GUEST COLUMN: Former Delegate Nelms Endorses Gingrich for President
By Bearing Drift | Thursday, May 26th, 2011 | Politicsby Robert E. Nelms
I am supporting Newt Gingrich to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States of America in 2012.
He wrote and drove through Congress The Contract with America, which made great and necessary changes in our nation. In my opinion, he is the only one seeking the nomination who has the experience to understand government from a to z, and has the negotiating ability to forge compromise to change our government for the better. He believes in smaller government, lower taxes, and he believes that the United States is a great nation, which has been blessed by God Almighty. I have attached a video link of Newt speaking regarding energy for the future, and how to lower gas prices immediately. Please take a look at this, and I hope you will consider Newt Gingrich for our President.
The media will continue to beat on him. Let’s face it, he is not a perfect man by any means. But he is the best, most capable man we have to make the changes necessary to set us back on solid ground. He is the only candidate who can articulate his vision in a manner that we can all understand. That is why the media, and his opponents of all parties, go after him with a vengeance. They all know that he is for real, and that none of them want to take him on regarding the issues of today. So they go after his private failures.
When he announced his candidacy, he was interviewed by David Gregory on Meet the Press the next Sunday. Following his interview, I thought that one of the most interesting comments made by the panel of journalist that analyzed the interview was by one of the liberal journalist who said, “I was in the green room before Mr. Gingrich began his interview. People were running here and there, there was noise and talking. When he began to speak, everyone stopped, liberals and conservatives, to hear every word he had to say. You may or may not like him, but we all know that he knows what he is talking about.”
We desperately need a man who knows what he is talking about now.
Our future depends upon it.
Robert E. Nelms served as a Republican Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992-98.
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28 Responses to "GUEST COLUMN: Former Delegate Nelms Endorses Gingrich for President"
Delegate Nelms,
With all due respect, when you launched into the “liberal media bias” conspiracy, you lost me. That is just about as credible as Hillary’s “vast right-wing conspiracy” against her husband because he got a humm-job in the Oval Office. The media doesn’t have a liberal bias, it has an anti-establishment bias. If you read the major newspapers and listen to the broadcast outlets objectively, you will see that they like to go after the powerful and those who want to be powerful. When they find feet of clay or a chink in the armor, they strike. It sells papers and makes for good ratings.
I don’t have to tell you that all politicians have baggage. Speaker Gingrich just has more than most and his hypocrisy in leading the impeachment of a sitting President, sparking a potential Constitutional crisis, while he was guilty of far worse behavior in his own personal affairs, does not inspire confidence in his character and leadership ability.
The Newt of the 90s is NOT the Newt of today. His Ryan comments and his ‘right wing social engineering’ earned him near zero % in a recent poll.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/poll-zogby-newtgingrich-campaign/2011/05/24/id/397525
I hope he goes quietly. His current views scare most conservatives.
I too was lost in this endorsement that launched into a left-wing media conspiracy. I think we all agree Newt is a brilliant person. I find his candidacy refreshing and it will certainly take the debate to a higher (er, uh, different) level. However, he is his own worst enemy. I am not sure he can rehabilitate his very damaged public image. But if anyone can do it, it would be him. Brilliant strategist that he is, he will have to morph into Houdini to pull this one off.
Uh-oh. Comments related to the arrest of Delegate Nelms for indecent exposure in a gay pick-up park are being deleted.
Shame on you, Bear Drift.
That was a test post.
If you guys can’t allow discussion of the facts in evidence, then you are no better than Blue Virginia and Not Larry Sabato.
I really thought that Bearing Drift had higher standards. Apparently not.
Good bye.
HisRoc,
I am sorry your comments were deleted. All my contributors have administrative rights, but should know not to do that unless it is cleared through Mike Fletcher, our editor, Shaun Kenney, director of operations, or me, the publisher.
We do not fear debate, nor do we fear facts.
I’ll get to the bottom it.
That being said, you are what is commonly referred to in the blogging community as a “troll.”
Having read your comments for a long time, they’re meant to instigate confrontation instead of dialog.
