Image Credit: William B. Plowman/NBC
This week, the Republican race for the White House went from being a reality show to a Matt Groening cartoon. Exit Donald Trump, enter Newt Gingrich, the Homer Simpson of conservative American politics.
After announcing his candidacy via Twitter last week, Gingrich began this week by enraging his own base with an appearance on Meet the Press, during which he blasted Paul Ryan’s Medicare-killing federal budget proposal — the one virtually every House Republican voted in favor of — as “right-wing social engineering.” D’oh! Then he went to Iowa to shake hands with the locals and got caught on camera being belittled by a disgruntled Republican voter. “You’re an embarrassment to our party,” the heckler told the ex-Speaker of the House, suggesting he get out of the race “before you make a bigger fool of yourself.” D’oh! A few days later, Gingrich was indeed made to look like an even bigger fool when he got “glittered” by a confetti tossing gay activist at a book signing in Minneapolis. D’oh! And then, just yesterday, back in Iowa, Gingrich made the mistake of leaving his cell phone on during a campaign stop. His ring tone — no joke, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” – may well be the last straw for some voters (except for maybe that gay activist). D’oh again!
Sadly, the previews for next week’s episode of Real Republican Hopefuls of Washington D.C. doesn’t look nearly as entertaining. Tim Pawlenty, a politician with all the charisma of a substitute math teacher, is scheduled to officially throw his hat in the ring. But there is some hope: Tea Party darling Michele Bachmann has been hinting that she might enter the campaign even earlier than expected. She could single-handedly turn the race from a cartoon sitcom into a Twilight Zone episode. We can’t wait — but what about you Pop Watchers? What did you think of this week’s installment?
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Newt, Trump, Palin and Bachmann are nothing more than clowns.
beat me to it
The GOP is an absolute mess. If Charlie Sheen threw that stupid Fedora into the ring the circus would be complete.
touche!!
I like that! Maybe the jackass will take you up on it.
Wow, this article really made my day! I didn’t even know about the ringtone situation. Hilarious!
Wow! mainstream media is unforgiving and does not give in to opposing views.
Victimology much? There are alternatives to “lamestream” media. You have Fox News, the radio and the internet. And as far as entertainment news in particular, I find the readers of the Hollywood Reporter tend to lean Conservative which is why I avoid even scrolling down to the comments section.
Oh come on. No one’s attacking opposing viewpoints here. But you have to be real, so far the Republican hopefuls have totally put on a hilarious circus. Donald Trump’s shenanigans, the trouble Newt got himself into, the hilarious reputation of Michelle Bachmann…these people are not likely to get the nomination and they’ve kind of been flailing around lately in a way that has nothing to do with their political leanings but everything to do with putting themselves in the middle of controversies. It’s totally entertaining to watch. The only reason Democrats aren’t out there being just as hilariously inept is because Obama will obviously be nominated again…otherwise we’d be enjoying laughing at them too right now.
Crazy fringe candidates get the ridicule they deserve.
This is all the weeding out period..none of the names currently running will be there at the end…the guy who I think will get the Republican nod is Texas Governor Rick Perry..he is the longest serving Governor in the US..10 years…is a former Democrat…is no Bush…and is following the ladder to the White House..fiscally conservative..has a book out Fed Up..and looked good with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show..which you can google…team him up with Connie Mack IV of Florida (which McCain lost the 27 electoral votes by just 1.2%) & there might be a race on…President Obama has got to stop thwarting his own success…taking controversial stands in the Middle East is going to deflate his recent surge…too many unemployed..our company sees no need to hire when they have 4k people applying for 50 internships (no pay)
The Israel thing Obama is doing is a big mess. Netanyahu schooled him like Hugh Grant schooled Billy Bob Thornton in Love Actually today.
Rick Perry would be good….but not Connie Mack. I think Marco Rubio will be the VP pick, or perhaps a female senator. Maybe Bobby Jindal also.
He said today that he wouldn’t run. Too much work here in Texas to do. Sadly this state will never stop electing him. We could have 50% unemployment and he would still pull 60% of the vote. It’s the hair.
Perry is a pandering Creationist retard and corrupt as Nixon.
He has not won the last two elections with 60% of the vote, thank you. In 2006, he won with only 37%. It was such a shame that someone with such a small percentage would be allowed to take it without a runoff. I, personally, don’t think he would make a good candidate.
Obama wasn’t taking a “controversial stand.” The US has maintained that view for many years, but Obama made the mistake of actually saying it out loud in a televised speech. Honesty isn’t really respected in the political arena.
Very funny article.
Why is EW writing critiques of politicians? I agree that Newt is ridiculous, but EW isn’t the place for this.
While I agree, hearing the bit about the ‘Dancing Queen’ ring tone was entertaining.
Very entertaining.
Yeah, that was pretty funny. I hadn’t heard that before. I just think EW needs to keep it to entertainment and not ridiculing politicians.
Because this whole thing has turned into a sideshow. It’s an entertaining article, especially the way they refer to it as Real Republican Hopefuls of Washington D.C.
Wtf is this? ew…cmon..stick to tv, movies, and books. That’s why I came to this website in the first place.
This is the PopWatch blog. There are other blogs on this site dedicated to TV or movies or books. Check out those ones if you don’t want to read this, which definitely falls under the categoy of pop culture.
Yet, you managed to read the article, scroll down and make a comment. Hmmm…
No mention of John Lithgow doing Newt’s speech on Cobert? I’m surprised. That was so funny.
That was AMAZING. How that man could maintain such gravitas in the face of a giggling audience and having to read a ridiculous monologue…well, I guess that’s just one more example of what a fine actor he is, but damn, I was impressed.
First, to those complaining about EW’s choice to cover politics: aren’t you only encouraging them by clicking on their political headlines? The headline is pretty clear. If you want to show your disinterest in the political coverage then don’t click on it. Just like purchasing power or remote control power, you have clicking power.
Anyway, what amuses me the most is the Liberal activist using glitter as a protest prop. Between that and the Liberal activists ealier this year who protested President Obama by breaking out in song I just find old school humor in the resurgence of the free-loving hippie. It’s like can you stereotype Liberals any more?
LOL the glitter thing was hilarious, as was that song. Still, I’d rather have hippie glittler protests than “reload and take aim” type of rhetoric. I mean, glitter is so much more fun!
Newt might not be a bad guy after all! Oh, who am I kidding?
Politics IS entertainment! So EW has every right to cover it. What could be more entertaining than watching these clowns continue to make fools of themselves?
The ABBA ringtone was for real??? I thought it was a jokeby Kimmel.
Ron Paul. That is all.
And yet, somehow, Newt will be elected President and serve as many terms as FDR, thanks to the 22nd Amendment being repealed. He might surprise us all!