This morning Politico seemed a bit incredulous that Newtie “missed a chance” to correct a looneytunes wingnut talking about Islam taking over the country in a town hall meeting:
The questioner went on for a while, noting that he was a Christian and wanted his rights protected against Islam. The crowd applauded.
Gingrich didn’t quite endorse the question, but he certainly didn’t correct it: There was no caveat that most American Muslims are good citizens, or that Constitutional rights apply to all religions. Instead Gingrich pivoted directly into a riff about the dual threats, to Christians and Jews, of Sharia law and of secularism.
The moment captured Gingrich’s political skills: He offers parts of the Republican base who are used to being dismissed and marginalized by the mainstream media — for what was, in this particular case, an actual fringe conspiracy theory, or at best a wild overstatement — a sense of legitimacy and intellectual heft, a sense that their concerns are part of a profound, deep, and fundamental structural concern.
But pandering to your audience when they are peddling crazy theories isn’t actually good general election politics, and it may not be good primary politics. You wind up owning the fringe. And while Gingrich may win over a town hall with a moment like that, it’s an impulse that won’t serve him well as the focus intensifies.
Gingrich has happily owned that fringe for decades. He helped create the modern anti-secular version of it and jumped on the anti-Islam version as soon as it became available. This is why they love him.
Language: A Key Mechanism of Control
Newt Gingrich’s 1996 GOPAC memo
As you know, one of the key points in the GOPAC tapes is that “language matters.” In the video “We are a Majority,” Language is listed as a key mechanism of control used by a majority party, along with Agenda, Rules, Attitude and Learning. As the tapes have been used in training sessions across the country and mailed to candidates we have heard a plaintive plea: “I wish I could speak like Newt.”
That takes years of practice. But, we believe that you could have a significant impact on your campaign and the way you communicate if we help a little. That is why we have created this list of words and phrases.
Often we search hard for words to 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.
abuse of power
anti- (issue): flag, family, child, jobs
betray
bizarre
bosses
bureaucracy
cheat
coercion
“compassion” is not enough
collapse(ing)
consequences
corrupt
corruption
criminal rights
crisis
cynicism
decay
deeper
destroy
destructive
devour
disgrace
endanger
excuses
failure (fail)
greed
hypocrisy
ideological
impose
incompetent
insecure
insensitive
intolerant
liberal
lie
limit(s)
machine
mandate(s)
obsolete
pathetic
patronage
permissive attitude
pessimistic
punish (poor …)
radical
red tape
self-serving
selfish
sensationalists
shallow
shame
sick
spend(ing)
stagnation
status quo
steal
taxes
they/them
threaten
traitors
unionized
urgent (cy)
waste
welfare