.

Peter

Florida (primary) January 31.

Nevada (caucus) February 4

Maine (caucus) February 4 to the 11th.

Colorado (caucus),Minnesota (caucus), Missouri(primary) February 7

Arizona (primary),Michigan (primary) February 28

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I think there is a BS backlash going on with Newt.

At some point honesty in reporting was removed from the table in USA media. I'm not talking about dishonesty being present. That always has been around. But so has honesty.

More recently, honesty stopped being a value and started becoming a talking point--in order to deceive people. In other words, honesty in reporting is not even an option anymore. The one value from the media's angle--and it's only one now--is to see how much they can get away with to advance an agenda. How much they can fool their public.

So people are getting real tired of the BS. I know I am. They hunger for some honesty somewhere. Anything.

And I think this is Newt's biggest strength. We all know he is flawed. But his critics are going so far over the top it's turning off eveyrone who could be persuaded. The critics totally ignore Newt's virtues and exaggerate his flaws to a caricature--that is, when they are not simply making up stuff (which is a lot right now).

What is Newt's response? He frequently says something like, "This is who I am. You are going to have to look at the facts and make up your mind. All my unpleasant stuff is out there, so go ahead and look. Yes, I made mistakes. I regret them."

And he adds this to a posture of moral certainty about his current values. Newt is actually calling on people to raise their moral bar. Newt of all people!

Folks look at that. Then they look at Newt's critics, who think sleaze and deception are the way to go as they pour it on with gusto.

It's a no brainer. Newt's their man. They say who hasn't made mistakes?

This may not reflect Newt's actual character (or it may, since he seems to have settled down a bit). But it is how he is presenting himself. And his critics are missing it big time. They have trafficked in BS for so long, they now believe their own BS. And they keep making the same vanity error over and over.

They don't understand that people are tired of being manipulated by the media. People want to decide things for themselves--at least something. But the media folks don't care. They are addicted to the influence they have had up to now and don't realize that it's time to reestablish their credibility.

So, like with the beginning of Iowa and now the result in South Carolina, they look at Newt's popularity and wonder what the hell happened. I think this will turn into a loop we will see over and over.

So far, this shows no sign of slowing down. And if it keeps up, and if Newt maintains his big ideas and total transparency behavior, added to his deep knowledge of all things political that he can call on at the snap of a finger, I believe it will propel him into the nomination and then the presidency on a landslide.

People want to believe in something, in someone. You judge a man by what he says and what he does. At this point in time, regardless of what is being said (people have tuned out anyway), Newt is doing the moral things and his critics are doing the dishonest stuff--right in people's faces with a don't care attitude to boot.

When the result comes, I believe that will be one of the main causes.

(Newt's competence at running the political machinery is another, meaning people perceive he has what it takes to dismantle the mess and start putting it all back together in a form that works, but that is beyond the scope of my point here.)

If Newt is actually being dishonest with this approach, he is the most cunning man on earth. But I don't believe that. I believe he literally had a change of heart and wants to up the bar.

Michael

[James Heaps-Nelson]

Look at that primary/caucus calendar. Newt better win Florida because he's not going to get very much else for a while. Nevada and Arizona are Mormon heavy states. Minnesota, Maine and Michigan should go to Romney.

Jim

[Peter]

I was invited to send a comment to the White House and sent what is below.

Three years into his term, the President is still blaming conditions as they were in 2008 for his failures. I would hope the President will approve that pipeline and deregulate business, which will free up capital to expand and hire. The trend and momentum should be to do what businessmen ask. He should say, “Let’s get government out of the way. This would restore confidence.

Peter Taylor

That was a great editorial letter Michael just wrote, worthy of a space at Realclearpolitics. Your views on “talking point” dishonesty is right on.

James Heaps-Nelson commented:

Look at that primary/caucus calendar. Newt better win Florida because he's not going to get very much else for a while. Nevada and Arizona are Mormon heavy states. Minnesota, Maine and Michigan should go to Romney.

end quote

I had not considered those as Mormon states. Michigan was Romney’s Dad’s state. If Romney wins those five that James mentioned then that only leaves two, Colorado, and Missouri in the near future for Newt to win. Would the momentum shift back to Romney?

