Newt Deorbits His Campaign
Newt Gingrich brings campaign to a close, with swipes at Obama, jokes at his own expense, Washington Post
“And in bowing out, Gingrich made several joking references to his campaign-trail plan for a permanent moon colony – a proposal that has come to symbolize Gingrich’s descent from one of the most powerful players on the national stage to an also-ran often ridiculed for his often-grandiose ideas.”I want to just say I’m cheerfully going to take back up the issue of space,” Gingrich, who spoke in front of a black velvet curtain and at a podium bearing his campaign logo, said as he came to the end of a long list of issues he said he intends to continue addressing in appearances across the country. “My wife has pointed out to me approximately 219 times, give or take three, that moon colony was probably not my most clever comment in this campaign,” he continued. “I thought, frankly, in my role as providing material for ‘Saturday Night Live,’ it was helpful.”
Keith’s note: (Sigh) it would seem that talking about extending our species to other worlds is still not a topic for serious public discussion – unless you make SciFi movies or write for Saturday Night Live. Like him or not, Newt stuck his neck out on this topic – and also for the commercial space policy of the Obama Administration – even though he had to cross partisan lines to do so. I am sure we’ll be hearing more from Newt about space and It will likely be interesting.
Newt might make a good NASA Administrator. He has the right kind of education, is politically connected and actually has a dream and an idea for a plan for the nation and NASA.
He’s also widely despised by his own party’s current leadership, so unless he suddenly becomes friends with Obama, I can’t see him being offered the position by either side.
It’s an interesting what-if. He’s an arrogant pompous narcissist, and I’d hate to work for someone like him, but there’s a reason such personality types end up doing well in politics. And maybe it would put some fire in NASA’s belly, or at least under it’s feet.
“He’s an arrogant pompous narcissist.” With a comment like that, it sounds like you are one too, unless you know him personally.
Space is not going to be taken seriously until the private sector can kick in and begin its own cycle of bribes to the political sector. It’ going to be years before the money and people start to flow from the space sector to the political sector and can pay the dues politicos demand. As a popular movemnet politicians will run from space after seeing how the space community rose up against Gingrich and never rallied around him or even his issues. It’s telling that space is at a place in the public debate, for what it is, where it can be used as a means to focus ridicule in a tight little package that the general population can understand.
“Space is not going to be taken seriously until the private sector can kick in and begin its own cycle of bribes to the political sector”
NM,
It disturbs me to see that sort of assumption. Can’t we instead try to think of ways to change the game from what it has become. Why not look at the “new space” crowd as a fresh start. We need to think up incentives for then new players to not fall into the obvious trap. I’m confident that NASA would go along with that kind of change since it would regain them some respectability and control. I know where you’re coming from, but there’s no rule that says we have to accept the status quo, especially when it continues to further degrade. If we’re willing to argue in favour of space, the first step is to give up cynicism and bland acceptance. I’m sure many out there will consider my statement naïve, but it’s their believing that which makes it so.
Steve
Though I do not like Newt or his policies and would never vote for him, we all lost by not taking his proposals for serious discussion. Everyone – democrats, republicans, comedians, and even space advocacy groups such as the Planetary Society – had a field day heaping scorn and ridicule on his proposal.
Keith is absolutely right in saying, “Like him or not, Newt stuck his neck out on this topic – and also for
the commercial space policy of the Obama Administration – even though he
had to cross partisan lines to do so.”
Where are the alternate grand plans from either Romney or Obama? All I see are republican – bad, democratic – good or vice versa.
Ironically, it was Newt who helped to create the anti-government and anti-science environment that the US currently exist in.
This was once a can do nation! Now its rapidly becoming a can’t do and shouldn’t do anything nation– while fascist China continues to rise.
Marcel F. Williams
Gingrich has too much political baggage (he is a lightning rod for criticism) to make him effective in helping NASA programs and activities. However, it seems to me he was conspicuously silent about the space program until is infamous moon colony comment. Perhaps he has good ideas about the space program but geez his implementation is a slash-and-burn style like when he was Speaker of the House.
“However, it seems to me he was conspicuously silent about the space program until is infamous moon colony comment.”
His talked about the space program (and innovation in general) in his 1986 book “Window of Opportunity”.
Even though Newt joked about the Moon colony at his own expense, I think it’s clear to see he’s still very much a believer. Although he’s stepping down from the race, in my mind he’s already beat his opponents by being willing (and having the guts) to commit to what he believes in, whereas the other two continue to sprinkle platitudes and commit to nothing in particular, waiting to see which way public opinion is running on the major issues before committing themselves; in short, the exact opposite of leadership.
