Former President Clinton has said something like “Democrats like to fall in love. Republicans like to fall in line.” There do seem to be strong lines in the Republican party, like taxes should always be lowered. It would be dangerous for a Republican candidate for office to counter this. But there are other lines, and I often wonder who establishes them? Another one is government should be smaller; yet, oil companies are to continue getting their subsidies and corn-based ethanol not only is to have a subsidy but also a tariff to make importing ethanol uneconomic. So no matter what a candidate’s opinion, a Republican candidate has to tow the line or face the consequences. Mitt Romney’s problems with promoting universal health care in Massachusetts when he was governor haunt him today in his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. Tim Pawlenty may have a drag on his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination not only because of the health care law he put in place in Minnesota but also his opposition to the ethanol subsidy while he is campaigning in Iowa.
Newt Gingrich would like to have the Republican nomination for president, but , alas, he was recently caught telling the truth in a recent interview at “Meet The Press” and has gotten into deep yogurt as a result. According to National Review, Gingrich said, "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering."* Apparently, the party line on this is that the Republicans don't do social engineering. Even worse he said, “ I oppose Paul Ryan’s Medicare reform but support a ‘variation’ of the individual mandate.'”** For Republicans, the individual mandate is a no, no.
Of course Gingrich has had to apologize to Paul Ryan for breaking with the party line over his lapse into the truth: “Gingrich, however, is trying to put the controversy behind him. Last night, he told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren that he’d already apologized to Ryan for his response to Gregory’s question about whether Republicans should ‘really move forward to completely change Medicare’ and ‘turn it into a voucher program’ –- a question he now wishes he didn’t answer at all. Gingrich said, 'It's a hypothetical baloney question that had no hope of happening. The Republicans don't control the Senate. They don't have the White House. They can't do what Obama did. And I should just dismiss it. So, that was a mistake.'”***
The opinion of the pundits is that Gringrich’s campaign, never strong, is finished.
You can see the video of Newt Gingrich on Meet The Press, May 15, 2011, for the Medicare and Paul Ryan voucher system:
http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2011/05/video-newt-gingrich-on-meet-the-press-51511/ You can see the interview with Greta Van Susteren at http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/newt-gingrich-the-extended-on-the-record-interview/. You can read about the Tim Pawlenty stands on the ethanol subsidy at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/politics/24pawlenty.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha24
*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110515/pl_ac/8477605_newt_gingrich_goes_after_paul_ryan_medicare_plan_1
**http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/15/gingrich-i-oppose-paul-ryans-medicare-reform-but-support-a-variation-of-the-individual-mandate/
*** http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/18/nbcs-david-gregory-defend_n_863660.html
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