Gingrich Wins South Carolina - Panic Grips the GOP Establishment

With serial adulterer Newt Gingrich's strong win in South Carolina several things are notable. The first is that obviously a considerable number of moronic evangelical Christians fell for Gingrich's phony contrition and victim-hood spin because Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum came in a distant third place finish. The second is that when one tries to be all things to all people and flip flops like a bouncing ping pong ball as Mitt Romney has done, you can end up losing large portions of those you are seeking to court. The question soon become one of who are you pretending to be today? The other notable thing is the panic - if not out right terror - within the GOP establishment that a loose canon like Gingrich is derailing their planned coronation of Romney and likely going to continue the demolition derby series of primary contests. A piece in The Daily Beast looks at the aftermath of Gingrich's win. Here are some excerpts:

Reactions to Newt Gingrich's stunning and impressive victory in the South Carolina primary form a symphony. First, of course, we hear the cheers of South Carolina Republicans who have chosen their champion. From Ronald Reagan in 1980 through John McCain in 2008, the winner of this primary has always gone on to be the Republican nominee.

Then, of course, we can hear the buttons popping from Newt Gingrich's shirt as his ego swells to Macy's parade size. If you listen carefully, you can hear the soft sobs of Mitt Romney and his consultants, crying in their chocolate milk.

But above it all we can hear the weeping, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth of the Republican establishment as Gingrich's victory sends them into full-blown panic. I'm not talking about mere fear, nor normal nervousness. Not even the feeling you get when the captain says, "We've lost power in one of our four engines." No, this is worse. Worse even than when your doctor says, "I don't like the looks of that shadow on the X-ray."

This is terror. Chest-clutching, breath-sucking, soul-shaking panic. This is your teenage daughter telling you, "I think I'm in trouble." This is a Turkish border guard pulling you into a holding room when you've got a baggie of coke in your pocket. This is what George H.W. Bush famously called "deep doo-doo."

The Republican Party has never seen anything like it. Republicans are hierarchical, orderly, disciplined—everything the Democrats are not. They nearly always nominate the guy who was runner-up last time . .

Gingrich won the South Carolina primary not because of advertising, but rather because of his debate performances. Eighty-eight percent of South Carolina Republicans said the debates were important to making up their minds, and in the two key debates, Gingrich hit every GOP erogenous zone. . . . Gingrich knows his party's base, and the base loves both the coded language and attacking anyone who calls them on it.

Between now and the Jan. 31 Florida primary, we will hear a furious, frenzied response from the Republican establishment. Team Romney has already spent $7 million on TV ads there—Team Gingrich just $800. Not $800,000. Just 800 bucks. Look for popular former governor Jeb Bush to endorse Romney in the Sunshine State, leading a parade of establishmentarians.

Yep, the entertainment will continue as the free for all moves to Florida.