Steve
He’s a genuine enthusiast. Nothing wrong with that. Need more like him there.
To be critical though, he sets himself up for ridicule by the way he introduces a topic. Painting a bulls eye on yourself invites the response he got. Which totally misses the point of what he introduced, and is unworthy of the consideration his ideas deserve.
IMHO he gets too exciting by certain ideas, and rushes them out uncritically. He thinks everyone is as excited as he is about them as well.
Trust me, NASA does not want Gingrich associated with any NASA planning, etc. The public sees him as not exactly the most stable or intelligent guy and having his name and NASA in the same sentence is a bad idea. More funding for NASA is a nice thing but NASA needs to make itself worth the money. Right now, I think a lot of people (i.e. the general public who do not post here) are not so sure.
Maybe newt can’t talk about space but it seems Elon can. I just saw miles o briens piece on the news hour last night. He did a fair job at comparing cots provider space to the SLS Orion old guard.
Notes Elon said that his path is the only path. Lol maybe criticial path lol
The Orion guy joked saying is cost plus anyway to run a railroad. Then said NOO! Lol Inner Solar system railroad lol
NASA official still said that NASA should do the hard things??? R and D or big dumb exploration she wasn’t clear? On purpose I bet.
Florida Nelson looked very vexed when making it clear that SLS was a Mars rocket!!!! Lol I didn’t know that lol.
The building they store an Orion capsule in looked more like a church than a factory like Spacex s busy bee hive.
Anyway I hope Newt works for the cause. He is good at making noise.
SpaceX Boldly Looks to Blast ‘Millions of People to Mars’
PBS – 15 hours ago
NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien has our report. MILES O’BRIEN: At the …
On time to fix typos sorry
The news hour link. Seemed hopeful to me.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour…
Idea
Why don’t some of you get intouch with miles and have him so a history piece on. NACA and the future of NASA. Wouldn’t he be a good one to point out what NASA should be doing ????? Also newt is a historian he would be perfect too
Just idea from Joe Q hoping to stop wasting money and time and get us helping Elon make us a multi planet species before it’s to lat
e.
Joe Q taxes Payor
http://www.pbs.org/newshour…
News hour link
Steve
What do you think of someone like miles O brian doing a NACA to NASA piece. Wouldn’t that be a great subject to do Space Quartley on. Couldn’t you guys lay out a Inner Solar System Railroad plan And talk about a NACA plan for NASA then call News hour and have them run a piece on it just like they did last night with provider privite turn key space vs the old cost plus model. We need to get NASA out of the rocket building business and doing their job assisting using the cots model. The things that could happen would be amazing.
To me them saying we want to do the BEO stuff is just an excuse to keep doing things like SLS. Can’t WE put a stop to it?????????
Wouldn’t a reporter putting the NACA Plan to them be just perfect????
Hanging on to their porky rocket programs is just killing them with Joe Q
Nelson looked like a porky fool to me and I bet to any other Joe Q
It they are to chick s$&@ to fix them selves let’s put the pressure on. Miles did!??????
We need that plan to point to and say do this! Not what you are doing!
DTARS,
The problem I see is even if someone with Miles’ knowledge and presentation skills was given the most convincing assessment of the facts, we’d have to get a large enough audience that he wouldn’t simply be preaching to the converted. But let’s say we could. We get it on a one-hour show on the Discovery Channel (or PBS where Miles is these days), and all kinds of people watch it and get convinced that going back to a NACA-like agency is best for NASA and the nation. Then, the way I see it, we bang up against the same old problem — the powerful people who could possibly make it happen are exactly the same people who do not want it to happen (certain people in Congress, at the aerospace companies and their suppliers, and at NASA itself). These people generally have a lot of money to work with, and we have…
So unless we can find a way to convince a majority of the public and then actually make democracy work by having the federal government comply with the reasonable wishes of that majority, we’re beat (in my opinion). Maybe Keith and Marc will give it their professional consideration as a potential Space Quarterly article, if they are in agreement with the idea of NASA reverting to NACA-type tasks. The one argument for it that anyone would like is that it’s budget would not need be near as large as NASA’s is and, in theory, would be more trackable. On the negative side of the coin is the fact that nowhere near as many people would be employed by a NACA-type agency, and to the politicians loat jobs equals lost votes.
Steve
Thanks Steve