Gingrich Admits: Endorsing Scozzafava In New York 23 Was A Mistake
He admits to putting party above principle, essentially.
“At the time, as a party builder and someone who has always been trying to help build the party, it struck me that she was the local nominee. She turned out to be a huge disappointment. And she turned out not to be frankly a loyal Republican,” Gingrich added. Responding to those critical of his endorsement, “And I think that those folks have the better of that argument.”
Situations like the one in New York 23, because they’re often not as clear-cut as New York 23 was, can be tough. On one hand, we want to advance the limited government ideology and should only elect candidates who will do that. On the other hand, demanding absolute purity means never winning elections.
And you can’t get anything done without winning elections.
So often we’re to look at imperfect candidates (and they’re all imperfect) and decide what choice will do the most good. Do you vote for the party candidate? A third party candidate? Or cast a “none of the above” vote?
Each option has its time and place, I think. Gingrich’s error was in choosing the wrong option at the wrong moment.
