Gingrich Weeps at Des Moines Town Hall

It’s Beck’s fault

PoliticsDecember 2011 • Views: 32,139

I blame Glenn Beck for making it cool for right wingers to weep openly: Gingrich tears up while discussing his mother at Iowa town hall.

Gingrich was asked to speak about a time his mother affected him at the event sponsored by CafeMom, a social networking website for mothers.

“You’ll get me all teary-eyed — Callista will tell you, I get teary-eyed every time we sing Christmas carols. My mother sang in the choir and loved singing in the choir,” Gingrich said, referring to his wife, as he fought back tears.

First, the cute fuzzy animals who love Newt, and now this. It almost seems like Newt’s trying to convince the public that he’s human.

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37 comments

Targetpractice Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:48:10pm

Meanwhile, Mitt's in the corner, curious as to why Newt is leaking lubricant from his eyes and what purpose it serves.

SanFranciscoZionist Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:49:08pm

God forbid I should compare the two, but I recalls a scene in Ruth McKinney's "Love Story", where she's arguing with a friend who, after Pearl Harbor, keeps insisting that, as she read in some newspaper, Roosevelt was crying over it. "He loved the Navy! All those toy ships..."

Winny Spencer Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:50:49pm

It worked for Hillary.

OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:52:42pm

re: #3 Winny Spencer

It worked for Hillary.

57 states arugula hamburger mustard throws like a girl teleprompter

jaunte Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:53:00pm

The emotional promiscuity of politicians.

Obdicut Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:54:37pm

"If you punch me in the liver, do I not puke?"

SanFranciscoZionist Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:54:46pm

re: #3 Winny Spencer

It worked for Hillary.

Really?

abolitionist Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:55:35pm

Also, Newt's wife is promoting a children's book that features an elephant character. Don't know whether that elephant is intended to be a representation of Newt, but it seems blatantly political.

Our Precious Bodily Fluids Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:56:17pm

re: #4 OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin

57 states arugula hamburger mustard throws like a girl teleprompter

Flag pin beer summit apology tour.

reloadingisnotahobby Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:57:17pm

Shouldn't he be holding an abandoned,shivering puppy??

Winny Spencer Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:57:28pm

re: #7 SanFranciscoZionist

Really?

Her carefully contrived tears won her New Hampshire.

SanFranciscoZionist Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:59:46pm

re: #8 abolitionist

Also, Newt's wife is promoting a children's book that features an elephant character. Don't know whether that elephant is intended to be a representation of Newt, but it seems blatantly political.

Yes, "Ellis the Elephant" is the protagonist of "Sweet Land of Liberty", by Callista Gingrich.

He is very cute.

He makes friends with a bald eagle. (He does not make friends with a donkey, AFAIK.)

He can be seen on the cover of the book, riding the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty, and waving a small American flag in his trunk.

SanFranciscoZionist Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:00:14pm

re: #11 Winny Spencer

Her carefully contrived tears won her New Hampshire.

Riiight.

Can I point out how much good that did her in the long run?

darthstar Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:01:00pm

Just got back from surfing (my Xmas present to myself is to take up surfing and buy a big boys long board)...first time on a board in 37 years. Let the waves beat the crap out of me for about an hour before going in.

Note: when a relatively large wave is breaking in front of you, there really isn't time to say "Oh shit" before getting a mouthful of water...I'm surprised I didn't have sea water squirting out of my ass it hit me so hard.

Oh, and I managed to get two decent rides in...didn't get on my feet, but I did get up into a kneeling position (my wide shit-eating grin was throwing me off balance too much to try and stand).

And Newt Gingrich cried? Stupid fucker...then again, those white jesus freaks eat that shit up, so who knows...he could win because of it.

wrenchwench Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:02:24pm

re: #12 SanFranciscoZionist

Yes, "Ellis the Elephant" is the protagonist of "Sweet Land of Liberty", by Callista Gingrich.

He is very cute.

He makes friends with a bald eagle. (He does not make friends with a donkey, AFAIK.)

He can be seen on the cover of the book, riding the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty, and waving a small American flag in his trunk.

Sounds like a book about a pander bear.

reloadingisnotahobby Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:02:29pm

re: #14 darthstar
....Hate to be obvious....close your mouth!
LOL...Good luck!

darthstar Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:02:49pm

re: #11 Winny Spencer

Her carefully contrived tears won her New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is moderately conservative. That's why Hillary won. It's why Romney will win it in a week or two.

