Newt Gingrich is not a pretty bird.

    Newt Gingrich is now the front runner in a discordant Republican primary process as beautiful as angry alligators mating in a swamp or birds fighting over a smeared hamburger wrapper from a fast food dumpster. One might think that troubled times at home and abroad would bring forth American citizens from great traditions of military service, public service, economics, science or notable business careers. Instead Republicans have a field of flawed candidates. If these candidates somehow managed to slip into a conference of distinguished Americans they would be seated at a table by themselves in the corner of the banquet hall fighting over rolls and butter like a flock or voracious grackles. What is the cause of such low brow Republican candidates and a selection process which seems to go against our better nature? Why an ugly bird like Gingrich? 

    Yale University ornithologist Richard Prum supports the theory that while birds, for example, may selectively breed based upon perceived prowess, they select mates predominately based upon beauty---linking evolution to age old questions like, "What is art?" and "What is beauty?" If Dr. Prum's theory seems fanciful, he has credence in the discovery that feathers evolved from dinosaur skin---dinofuzz---rather than reptile scales, as well as in the discovery of a new kind of color based on structural components of feathers.  Extrapolating his evolution theory to other fields, Dr. Prum sees the development of Mozart's music as the same underlying form of communication---"an on-going aesthetic process", a "co-evolution ...of production and evaluation". 

    With apologies to both Mozart and Dr. Prum, the Republican primary can be best described as a flawed evolutionary process. The problem is that Republicans are looking for an angry bird instead of a beautiful bird. As such they are out of step with nature. 

    The Republican birds do not present beautiful plumage.  They present anger and ugliness towards others. And the current chief bird, Gingrich, is the walking antithesis of a pretty bird.. Aside from his fractured marital history, ethics violations, loss of the Speakership, and flaunted monetization of public service,  he recently committed the most ugly mating ritual of all. In the recent CNN debate Gingrich, and in the animal kingdom sense of the word,  publicly presented to the predator neocons  Addington and Wolfowitz---in essence mating himself and his campaign to another war of regime change, this time in Iran.

    While Gingrich is ugly the other candidates are not all that pretty. You might think of an archetypal beautiful person as having an appealing physique, good body balance, pleasant facial expressions and high intelligence. Romney is bland, suspended between pretty and ugly. Perry looks to be ready to topple over sideways at any given moment. Bachmann looks like an unexploded mortar shell. Cain has a fact-retention problem. Santorum, a retentive problem---etched in his face. Ron Paul brings to mind the word, dinofuzz. In my opinion the only person on the debate stage who fits the description of a well rounded, intelligent, attractive person is Huntsman. I would suggest to folks from the religious right that after a brief one night stand with Gingrich they switch to Huntsman because even if you believe in the all-in-one-fell-swoop  Intelligent Design instead of Evolution, why screw up God's beautiful landscape with another ugly bird when you can have a pretty bird?  

    Perhaps the current turmoil in our country, the worst economic crisis since the great depression, the extreme animosity towards Barack Obama, the low confidence in our political institutions, the distrust of government, the structural unemployment, the lopsided distribution of wealth, the anger being demonstrated in the Republican ranks---perhaps this mishmash of economic foundering, demographic changes, and "rats in a cage" public behavior is signaling change---change that is difficult, but change that is inevitable. Perhaps there actually is a basic evolutionary form in all things that leads to something more perfect, more moderate, more balanced, more beautiful. As such, the Republican primary process and the rise of an ugly bird like Newt Gingrich can be seen as a last ditch attempt to reverse evolution.

    For myself, I hope not only that birds become more beautiful but that our country moves toward a more egalitarian and moderate century. I hope that underneath all our turmoil there is a model of the New American Citizen that is ungraciously being born. Gingrich is not that model. He is the opposite of the model. He should be denied the opportunity to lead this country, to lead us away from our better natures and the more beautiful democracy which lies before us.   

    Comments

    And with apologies to A-Man who has already explained the ugly bird phenomenon of Newt.


    I would suggest to Christian evangelicals that after a brief one night stand with Gingrich, they switch to Huntsman because even if you believe in the all-in-one-fell-swoop  Intelligent Design instead of Evolution, why screw up God's beautiful landscape with an ugly bird when you can have a pretty bird?

    Like Romney, Huntsman is a Mormon. Although I agree with you that he is the best of the lot (by a long shot), that's a no-go with many evangelicals. (Also, that you and I find him the best of the lot should probably also be a signal that he's a no-go, even if he weren't Mormon.)


    Right, VA, we are definitely not seeing eye to eye with the "social conservatives" who are driving this process.

    My take on Huntsman is that he is running for 2016. I think he has a great deal more horsepower than he is exhibiting. I don't know if you saw the clip from the last debate where he said to Romney, "Did you listen to what I just said?" in a very cutting and effective manner with the proper disdain in his face. If the Republicans do nominate Gingrich and lose by a large margin, I think that a moderate like Huntsman will be well positioned in 2016.   