That polysci professor from UVA was just on Fox and he thinks Newt will win big in Florida and sweep the next five contests. At which point, “the Republican establishment will be throwing rose petals in Newt’s path.”

Romney must do the unexpected in tonight’s debate to win Florida.

Peter

[Selene]

Maybe Goody Two Shoes should show off his two (2) other trophy wives at tonight's debate....

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Even Glenn Beck is playing the gotcha game with Newt and going way over the top.

He calls Newt a big government progressive and constantly insinuates that Newt and Obama are the same thing. Look at the following spin (I'm not even going to embed the videos, I'm so turned off):

Beck Reacts to Gingrich Calling His Criticism ‘Bologna’: ‘The Audio Speaks for Itself’

Yes, he got Newt on tape saying good things about FDR and making a comment intended to shock about Wilson. But he doesn't tell you where this montage came from. He doesn't give you the context.

And Glenn has been doing this ever since his interview with Newt a few weeks ago. See the transcript here:

Transcript of Newt Gingrich interview

That is when Glenn started doing all the name calling. But look at the comments from Newt he leaves out as he cherry-picks the ones to promote his bash-Newt agenda:

What I’m against is the government trying to implement things because bureaucracy’s such a bad implementer, and I’m against government trying to pick winners and losers.

. . .

(On Glenn's criticism of big government in health care):

... your point’s right. The question is how do you manage the transition so it is politically doable.

. . .

I don’t think rightwing social engineering is any more desirable than leftwing social engineering. I don’t think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate.

. . .

We can go back and we can listen to exactly what I was asked on that show and what I said I stand by, which is in a free society, you don’t elect officials to impose on you things that you disagree with.

. . .

I think young people ought to have the right to choose a personal Social Security insurance savings account plan and the Social Security actuary estimates that 95% of young people would pick a personal Social Security savings account over the current system but they would do so voluntarily because we would empower them to make a choice. We wouldn’t impose it on them. That’s a question of how do you think you can get this country to move more rapidly toward reform, and I think you can get it to move toward reform faster.

. . .

... I also think you can reshape Medicare but I think you have to do it in a way that people find it desirable and that people think ‑‑ and that people trust you. I helped reform Medicare in 1996 in a way that saved $200 billion and we had no major opposition to it.

. . .

... I never believed in Al Gore’s fantasies and, in fact, if you look at the record, the day that Al Gore testified at the Energy and Commerce Committee in favor of cap and trade, I was the next witness and I testified against cap and trade. And in the Senate, I worked through American solutions to help beat the cap and trade bill.

. . .

(To Glenn as a person):

... I admire your courage and I admire the way in which you’ve always stood up and told the truth and I think you’ve had a huge impact as I go around the country with Tea Party folks in maximizing interest in American history and interest in the Founding Fathers and I think much of what you’ve done, you know, you and I don’t have to agree on some things to have a great deal of mutual respect and I think you’ve been a very powerful force for good and I wish you well in your new ventures.

Some of this can be debated or not, but my beef is that Glenn blanks ALL of it out in his arguements against Newt.

But don't even take my cherry-picked quotes on faith. Listen to the interview on video and see the context of everything for yourself:

Here's Glenn Beck's Interview With Newt Gingrich That Everyone Is Talking About

The Newt that comes through is a politician (granted, warts and all) with conservative views who wants to transition the country from a big government mess to smaller government, all without hurting people.

The image Glenn has been promoting the last few weeks is of Newt the progressive dictator wannabe who wants to expand the government's power over the individual.

This kind of spin is exactly what is turning people's stomach. Glenn is even losing some audience over this. People aren't stupid.

I now turn him off after a few minutes. But not because I disagree with him. I could take that. Hell, I even agree with some of his criticisms of Newt. And I think he should keep the heat pouring on should Newt get elected. Newt ain't a saint.

I'm just sick of the goddam spin.

You wanna see the spin in action? Try to find where Glenn's soundbites of Newt came from. The closest I found after looking on Google for about 15 minutes was C-Span, but I couldn't find the name of the program or the date. Yet it's all over the place--mostly pumped and referenced to Glenn--as if this represented Newt's current views.

