Seriously.

http://jezebel.com/5870067/newt-gingrich-urges-gays-not-to-vote-for-him

This would not be the first silliness or "hot water" that the Newt has gotten himself into, would it?

Go frogs, go tadpoles, but, don't go "newts".

Best regards,

RA1

I think the Republicans have a real problem that will cause their demise if they can't figure out how to deal with it. In order to win the nomination, these candidates right now have to appease the far far right who vote in the primaries. And most of those ideals are not shared with the independents and of course the democrats. So how does one get nominated without being clear that they are anti-gay marriage, pro "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and pro a bunch of other stuff that only the far right likes. It seems to me that the left and the middle are willing to compromise more on their candidates to get the most of what they want than the far right is willing to do. So is it leadership to have a candidate state clearly what the far right wants to hear and then backtrack when they get nominated to appease the middle and independents? Because that is what they will have to do in order to be considered by independents.

If they had real leadership, candidates would articulate their values and stick with them. But in this day and age, it will be impossible to get the Republican nomination unless you are anti-gay, anti- marriage and pro-business and anti-tax. This is why Mitt Romney is such an idiot. He adjusts his views based on the audience around him at the time. That isn't leadership. And to be fair, Obama isn't much better but at least he is leaning in the direction that I like, but I'd hardly call him even an average leader either.

So this will be very interesting to watch over the next few elections because we are letting extremes dictate policy and nominations instead of real leadership.

Thank you for your fair and balanced post.

Best regards,

RA1

I agree with everything ExPat said.

Perhaps this is because I am a fellow expat.

And to be fair, Obama isn't much better but at least he is leaning in the direction that I like, but I'd hardly call him even an average leader either.

I totally agree! I have been pretty disappointed in him but he does lean in the direction I like (even if he needs to be propped up with everyone around him).

We should have gone for Hillary four years ago.

As if Newt needed to tell me that. Still, some Log Cabin Repubs might have needed to hear that.

Gay republicans mystify me.