Newt Gingrich Wins South Carolina, almost

According to Marianne Gingrich, Newt isn't a man of character and is therefore unsuited to be the president of the United States.  She claims that he wanted an open marriage and that he wasn't willing to keep his marital vows.  Newt, on national television, not only flatly denied the allegations, but
shamed the network and their debate host for bringing up such a trivial matter during such an important time in our nation's history.  The South Carolina GOP electorate swept him to victory after that answer.

Newt's umbrage was palpable on Thursday night when he got the first question.  The question was clearly beneath him, CNN was despicable for pretending as though the answer was as important as national security, ABC was in hot water for even running with the story in the first place, and the audience gave one of the first standing ovations during this entire GOP debate process. 

Judging by the election results Marianne Gingrich's story held little sway with an electorate known for the evangelical, and values-based voters.  After all, this ABC interview was a deliberate hit piece by the news media designed to denigrate and take out the GOP candidates one by one so Obama could run e he always managed to in Illinois: unopposed.

Understandably right wing and values voters enjoy having someone engage and battle the media.  The news media doesn't necessarily reflect America, especially these types of voters.   Most figures put the percentage of Christians in America anywhere between 70% and 80%.  Journalists report that only around 30% of their ranks consider religious beliefs important.  Most people are smart enough to know when their beliefs, religious or political, are being mocked in the news-it happens all the time.  No wonder they rewarded Newt so handsomely; he stood up to the news media that seems to be on the constant attack against conservatives, their values, and America.  Newt's blitzkrieg wit, eloquent verbosity, and political opportunism have given him the temporary victory, but I wouldn't say that he's out of the woods just yet.

Marianne Gingrich's comments, even though expertly situated by ABC, hold water.  Newt conceded as much in 2007 when he admitted that he had an affair while married to Marianne.   "I want an open marriage" may well have never been uttered by Newt to Marianne, so that part of the story may be a fabrication.  But does it really matter the exact verbiage Newt used to Marianne?  Wouldn't the fact that he lived an "open marriage" for six years be far more devastating than asking permission to do the same?

ON the other hand, why would this type of behavior come as a big surprise to Marianne?  After all, she was Newt's second love.  Just two short years after being elected to the House of Representatives (so roughly 1980) Newt opened up his first marriage and started having an affair with Marianne.  Somehow Newt felt it wouldn't be politically advantageous to be an undercover polygamist and divorced Jackie, his first wife, in 1981 and 6 months later exchanged vows of fidelity with Marianne.
Newt's defense against the ABC/CNN attack was, in essence, a defense of immoral behavior. 

By not condemning his actions, and attacking the people asking about them, Newt echoed Bill Clinton and said that his personal life wasn't our business as long as it didn't affect the presidency.  His 2007 confession was eerily similar.  Newt didn't lie to a federal judge about his extra-marital affairs, ergo he had the "moral" fortitude to prosecute president Clinton's personal transgressions.  That's the kind of logic you get from someone who hasn't really been remorseful about his habitual breaking of society's most foundational vows: marital fidelity.

Committing adultery once is bad enough, people are human and make mistakes, even egregious ones.  People can change their outlook on life, habits, and make the appropriate changes to ensure that doesn't happen again.  Newt, for all his hard work to promote America through the GOP and conservative ideology, messed up twice.  Once can be a mistake, twice is a pattern.

Newt showed us that he can't honor his oath to be faithful to his wife.  How can we trust him to honor his oath to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."?