    I think applying logic to politics (let alone Republican politics) is like applying mustard to dung (not that I would know!). That said, I often fall into this trap myself... wink


    "Pardon me, do you have any Grey OnPoop?"


    Where's DD with that award?



    I think calling the Republican primary “a flawed evolutionary process” is the kindest and most accurate way I’ve heard it described yet.

    Great discussion, glad I read it - and all the comments that ranged from funny “let’s split the difference and call him Jon” and “moves like Jagger” to enlightening.  This, particularly hadn’t occurred to me, but I think you’re absolutely right!

    My take on Huntsman is that he is running for 2016.  I think he has a great deal more horsepower than he is exhibiting.

    Yeah, whatever happens this year, I think we'll be seeing Huntsman again. And if history bears repeating, and unfortunately it does, I doubt we've seen the last of Mitt and/or Newt in the very same position a few years from now.  It appears both of them are in Presidential primary syndication.


    I agree with everything but Newt. He's getting quite long in the tooth. He's currently 68, but looks much older. He'll be 69 by November of 2012 and 73 by November of 2016. This is his last chance, and I think he knows it.


    From your mouth to God's ears.  I heard a couple of soundbytes from him yesterday that made me cringe. Truly, he's got a horribly self-serving and self-aggrandizing personality. Quite a turn off. I don't care if you're a R or a D, if you're a dick, you don't need to be president.  Whatever I may say about Bush, he did at least come off kind of 'folksy'. Misinformed and basically Dick Cheney's puppet, but still, I never thought: "That guy is just a dick."

    Newt is decidedly a dick*.

    Sorry for the three penile references, but Newt brings it out in me. wink


    When Mitt made that 'cut and run' slam against Huntsman (with regard to our ME wars) I almost threw up. Really!

    But do not forget, Huntsman is a conservative. He would do away with gov depts and such too.

    It is funny though because they BOTH LOOK LIKE PRESIDENTS!

    Like in the movies where al Qaeda and a bunch of snakes take over Air force One.

    But I will tell you one thing I know for sure and that is that THE NEWT is the devil incarnate.


    Like  Al Pacino in "Devils advocate"

    Newt is the surprise,  they don't see him coming either

    Lay low, be stealth.

     


    I don't know. he always kind of reminded me of a Turkey Buzzard.


    Thanks! We see here the graphic depiction of a tea partier's mind. The problem is that these guys will be the last species to go.

    The turkey buzzard is most easily identified in flight by the very quick dips of the wing tips, certainly characteristic of Newt. What was strange out on the Red River this Summer was the absence of these ugly birds, corresponding to Perry's absence from Texas. Now they're back---indicating perhaps that Perry couldn't kill anything worth sticking around for.

    Occasionally turkey buzzards get too greedy out on the road and enjoy the fate of the other road kill---which may or may not be a parallel to Newt's new vulture status.   



    Great pick, Mr. Day. That's a double hit. Gingrich as ugly bird and gold digger.

    When I tracked it back I was confused about the composer, etc. Quincy Jones composed the song and Jose Feliciano sang it. What was confusing was that the great composer Tiomkin actually co-produced the film. I had a lot of fun listening to more of the sound track. It seems as if there were many more pretty birds back in those days. These soundtracks seem to be more the intrinsic art than the films themselves. This may seem odd but I've taken to having old films running in the background while I read books. Am I strange to do that?

    By the way please be at the ready to feature a clip of Jose Feliciano singing Feliz Navidad at the appropriate time next month.


    Thanks, Peter. What a great article. Gingrich has so many gigs going on at the same time it's hard to keep track of them all. Perhaps when his resume is completely assembled around this nomination bid everyone will understand better Gingrich's profound negative impact on our political process---not that it will matter to those who are about to hand him the nomination.


    Psst. *whispers* I think you mean John Huntsman, dear. 


    Let's just split the difference and call him Jon, shall we? laugh


    Oh, yes. Quite right. :)


    Thanks. Don't know how that crept in there. 


    Intriguing.  I would throw out there for consideration, however, that the rise of an "ugly" bird like Gingrich may not be reverse evolution in regards to the the an on-going aesthetic process, but rather the manifestation of one strand of the multitude of aesthetic processes that are unfolding simultaneously.  That these processes can produce outcomes that are in contradiction to one another is what makes us humans, well, er, human.

    The beauty of Mozart and the pleasure of those who are able to listen to excellent performance of one of his works can be placed side by side with the scene of a group of football fans watching one of their defensive players lay down a vicious hit on the opposing team's quarterback.  The giddiness displayed by these fans as they recount the incident reveals a strand of our aesthetic evolution that may account for the likes of Gingrich rising to the top.  An ugliness from one angle may be a thing of beauty from another.