And Glenn is playing that card to contradict what Newt is telling people now when asked point-blank.

Dayaamm!

I will not allow this to deflate my good image of Glenn, who stood and told much truth when the whole world rained ridicule on his head. But now he's playing the same gotcha journalism spin-doctor game the others are and I just can't walk with him on that path.

Michael

[Brant Gaede]

If the Republicans win the White House they'll be blamed for the unavoidable economic chaos of the next four years while doing little or nothing to ameliorate it enough to appease an incensed electorate that hates pain. Mitt or Newt? Which big government boy do you want?

--Brant

[Selene]

One major problem that Romney is going to have in Florida is that it is a closed primary, limited to registered Republicans.

These folks self-identify as 60+% conservative.

Romney's early voting operation may save him. About 12-14 % of Floridians have already voted. Some polls have found a serious vein of dissatisfaction amongst these early-voters. A significant percentage have stated that they wish they had waited because they would not have picked Romney now.

Adam

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Currently, Newt has Sarah Palin near him--and others who think like she does. If this influence bears fruit, I believe this will make him a very good transition president to a smaller government.

The hard part will be wresting power from him or those he designates and getting it into the hands of someone like Rand Paul. That will be like trying to make professional wrestling look like a frolic in the sunshine. But that's a fight for another day.

Right now we are looking over the cliff at the abyss. I think Newt is a good choice to avoid the plunge.

Michael

[Selene]

Look at that primary/caucus calendar. Newt better win Florida because he's not going to get very much else for a while. Nevada and Arizona are Mormon heavy states. Minnesota, Maine and Michigan should go to Romney.

Jim

James:

I am not so sure about that assumption.

• Newt Gingrich 30.75%
  
• Mitt Romney 28.74%
  
• Ron Paul 7.47%
  
• Michele Bachmann 6.32%
  
• Jon Huntsman 4.02%
  
• Rick Santorum 3.16%
  
• Rick Perry 2.59%
  
• Undecided 16.95
  

Survey of likely Republican primary voters was conducted December 8, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 5 percentage points. Party ID: 68% Republican; 32% Independent. Results from the poll conducted

[James Heaps-Nelson]

Look at that primary/caucus calendar. Newt better win Florida because he's not going to get very much else for a while. Nevada and Arizona are Mormon heavy states. Minnesota, Maine and Michigan should go to Romney.

Jim

James:

I am not so sure about that assumption.

• Newt Gingrich 30.75%
  
• Mitt Romney 28.74%
  
• Ron Paul 7.47%
  
• Michele Bachmann 6.32%
  
• Jon Huntsman 4.02%
  
• Rick Santorum 3.16%
  
• Rick Perry 2.59%
  
• Undecided 16.95
  

Survey of likely Republican primary voters was conducted December 8, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 5 percentage points. Party ID: 68% Republican; 32% Independent. Results from the poll conducted

I know that polls can come and go and momentum will help, but that calendar is not in Newt's favor. I'm assuming he'll win Florida and that will put a big dent in Romney, he'll have to weather the next storm after that. Newt's best chance would be to win both Missouri and Colorado on Feb.7 which is doable but it looks tough.

[Selene]

I know that polls can come and go and momentum will help, but that calendar is not in Newt's favor. I'm assuming he'll win Florida and that will put a big dent in Romney, he'll have to weather the next storm after that. Newt's best chance would be to win both Missouri and Colorado on Feb.7 which is doable but it looks tough.

James:

I have a good solid organization in Missouri. It is certainly one that Mr. Newt can take. Not sure about Colorado.

If Mr. Newt does win Florida, the establishment of the Republican Party is going to go nuts in their attempt to neuter Newt.

Adam

[caroljane]

I know that polls can come and go and momentum will help, but that calendar is not in Newt's favor. I'm assuming he'll win Florida and that will put a big dent in Romney, he'll have to weather the next storm after that. Newt's best chance would be to win both Missouri and Colorado on Feb.7 which is doable but it looks tough.

