Remember King David? David was God’s man of faith and power: a psalmist, a great leader, and a man after “God’s own heart.” Unfortunately, David had issues with temptation, lust, adultery and murder. Sound familiar?
Now the Republican Party is grappling with similar issues concerning a conservative candidate who, if he had comported himself in his personal life in a manner similar to progressive Republican Mitt Romney, we wouldn’t be having discussions about what happened 20 years ago.
But here we are, and Newton Leroy McPherson, aka Newt Gingrich, is a man with David-like qualities, likely the best representative for what the conservative wing of the Republican Party stands for, and the most likely able to slay a Goliath named Obama.
The Republican Party is desperate to find a candidate that can trounce Obama and dial back the country to its more Reaganesque past, thus Newt Gingrich is a candidate on the rise. If Newt is taken down, it will be because when he wasn’t about the business of finding “American Solutions,” he spent too much time like King David, walking on rooftops and gazing upon Bathshebas in or around the halls of Congress.
Despite his brilliance, Newt’s one drawback is past appreciation for women who weren’t his wife. Gingrich is guilty of what King David did, and not once, but twice. The former speaker’s ex-wives paid for it, and his grown daughters, regardless of what they say, surely carry the pain of their father’s betrayals.
Repentance or no repentance, conversion or not, like a pebble being thrown into a pool of water, even years later adultery has ongoing repercussions. All American voters will be affected if Newt is Herman Cain-ed and shoved out of the running because of a salivating media who blithely excused Bill Clinton’s peccadilloes, but are more than willing to crucify Mr. Gingrich for his past mistakes.
Jackie Battley Gingrich was Newt’s first wife of 19 years. Infamously, the Congressman surprised her while she was recovering in a hospital after surgery to remove a potentially cancerous tumor by asking her for a divorce.
At the time, Newt was anxious to be unattached from the mother of his children because he admittedly was seeing 28-year-old congressional aide Marianne Ginther Gingrich. They married six months after his divorce from Jackie was finalized.
Nineteen years after Newt married Marianne, Callista became the third Mrs. Gingrich, and the duo have been gloriously joined at the hip now for 12 years. Question: What exactly was Gingrich thinking when he criticized Bill Clinton for committing adultery with Monica Lewinsky when he himself was married to Marianne and carrying on with a woman 23 years his junior?
With that in mind, until that 19-year mark comes and goes, the present Mrs. Gingrich shouldn’t get too comfortable.
And the Lord said to David: “You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” Thus, twenty-odd years later, those initial adulterous ripples have made contact with Newt’s aspirations to become President of the United States, and have grown into waves smashing with great force against the side of his campaign.
Despite his admitted repentance and ability to explain his way out of any situation, Newt is presently being sucked into a vortex of disgrace. Why? Because there are four people involved in a twenty-year-old scandal: three wives – two of whom are former mistresses – and the perpetually married Mr. Gingrich.
Based on his own admission, we know that the presidential hopeful cheated on his two ex-wives with two congressional aides, both of whom he eventually married. That means at the bare minimum we have three people with a history of being less than truthful.
There’s Newt, who may be a great debater, historian, and politician, but who’s past track record in the veracity department does leave a lot to be desired. Then there’s Marianne Ginther Gingrich, second wife/woman scorned. Marianne’s tawdry story may or may not be true, because let’s face it – when Ms. Ginther was a congressional aide she had no problem skulking about with a married man.
And let’s not forget the perfectly-coifed Callista who, besides carrying on with another woman’s husband, is also a published author, player of the French horn, singer in the choir at the Basilica of the National Shrine, and creator of Ellis the Elephant. First lady hopeful Callista followed in Marianne’s footsteps and did to Marianne what Marianne did to Jackie.
Even still, like King David, Gingrich does have the potential to be a great leader. The American people would benefit greatly with Newt as president, but if what happened to Herman Cain – with a lot less evidence – is any example, it remains to be seen whether Newt’s dream will ever come to pass.
A modern day reenactment of an ancient king’s fall from grace may or may not end up being Newt Gingrich’s downfall. Unlike King David, who slew Uriah to cover his sin, thankfully in Newt’s case no one lost their life in the literal sense. However, if the resurrected scandal sticks, conservatives who have been faithful to Newt and the principles he espouses could be in for a political death of epic proportions.
