Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    David Brooks defines Republican elite: ‘Anybody who knows what Newt Gingrich is really like’

    On Sunday’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” on CNN, New York Times columnist David Brooks had a new, and specific, definition of “Republican establishment” — “anybody who knows what Newt Gingrich is really like.”

    “Well,” Brooks said, “my definition of the Republican elite is that anybody who knows what Newt Gingrich is really like. So the people who worked with him, those are the so-called Republican establishment, and they want anybody but him.”

    The columnist also said he was skeptical of warnings that the length and bitter tone of the Republican primary could cause a party split that would make it difficult to defeat President Barack Obama in November, pointing to the 2008 Obama-Hillary Clinton race as evidence.

    “When Obama ran against Clinton you could get polls saying 40 percent of Democrats wouldn’t support the other,” Brooks said. “That all vanishes. That’s always going to vanish.”

    But as far as the tea party movement is concerned, Brooks commented that the primaries raise some questions about its power in Republican politics.

    “I think what the tea party people should be asking ourselves [is] … ‘Listen, we have all this energy, all these ideas, we’ve mobilized so many people, and we produce Mitt Romney,’” he said. “Why couldn’t they produce a leader? Why couldn’t they really change the party? If Romney wins, the head of the Republican Party — the three most important people in Washington — will be Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Mitt Romney. That’s the Republican main street establishment. The tea party will have a pretty limited effect.”

    Follow Jeff on Twitter
    Join the conversation on The Daily Caller

    Read more stories from The Daily Caller

    David Brooks defines Republican elite: 'Anybody who knows what Newt Gingrich is really like'

    Lesbian Divorce Shocker!

    Did the Great Recession hammer the rich?

    Don't be torn

    Justice Ginsburg causes storm dissing the Constitution while abroad

     

    78 comments

    • chuck  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      I'm 51 yrs old, and I think there's a chance of the biggest landslide in history. The GOP is in such a bubble they have no idea how ridiculous they sound to mainstream America.
      • AA82ndAbn 3 mths ago
        same view from someone a bit older.
      • CW 3 mths ago
        I suspect it will be the biggest gop beat down on record. Followed by the implosion of the party.
    • bob  •  3 mths ago
      Wait...the GOP establishment has subsumed the energy and commitment of the tea party in order to win elections, with no intention of giving them what they are fighting for? Gee, seems like people would have learned after the same thing happened (is happening) to the religious extremists!
      • TR RINO 3 mths ago
        The dupes never figure out they are being used. There is nothing like voting against yourself.
    • Mark  •  Greenville, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      Read his book "Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative." It gives a shocking picture of what Gingrich and others on the Right, including Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Alito, really have in store for America. A more intrusive federal government and more of our freedoms lost.