James:

I have a good solid organization in Missouri. It is certainly one that Mr. Newt can take. Not sure about Colorado.

If Mr. Newt does win Florida, the establishment of the Republican Party is going to go nuts in their attempt to neuter Newt.

Adam

You do realize Adam that you are a Newter yourself.

[Selene]

I know that polls can come and go and momentum will help, but that calendar is not in Newt's favor. I'm assuming he'll win Florida and that will put a big dent in Romney, he'll have to weather the next storm after that. Newt's best chance would be to win both Missouri and Colorado on Feb.7 which is doable but it looks tough.

James:

I have a good solid organization in Missouri. It is certainly one that Mr. Newt can take. Not sure about Colorado.

If Mr. Newt does win Florida, the establishment of the Republican Party is going to go nuts in their attempt to neuter Newt.

Adam

You do realize Adam that you are a Newter yourself.

Well, I may have to claim my 5th amendment rights on that one...what doest thou mean woman type inquisitor?

[caroljane]

I know that polls can come and go and momentum will help, but that calendar is not in Newt's favor. I'm assuming he'll win Florida and that will put a big dent in Romney, he'll have to weather the next storm after that. Newt's best chance would be to win both Missouri and Colorado on Feb.7 which is doable but it looks tough.

James:

I have a good solid organization in Missouri. It is certainly one that Mr. Newt can take. Not sure about Colorado.

If Mr. Newt does win Florida, the establishment of the Republican Party is going to go nuts in their attempt to neuter Newt.

Adam

You do realize Adam that you are a Newter yourself.

Well, I may have to claim my 5th amendment rights on that one...what doest thou mean woman type inquisitor?

Just a couldn't resist - I will now claim the 49th parallel and run for the border as fast as my little legs will carry me.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I agree with Rush in his analysis here. This was before the debate that just finished, but Rush's remarks still stand.

With one difference.

I believe people are resentful of the media more because of the honesty problem than because of being mocked as conservatives.

But, hell, it's probably both.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hh12yF247GY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Michael

[Peter]

From the Glenn Beck web letter this morning. Glenn Beck endorses Newt. Glenn was able to finally admit what many may have suspected for a long time – he has secretly been supporting Newt Gingrich all these months.

End quote

Half the time he is being sarcastic but this may be the truth since it came to my inbox with the heading: “Glenn Beck endorses Newt.”

Also in Newt’s “numbers” favor are the Paul and Santorum voters who may go to him if one of them drops out, or if it goes to the convention. If it were a two man race, Grinch would win that contest, as of right now.

Peter

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Half the time he is being sarcastic but this may be the truth since it came to my inbox with the heading: “Glenn Beck endorses Newt.”

Peter,

Nah. It was tongue-in-cheek.

Glenn claimed that everytime he has said good things about a candidate (like Michele Bachmann), the candidate lost. So, in that spirit, he said he's now outright endorsing Newt. If the pattern holds, this should ensure Newt's failure.

Michael

[Selene]

Insider Advantage has Romney up by 8 pts 40.3 to 32.3 as of January 25th.

Romney is beating him 2-1 amongst Latinos and 44.9 to 29.5 amongst women.

================================================================

American Research Group has Romney by 7 with that same 60-41% ceiling as of the 25th. This is with the front loaded early voting which was heavily Romney. A total of 17% of Republican primary voters say that they have already voted by absentee ballot or in early voting.

Of this group of voters, Romney leads with 51%, followed by Gingrich with 39%, Paul with 6%, and Santorum with 4%.

Tonight's debate is more important than the prior debate.

[Peter]

Santorum was sounding very fed up today. He is only garnering around 11 percent in Florida. He said he was tired and broke and he was going home. Who will his supporters decide on, if he drops out or simply suspends his campaign?

I have never seen polls swing like this in my lifetime. Until yesterday I would have bet Newt would be up by five points at this time because of his win in South Carolina, his support by The Tea Party, Rush, Sarah and O’Reilly. And his high favorables among women. Instead the polls have swung more than ten points in Romney’s favor.

