The liberals on PBS's Inside Washington Friday were all giddy at the thought of Newt Gingrich as the Republican presidential nominee.
So sure this would be good news for the president he adores, syndicated columnist and PBS fixture Mark Shields said this would result in the "landslide reelection victory of Barack Obama" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
MARK SHIELDS: The Republican field - Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman - stand between a landslide reelection victory of Barack Obama if Newt Gingrich is the nominee. If Newt Gingrich is the nominee, it will not be a competitive race. It will be a landslide. It will be a walk to reelection at a time when the nation needs a major debate.
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: Nina?
NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: Well, I don’t think that Barack Obama has led such a good life that he deserves or will get Newt Gingrich as an opponent, but it is possible, and it’s possible at the moment because of the time. I mean, we’re very close to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary now. It feels like this has been going on forever, and will go on forever, but it’s about a month or less. And so the time to pierce that balloon and watch it fizzle is evaporating, and he may beat the time, may beat the clock.
PETERSON: “I have a very long record of consistency, ” Colby. Do you find anything wrong with that statement?
COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: No. I like everything that is going on right now. G-d answers Democratic prayers. And so, I hope if we just hold on, Newt will make it, and make it to the nomination. That would be just beautiful.
What's really hysterical about this is they'd be saying the same thing if Bachmann, Paul, or Santorum were the current frontrunner.
But the last laugh could be Gingrich's for as even the perilously liberal Chris Matthews realizes, the last person Obama wants to debate is the former Speaker of the House.
As such, these folks better be careful what they wish for.
