Last night, Newt Gingrich desperately pandered to an FNC South Carolina debate crowd by deifying Andrew Jackson. The praise came to a climax with this gem:
Andrew Jackson had a pretty clear-cut idea about America’s enemies: Kill them.
The statement drew uncomfortable silence, some boos from the back and a few uneasy chuckles.
JUST KIDDING! Much of the crowd went wild with applause, of course. Reportedly, some even began chanting “Kill them, kill them!”
(YOU CAN JUMP TO THE “KILL THEM” COMMENT AT 1:38)
There are likely a gang of left-leaning news sites and blogs that will indulge on Andrew Jackson’s actual legacy, and why Gingrich’s remark was either insensitive or unbelievably ignorant- so I’ll just sum it up briefly. Andrew Jackson had three rather famous “enemies” throughout his political and military career; as discussed, there were the British during the American Revolution, then the Native Americans and at one point even South Carolina. (While not actually attempting to “kill” the latter-most, he did make a lifelong nemesis out of his own Vice President over the issue.)
If Gingrich continues to go down this path, the world of political pandering is his oyster! Some alternatives Newt might consider for future speeches:
Charles Manson had a pretty clear-cut idea about America’s disenfranchised youth: Give them a family.
Elliot Spitzer had a pretty clear-cut idea about family values: Connect with local young women.
Fannie Mae had a pretty clear-cut idea about how every American could own a home: Give them loans.
You see, if your audience doesn’t know anything about the thing you’re talking about other than what you tell them, you can make them agree with just about everything! It’s like a golden formula for making a handful of middle-aged white people scream with delight.
This morning, I really hope that Newt Gingrich opened a history book, read about Andrew Jackson and then fired someone on his staff. Otherwise- WTF?
