Rudeness can create a “nice” backlash

Most regular readers know by now how I feel about Newt Gingrich. Earlier I expressed the hope that he would quit the race, and this morning I was cheered to see Glenn ask this:

Ouch. Is the Gingrich campaign over already?

The man is deservedly catching flak for his attack on Paul Ryan, and I was fascinated by Ace’s take on him:

I don’t know what it is about Gingrich. I have to admit, there is something about him, currently, that is really rubbing me the wrong way, and I don’t think it’s entirely rational. Yes, he’s up to his old tricks again with his carefully-crafted call-them-extreme language (he used to give seminars on doing just this to Republican hopefuls), and this time deploying it against the Ryan plan; but seriously? I sort of get that. Sort of. I doubt any candidate will embrace the Ryan plan, and I wouldn’t advise anyone too.

Still… he didn’t have to call it radical.

Anyway, for whatever reason, he’s just really annoying me. I used to like him, but thought he was a little too slick and false. Now everything about him seems calculated and contrived.

I just plain do not like Gingrich, and I agree with Ace that it is not completely rational.

And while I do hope he withdraws, still, there is part of me that does not like seeing even Newt Gingrich subjected to the sort of rudeness  displayed by the angry Iowan in the video linked here.

First, it is disarming that the Iowan continues to shake Gingrich’s hand while simultaneously berating him. Second, while this video is brutal, I wonder if this could actually backfire and cause the public to be more sympathetic of Gingrich…

There are few people less sympathetic to Newt Gingrich than I am.  And while maybe I am old-fashioned, I think that kind of rudeness is inappropriate. I would never use the occasion of shaking hands with Gingrich (or anyone else) to hurl insults. That the purple shirted SEIU lefties act that way (and worse) is no excuse. I actually found myself feeling sorry for Newt, and that is saying something. There is a First Amendment right to be rude, but the rude people would do well to remember that it is not always without cost.

Not that any of this has changed my mind about Gingrich, and of course, I still think he should quit the race. But if I saw some asshole acting the same way towards a candidate I liked, I might very well be inclined to send him some money.

Something for the assholes to keep in mind.

I know, I know, nice guys finish last. But the foolish people who still believe in civility do vote, and some of them have been known to contribute money.