      I also reccomend George Carlin's YouTube video, "You Have No Rights." It's not work-safe, but if you get nothing else out of it, take to heart what Carlin says about rights: "Rights aren't rights if someone can take `em away from you, they're just privileges. That's what we have in this country, a Bill of Temporary Privileges. And if you watch the news you'll see they're getting smaller and smaller every year."
      • Terry 3 mths ago
        & people just keep voting them into office ron paul is our last best chance to save this once geeat nation
      • Mark 3 mths ago
        He's the one candidate *really* proposing change. No one else talks of ending the Fed, getting the US out of the UN, America defending its borders but *not* doing nation-building or policing the world. Doubt they will talk about it either.
    • dog  •  3 mths ago
      Newt you were over before you started. The real Newt always surfaces and it doesn't take long either. When this guy doesn't get what he wants he just throws a temper tantrum making him look to be the #$%$ we know and love.
    • TR RINO  •  3 mths ago
      The established Republicans are for the rich. The rest of the Republicans are dupes that have fallen for one of the various issue gimmicks the the establishment uses to get the votes.
      Could be that the some of the dupes may wake up.
      • bettyboop 3 mths ago
        tr AND who do you think the democrats are for??? With all the people giving to obama don't you think they are the rich democrats.?? ALL of obamas people are just as rich but a lot of them don't pay their income taxes.. If they would it would help the USA. One of obama zars from GE a company pays no taxes. So please don't talk about republicans and not democrats. Rangel a democrats owes money and has he paid it back yet ?? If it was you or me we most likely would be in jail now. But they get away with cheating the taxpayers. Think about that.
    • Permanent Guest  •  3 mths ago
      Deep down, Newt's just a nice pudgy old Santa who loves children and wants to make the world a better place for all. Either that, or he's a fat old vindictive liar who believes he's the uncrowned king of the galaxie and wants to line his own pockets and getrevenge on all who don't bow down to him.
      • bettyboop 3 mths ago
        permanentguest And who do you think the rich democrat obama is ?? and all his rich democrats friends are?? I for the life of me can not think of anyone of those in goverment who gives a bit about anyone of us.They in congress gave theirself a raise while WE THE PEOPLE was losing JOBS and HOMES Tell me what anyone of them did a thing to HELP US THE PEOPLE??? THEY DID NOTHING AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT ITS WRONG........
      • Icarus 3 mths ago
        @Bettyboop: At the very least, it's a choice between the lesser of two evils. One has delivered on some of his promises (remember Osama?). The other is full of bluster but hasn't delivered... and doesn't look likely to. After all, when he got married, I'm sure that "in sickness and in health" phrase was in there somewhere, and not "I'll drop you like a hot potato the moment you get sick"...
    • WGAF  •  Conroe, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      EVERYBODY know Newter is just an angry old fat white man.
    • Robert T  •  3 mths ago
      The Tea Baggers couldn't come up with a leader, because no one is CRAZY enough for them. And even if they did find someone to fit their requirements, h/she could never get elected in a general election. You don't need to be a high-priced media commentator to figure that out!
    • Mingo  •  3 mths ago
      Newt's gonna be the guy with poopy pants and a big, twisted smile on his face. But, everyone knows where the stench is coming from.
    • ManInTheStreet  •  3 mths ago
      Once the alpha Republican is established, it'll be kiss, kiss, make up and BFF. Then the VP squabble can begin.
    • John  •  El Cajon, California  •  3 mths ago
      The problem that I see with the above premise is that Gingrich is NOT a tea party candidate. He is a Newt candidate. Of, by, and for the Newt.
    • Larry  •  Durham, California  •  3 mths ago
      will he get the Moonie vote!
    • Great Right Hope  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      The Republican elite is college educated, comes from old money, is nominally Episcopalian or mainline Protestant, and exploits stupid poor white people to vote against their own interests. Everybody knows that!
    • Melvin  •  3 mths ago
      David Brooks defined: "anyone who knows how stupid the man can get."
    • Nilap  •  3 mths ago
      President Mitt Romney, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader John Boehner well there goes what is left of the American middle class.
    • Joe D  •  3 mths ago
      Typical Republican elite remark.
    • geo  •  Laredo, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      A little late to figure out the establishment rules.
    • ELKE  •  3 mths ago
      Have you seen on the internet the homes of the congress represantatives on better homes and garden, all of them in the near million's and over a million, check them out, it makes you sick and the running gop candidates homes there is no way that they can conect with us middle class, no wonder the republican's don't wont to raise the taxes for the rich.Take a look at them, i dit.
    • Bart  •  3 mths ago
      Brooks is one of the more smarmy "conservative" journalists. He flashes that nervous grin just before, or immediately after, he says something sarcastic and meaningless.
    • Ralph M  •  Seattle, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      So far the Tea Party has loved Palin, Bachman, Perry and Cain... With a track record like that, one wonders what the hell they're using as a template... I understand them not liking Romney... I mean, who does... But they cheer when Perry brags about 234 executions (more than a few, undoubtedly innocent), and jeered at a soldier who puts his life on the line for them and just happens to be gay. Listening to them smugging it up for each other is creepy as they react inappropriately to the oddest of emotional stimuli...
      Everybody needs a group to belong to... Even the dysfunctional... I doubt the Tea Party will ever pull it together with a membership like they have.
    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
    Add your ideas and help make it happen. Join the conversation.
    Should Bill and Donna take on more risk to boost their business?
    How Josh's comment on a Remake America video laid the groundwork for something bigger.