Are well done, gritty, TV ads so powerful, that if they do not cause a backlash, they will always hoodwink people? No. I think they must also be true. Those folks in Florida are reading every nuance from what they are being bombarded with. 60 percent of the “for sure” voters are my age or a bit older in Florida. I know I don’t sound like a dithering idiot so don’t assume age affects intelligence or resolve.

Newt is still dismally trailing Obama in national polls by a margin of 51.3 to 39.6. Obama beats Romney by a slight margin 47.3 to 45. A Generic Republican candidate is tied with Obama. What the hell happened there? Are the debates and their sound bites at a point where they will only negatively impact the national race? Perhaps Romney is right. It’s time to stop showing up to debate. Of course Newt would not agree to that unless Romney also stopped his TV ads. Tuesday night is the Rubicon.

Semper cogitans fidele,

Peter Taylor

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

If anybody wants to wade into the video swamp of recent primary developments, here are a few so you don't have to go all over searching for them. I only give the Rachel Maddow video because she breaks down the Drudge pile-on so well.

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Maddow was wrong, though, about Sarah Palin being the only real heavyweight defending Newt against the sleaze. Here is Mark Levin:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AygItmUTGFo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B0gyIFW9tdw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AygItmUTGFo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And here is Rush:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T1M6tcFgxO0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The whole point isn't to support Newt, but instead to show just how sleazy the Rebublican elite machine and players are right now. And how in hell did Drudge go along with that and promote it? How much did he make backstage, I wonder I wonder? There is no excuse for what they are doing. None.

This is WAAAAAAY beyond spin. You expect this kind of wholesale appeal to sleaze and in-your-face distortions on Media Matters and MSNBC. The Big Lie technique.

I believe Newt will eventually come out on top because of it, too. Not because people love Newt. They know he's half crazy. But because they can't stand raw evil and power-lust staring them in the face, lying through its teeth and telling them that A is B.

(EDIT: I'm not calling Romney raw evil, but I am calling the spirit that moves around him and through his promotion strategies--when it manifests like this--raw evil since it gets otherwise serious people to act in "ends justify the means" lockstep.)

I predict Sarah Palin will do another last minute endorsement of Newt (for Florida only) like she did in SC. And I excpect several other heavyweights will, too. Just to thumb their noses at the big Republican manipulation machine.

btw - If you are not sick of the video swamp yet, here is Sarah's most recent comment (sorry, this video from Real Clear Politics doesn't embed):

Palin: Republican Establishment "Trying To Crucify" Gingrich

I really like the way she blasted Peggy Noonan. Sarah is 100% right in her condemnation and she speaks from experience with that dark side of the conservative media.

I used to respect some of those people who are now acting like Stalin history rewriters lathered up in a lynch mob. My respect for them has taken a serious blow.

I no longer have any doubt they were the ones behind the Herman Cain sleaze attack.

Downgrade time.

I swear, choosing between Obama and that is like choosing bewteen the feces from two similar animals.

Michael

[Peter]

Michaelangelo wrote:

I used to respect some of those people who are now acting like Stalin history rewriters lathered up in a lynch mob. My respect for them has taken a serious blow. I no longer have any doubt they were the ones behind the Herman Cain sleaze attack.

end quote

Ah Maestro, you have connected the dots and seen the patterns in the universe, and you are probably correct. The truth about the Cain assault will probably come out after the primaries but who else benefits, but other Republicans? The Dems would have loved to have Herman go against Obama, as just another unpolished, barely fluent, Uncle Tom, unauthentic, black wannabe manipulated by his puppet masters.

The concerted assault against Newt also has that “invisible hand” feel to it. I still think Mitt is the better candidate, but I don’t like the manipulation. If Newt were in my 99 percent favorable range like Rand Paul, or Paul Ryan I would be very bitter. When the Tea Party puts forth a viable candidate like Rand Paul I am sure the Republican establishment will attack him – if the establishment stays the same. And that is my hope. The Bob Dole, George Bush, Republican Establishment is dying out and losing influence. The RNC is hurting for money. If you look at The National Review you can see a new guard taking over. The 2010 crop of Tea Party winners will become the establishment. I am not supporting the old guard.