Slumbering Behemoth Stinks Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:03:39pm

re: #15 wrenchwench

Bravo! :golf clap:

FreedomMoon Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:04:52pm

Just don't get him around baked goods. It's hard enough not to confuse him with his lovable lookalike, the Pillsbury dough boy.

darthstar Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:05:05pm

re: #16 reloadingisnotahobby

...Hate to be obvious...close your mouth!
LOL...Good luck!

I had a fuckin' blast.

reloadingisnotahobby Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:06:07pm

re: #20 darthstar

My one regret leaving Calif... the beach and babes...oh..that's two!

OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:07:15pm

re: #9 negativ

Flag pin beer summit apology tour.

god damn america bows too low

Gus Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:10:20pm

re: #4 OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin

57 states arugula hamburger mustard throws like a girl teleprompter

mom pants rides bike with flat tire and funny helmet

darthstar Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:11:02pm

re: #23 Gus 802

mom pants rides bike with flat tire and funny helmet

crappy bowler kenyan socialist

Slumbering Behemoth Stinks Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:13:36pm

re: #24 darthstar

I'm neither Kenyan, nor a socialist.
/

Charles Johnson Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:17:10pm

By the way, this little crying show by Gingrich was in response to a question from Frank Luntz.

In case anyone's tempted to believe it was genuine.

darthstar Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:21:08pm

re: #26 Charles

By the way, this little crying show by Gingrich was in response to a question from Frank Luntz.

In case anyone's tempted to believe it was genuine.

Luntz? What are the odds of THAT happening?

Inconsequential Consequence Fri, Dec 30, 2011 2:25:25pm

re: #10 reloadingisnotahobby

Shouldn't he be holding an abandoned,shivering puppy??

Good band name.
Slivered Puppy would be good too.

JEA62 Fri, Dec 30, 2011 3:26:45pm

Come on, man...the guy's talking about his late mother. This should be off limits.

If I want personal nonsense like this, I'll read Ace of Spades.

Decatur Deb Fri, Dec 30, 2011 3:31:24pm

re: #29 JEA62

Come on, man...the guy's talking about his late mother. This should be off limits.

If I want personal nonsense like this, I'll read Ace of Spades.

Agreed. Family members and their medical conditions should be off-limits, and should not be used as props.

Buck Fri, Dec 30, 2011 4:07:16pm

re: #14 darthstar

Stupid fucker...then again, those white jesus freaks eat that shit up, so who knows...he could win because of it.

Funny coming right after a thread talking about intolerant comments on another site.

Charles Johnson Fri, Dec 30, 2011 4:35:40pm

re: #29 JEA62

Come on, man...the guy's talking about his late mother. This should be off limits.

I agree, he shouldn't be trying to make political capital off his late mother. But this is Newt.

William of Orange Fri, Dec 30, 2011 6:20:20pm

Allegedly the now following clip was shot at Glenn Beck's office in the Newt Gingrich building, somewhere in Boehnertown.

Youtube Video

Buck Fri, Dec 30, 2011 8:36:46pm

re: #32 Charles

I agree, he shouldn't be trying to make political capital off his late mother. But this is Newt.

The event was sponsored by CafeMom, a social networking website for mothers. So maybe a question about his mother was not so out of place?

Charles Johnson Sat, Dec 31, 2011 10:45:13am

Frank Luntz and Newt Gingrich have pulled this same stunt before, back in November: Frank Luntz Always Makes Newt Gingrich Cry.

At a Thanksgiving forum in Des Moines in November, also moderated by Luntz, Gingrich was one of several candidates who broke down in tears. That time, the trigger was thinking about a friend's baby who was born with a heart defect. Also shedding tears at that event were Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Herman Cain; Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul managed not to crack.

"I feel like Dr. Phil!" Luntz joked at that earlier event, and it's clear his manipulative lines of questioning -- probing the candidates for the emotional pressure-points of family and faith -- were responsible for the orgy of tears.

Charles Johnson Sat, Dec 31, 2011 10:53:31am

But of course, point out that this is cynical political gamesmanship, and here come the wingnuts yelling that you're being insensitive.

This is why politicians do this stuff, because useful idiots will always fall for it.

DobermanBoston Sat, Dec 31, 2011 11:41:29am

I feel for him, really. There was a case of schizophrenia in my family growing up and, as a twentysomething, I was in two serious relationships with bipolar gals.

But at the same time I can't help thinking of Ed Muskie, who broke down in tears during the 1972 Dem primary that was almost as zany as the current GOP one.

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