Newt Gingrich - The Untold Story!

Newt Gingrich has been all over the news this election cycle opining on this or that, and acting as a sort-of GOP elder statesman.  What very few people know though is that Newt Gingrich has a secret love child, the actor/comedian Jack Black!  Here now the shocking proof ICYMI:  


Newt Gingrich and son Jack Black share a laugh.

"She just has one of those asses you gotta grab!”

The Family Christmas Card

“Why can’t you f*%#ing idiots understand this?"
   

"Temper?  Who's got a temper?"                             

Me and Dad

Me and Dad when we used to drop acid together.





(Happy April Fools Day!)  

The G.E. Rule – Part 2

In an earlier post I proposed The G.E. Rule, which is that no company should pay more tax than General Electric, the nations largest corporation and President Obama’s favorite company.   Since G.E. pays ZERO taxes, this would end income tax at the business level and solve a plethora of major problems today:

• Unemployment would plummet
• Growth would flourish
• Capital would flood into the US
• Your pay would go up
• Your company would be able to compete with the Big Boys who currently buy influence
• Your health insurance choices would be yours and not your boss’s (it would end the corporate deduction for employer insurance) 
• You could leave your job and not worry about your health insurance 
• Dividends and capital gains could be taxed at the same rates as income (Obama’s  Buffett Rule would be satisfied)
• Overseas profits could be repatriated instantly
• It would end taxation without representation 
• It would satisfy the Tea Party and end Stealth Taxes (all taxes would be transparent to voters once and for all)
• Most corporate lobbyists would be out of a job
• Crony capitalism would be seriously wounded
• Washington’s manipulative power would be greatly reduced
• Prices on all goods and services would plummet 
• Stocks would be rationally valued as the double taxation would end (this would end stock bubbles like the Tech Bubble of the 90s) 
• Companies, even Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, would pay dividends

And this is just a partial list of instant benefits from The G.E. Rule.  (Update:  For much more on this, check out my older post - GE is Right!) 

Of course, this would be politically impossible because almost no politician in Washington wants to cede power to business, markets, or voters.  Lobbyists would freak out.  In fact no politician, even Ron Paul, is proposing anything like this.  If I was a Republican frontrunner, I’d take a good hard look at The G.E. Rule.       

The Tebow Test

Reflections on the GOP primaries and Tim Tebow:  

During post-game analysis in the midst of Denver's winning streak, I heard Jimmy Johnson, ex-coach, superbowl winner, and football analyst, opine that he’d never seen a quarterback get more out of his teammates and inspire them to play-up than Tim Tebow.  It reminded me of Harry Potter, the average wizard who manages to pull off amazing feats against all odds with the help of his loyal group of friends, without whom he would not be nearly as magical.  Sunday he did it again against the heavily favored Steelers.

And this brings me to the GOP primaries.  Being a chief executive is never a solitary endeavor despite what we’ve heard.    Good executives are team leaders.  Sure, “the buck stops here” and “it’s lonely at the top”, but look at any effective leader and you will find a team inspired by his/her example.  

The questions for voters are these:  Who will build a team and inspire them to play-up when the game is on the line?  Who has done that in the past?  Who has maintained good relations with former teammates?  Who can lead by example?    Are ideology and oratory enough?  What value should be placed on effective leadership experience?  Who is capable of turning adversaries into allies?  

In other words, who in the GOP field can pass "The Tebow Test"?

(This is an UPDATE of an earlier post by the same name.) 

The Batman Primaries

Check out this cartoon for more commentary on the 2012 race:  Useful Idiots

The Tebow Test

Yesterday, Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to their 7^th improbable win in 8 games as their starting quarterback.  During the post-game analysis I heard Jimmy Johnson, ex-coach, superbowl winner, and longtime football analyst opine that he’d never seen a quarterback get more out of his teammates and inspire them to play-up than Tim Tebow.  I was reminded of Harry Potter, the average wizard who manages to pull off amazing feats against all odds by having a loyal group of friends without whom he would not be nearly as magical.

I bring this up not to talk about football but rather as an allegory for choosing a President.  Being a chief executive is never a solitary endeavor despite what we’ve heard.    Good executives are team leaders. Sure, “the buck stops here” and “it’s lonely at the top”, but look at any effective leader and you will find a team inspired by his/her example.  The questions for voters are these: Are ideology and oratory everything?  What about effective leadership?  Who is likely to inspire by example?  Who is capable of turning adversaries into allies?   

Remember, all administrations are buffeted by events.  You don’t always get to plan on what challenges you face.  Given that, who will build a team and inspire them to play-up when the game is on the line?  Who has done that in the past?  Who has maintained good relations with their former teammates?  All questions worth asking before pulling a lever.     

Gingrich Paternity Bombshell!

Now that Newt Gingrich is surging in the polls, the media are gearing-up for the obligatory smear phase.  Most people already know about Newt’s marital issues, his religious conversions, his bouts of progressivism, and his tendency towards foot-in-mouth disease, but how many know that he is actually actor/comedian Jack Black’s father?   Just uncovered, the shocking proof!!!   

Newt Gingrich and son Jack Black share a laugh.

"She just has one of those asses you gotta grab!”

The Family Christmas Card

“Why can’t you f*%#ing idiots understand this?"
   

"Temper?  Who's got a temper?"                             

Me and Dad

Me and Dad when we used to drop acid together.

Hinckleynomics

One of Newt Gingrich’s answers at the Iowa debate on Thursday (8/11/2011) reminded me how lucky we’ve been for the last 30 years. When asked about his qualifications to be President, Newt touted his experiences in congress both as a member and leader during periods of divided government when pro-growth policies nevertheless emerged. The two periods he referred to were the Reagan era Kemp-Roth Tax cuts, and the Clinton era Welfare reforms and capital gains cuts. While both those were in fact accomplished with divided government, I maintain they were very different, and one of them actually qualifies as a miracle.

Not all divided governments are equal. In Clinton’s case the legislature after ’95 was united under Republican leadership. That gave two thirds of the government to the pro-growth Republicans. To Clinton’s credit he went along and reluctantly signed the pro-growth agenda into law, but he was the minority who went along with the majority.

In Reagan’s case, the house was under hostile Democrat leadership and the Democrats could stop the Senate any time they wanted.  How then did Reagan get to sign a sweeping pro-growth tax law?  Much of that had to do with Reagan’s ability to go directly to the people, but there was another factor; Reagan was shot early in his presidency and within about 4 months, Kemp-Roth made it through congress.

Had Reagan not taken a bullet and built-up such a reservoir of good will and respect, would Democrats have given him his wish? We’ll never know, but I’m skeptical.

In other words, John Hinckley’s deranged act and poor marksmanship may be the reason we had almost 30 years of full employment and economic growth in the US.  Sorry Newt, it wasn’t all you.

(Note: this piece was edited 4/2012 for inaccuracies.)