    I think that's a fancy way of saying perfect ugliness can be a thing of beauty. Oxy Mora should be able to appreciate that if anyone can!


    I'm sorry but there ain't no way Gingrich is is the same league as Manatees


    That is one way of looking at which has interesting implications for politics.

    But in all seriousness I was trying to posit that there is a "violence aesthetic" (or at least an aggression aesthetic) that has developed over the years of our evolution.  I am thinking in part about the behavior of the alpha male within the social group, and how this has fed into a development of what is considered "pleasing."

    I do remember many moons ago attending a lecture in which the speaker discussed how our evolution is reflected in what is considered "beautiful" or "pleasing" in regards to landscape paintings.  The one example I remember is him stating we tend to find more pleasing those landscape paintings that give the viewer the sense of being hidden (such as peering from behind some bushes) as opposed to be in non-secluded spot which would leave us vulnerable to predators.


    Thanks, Trope. Interesting comparison on football and Mozart. Didn't want to bog things down in the blog but Prum's analogy was that the successive interaction between Mozart and his audiences influenced the "development" of Mozart's music.

    Don't know how many find beauty in a "vicious hit"---I'd like to think it's a small minority. But the game itself can rise to beauty, particularly in spectacular athleticism. In the Saints game last night there might be a direct comparison between football and Mozart. The Saints' tight end, Graham, 6' 6", 265 pounds is beautiful to watch, particularly if you are a Saints' fan. Graham was a basketball player in college. One of the commentators suggested that the problem of defending these extra tall guys on the Saints team might lead other teams to use their draft picks to get a handle on the Saints' brand of lengthy, athletic receivers. A perhaps unique aspect of sports evolution at work, in concert with fans and commentators.

    Gingrich is definitely a strand in the process. I just don't want to give him the opportunity to breed on a larger scale than he has already.   

     


    When thinking about aesthetics and evolution, the idea would be that we all pretty much have the pleasure of a vicious hit in us, just as we all pretty much will say "oooooo" when we suddenly come up a glorious sunset.  This goes alongside the notion of developing one's "taste" through the culture (art appreciation class anyone?), which counter those aesthetics which are in our DNA so to speak.  So while we have the pleasure of a vicious hit in us, we can suppress it in some manner by focusing on more positive and uplifting pleasures.  And this is all part of the grand "nature vs. nurture" debate.

    One criticism leveled at the Newts and Roves of our politics is that they tap into the base emotional nature of humans, rather than the higher order of our frontal cortex thinking.  Bringing aesthetics into the discussion seems to just expand and deepen that criticism.


    Very well said.


    Newt looks mighty pretty as a Civil War officer in this rendition:

    He has a new historical novel out on the Civil War Battle of the Crater, where, in Newt's book, black Union troops are treated just like whites due to 'equal opportunity' orders from General Robert E. Lee.  They actually had their skulls bashed in if wounded when captured, or were returned into slavery.


    Great picture, the facial hair definitely ameliorates his jowls.

    Newt is weaving a complicated web. Setting himself up as an authority on black history whereas a Kenyan like Obama, with the stigma of affirmative action,  couldn't possibly understand the subject. This guy is devious.



    I wouldn't want to be Cain when he gets home tonight for that fireside chat with his wife. (But it's not all that hard to imagine.)

    You know, a conspiratorial mind could conceive of a plot to position a guy in this Republican primary process who would turn out to be such an outrageous philanderer that Gingrich would look good by comparison. 

    In fact, a plot where all the contenders were so flawed that Gingrich eventually looks like the best one of the bunch. 

    Being a conspiratorial sort I can't get out of my mind that that CNN debate, with all the neocons there staged to ask questions was not a premeditated arrangement to re-launch Gingrich. It's another "War Time President" strategy. He said we could take out the Iranian government inside of a year. 


    This one is easy. Obama is clearly a Starling; a non-native parasite that consumes the bounty of this great land to the detriment of the native species. This article is filled with so much left wing rubbish, that I am really surprised that the editors of this web site allowed it to be posted. I will not go into the litany of reasons why this country is in the situation it is, but you can thank Obama, plain and simple. As a lifelong birder, with significant military and civilian government service under my belt, I find that the posting of this article in the first place exposes this site for what it is, and its clear ulterior motives, which is sad. I will terminating my subscription to this site immediately.


    At first I thought you were Dick Cheney, but then I saw your mention of military service.  And pardon me but this article is about science---with only the most oblique references to politics. Your notion that the deforestation and devastation of our country happened in the short space of three years is a blatant evolutionary myth, a disgrace to science, and anathema to a religious person such as myself.

    Before you terminate, and to get the full effect of the left wing rubbish on this site, will you take a moment and read any blog on this site written by Dick Day.

    And I have noted "clear ulterior"---very good.      


    hahahahahaahahah



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