Semper cogitans fidele,

Peter Taylor

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Peter,

That's about where I'm at.

Pit Newt against someone like Rand Paul or Sarah Palin (I know, I know, I can hear the groans from the peanut gallery ) and see how much I shill for Newt.

Zero to be exact.

But Newt against that hamhanded Republican crony capitalism guns-and-butter war-machine?

(Which, as far as I am concerned, is nothing more than the Democrat crony capitalism guns-and-butter war-machine with a different social focus. At least, as I understand it, the gazillionaires and puppetmasters behind the different machines all hang out together at the same clubs. And their policies aiways seem to end up in the same wars.)

It's a no brainer for me. I'll take Newt warts and all and consider his inconsistency a virtue. In that context it is a virtue, too, because the sleaze machine is so damn consistent.

(I won't go into Ron Paul because I don't think he can win it. And his ignore the bullies and let them arm themselves with nukes foreign policy scares me. What good is a free market when you are fighting off bombs in your own backyard? In other words, you need a work space if you want to do business, not a battlefield.)

Michael

[william.scherk]

Me, I cannot get past Newt's heartless and deeply stupid comments on Palestinians. This is commentary on remarks made at the Florida GOP debate by Romney and Gingrich.

A self-described Palestinian in the audience, as part of a question about Middle East Peace, says, “I’m here to tell you we do exist.” Romney responds by saying, “It’s the Palestinians who don’t want a two-state solution.” This is not true. The Palestinians have gone to the United Nations demanding just such a thing, though they differ with Israel about borders and conditions. Gingrich repeats his previous claim about Palestinian invention. “It was technically an invention of the late 1970s, and it was clearly so. Prior to that, they were Arabs. Many of them were either Syrian, Lebanese, or Egyptian, or Jordanian,” he says.

I cannot fully express my contempt for Romney and Gingrich's remarks on this subject. They are equally vile, to my mind.

Here is a version of the remarks from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The candidates were responding a a question at the latest GOP debate Thursday night, in Jacksonville, Fla., from an audience member, Abraham Hassan.

“How would a Republican administration help bring peace to Palestine and Israel when most candidates barely recognize the existence of Palestine or its people?” he asked. “As a Palestinian-American Republican, I’m here to tell you we do exist.”

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, cited what he depicted as examples of Palestinian incitement by both Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

"The Israelis would be happy to have a two-state solution," Romney said. "It's the Palestinians who don't want a two-state solution, they want to eliminate the state of Israel. And I believe America must say the best way to have peace in the Middle East is not for us to vacillate and appease, but it is to say we stand with our friend Israel."

Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, defended earlier comments in which he described the Palestinians as an "invented people," and added: "My goal for the Palestinian people would be to live in peace, to live in prosperity, to have the dignity of a state, to have freedom, and they can achieve it any morning they are prepared to say Israel has a right to exist."

[Gingrich] repeated a pledge to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem on his first day as president.

Prediction: no matter which corrupt plutocrat or religious zealot the GOP selects as Presidential candidate, the GOP will be defeated. Obama will be inaugurated for a second term.

Edited January 27, 2012 by william.scherk

[william.scherk]

Here is Newt pandering to the worst stereotypes of terror. He is/was apparently some kind of historian, and some kind of professor. I expect better from my milkman. This is from

Here are the positions of the Government of Israel, as noted by the Guardian writer Phoebe Greenwood in Ramallah (my emphasis added):

While the Israeli prime minister's office refused to issue a formal position on Gingrich's comments, which it claims are a matter of internal US politics, Binyamin Netanyahu, who leads a rightwing coalition government, has recognised the Palestinian people.

Netanyahu advocates a peace agreement that would see the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and has recently insisted he will not annex Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

Zalman Shoval, Israel's former ambassador to Washington, said on Sunday that whether Gingrich's comments were "factually true" or not, they were politically irrelevant. "Whether [Palestinians] existed before or not is neither here nor there. Palestinian Arabs for the last 50 or 60 years have defined themselves as a separate national unity. Their aspiration to a national unity and self-governance is the fact we should be dealing with."

Edited January 27, 2012 by william.scherk