So, if you want to leave our discussion board, I’m not going to cry about a pseudonymous commenter slinking off with their tail between their legs because they got slapped on the nose once.
I happen to know Robert Nelms and his family well – you’ll find no finer examples of genuine charity, honesty, kindness, good will, and love for community than in this family. Yes, I know the history … and the facts are Delegate Nelms was arrested (and plead guilty to) taking a leak (off a path) in a park near the capital. No tryst …just a wrong act in the wrong place. Guessing most guys have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’?
Shame on you, HisRoc, for throwing out this crap out of context.
That said (and back to topic), I don’t agree with Robert on Newt – love to listen to the guy but … as brilliant as he might be, he’s a polarizing candidate and the wrong guy (IMO) to win this election. But we do “desperately need a man who knows what he is talking about now”.
Thank you, Jay, for setting the records straight about Robert Nelms.
I was the one who deleted those earlier comments because they were gratuitous personal attacks on the author that had no relevance to Robert’s column. As a new contributor to Bearing Drift, I didn’t know that I was not authorized to do so. I will, of course, follow that rule going forward.
That said, I make no apology for my belief that deleting those comments was proper and warranted. Robert’s comments were posted at my invitation, and so I was personally appalled when I found that a couple of crude leftists had used it as an opportunity to engage in yet another gratuitous personal attack on a conservative. Bearing Drift is a forum for a robust and civil discussion of issues. Sharing one’s ideas in a public forum should not subject that person to irrelevant personal insults, and the kind of mean-spirited ad hominem attacks in which leftists like HisRoc engage add no value to the public discussion.
Three comments: 1) I would hope that readers who commented may go back and re-read my statement regarding Newt Gingrich. There is no reference to a “liberal media bias.” None. You will see that I did mention a “liberal journalist” who served on the analytical panel of Meet the Press, but all who watch that show know that the host attempts to have journalists with both a liberal and conservative perspective. The individual I was referring to is one of the liberal panel members. 2) Despite Mr. Gingrich’s failings in life, or mine, he remains the best qualified man for the job. Well, if you want to elect an individual who has an understanding of the task at hand, thorough knowledge of what it takes to get the job done, and a proven track record of success in that arena, then he is the best man, or woman, for the job. If you believe that the value of a human becomes trash when they make a mistake, or even multiple mistakes, then you probably believe that no one is qualified for the job. No one is without fault. Some people endure more public airings of their faults than others. Mr. Gingrich would be among that group. So let me agree that what we as a nation know about Newt Gingrich may not qualify him for Pope or Priest. However, in my fault-ridden but experienced and rational opinion, it would still qualify him to be the best candidate for President in 2012. 3) This is not an argument to me, and I hope not to others. The process will produce a Republican candidate who will challenge President Obama in the 2012 election. The real question is when the process does its thing, will that individual have what it takes to step into the job of President, and work with Congress to accomplish the changes we must have to, yes, save this nation. (ie, stop the financial recklessness that is driving us into a hole that we may never be able to climb out of, get people back to work, address the back-breaking issue of entitlement programs, stop the flow of illegals into our country, ensure that our national security is top-notch, take care of the millions of Americans who have served this nation as veterans and now come home to live in poverty, address an education system that is more interested in protecting the employment status of workers than producing the best education system in the world). These are all tough issues that will require great sacrifice from all of us. If all you are looking for is a candidate who can win, then you will get what you have got right now. How’s that workin’ for you?
Thank you for the kind supportive comments. I guess that good intentions can be polarizing as well…depends upon one’s perspective. Thank you for inviting me to participate here. Positive and productive discussion, even in this crazy world, is still a very good thing. Keep it up!
@HisRoc –
That was in poor taste. And frankly, had I caught it first, I would have deleted it from here as well.
First rule of decorum here at Bearing Drift: Don’t be an asshole.
Of course, I’ll leave aside the cowardice of attacking public figures while posting as a pseudonym. It’s one thing to do so because you’re contributing information one might not otherwise be able to contribute. It’s another thing when you’re not douche enough to stand by your comments.
Cheers (asshole).
My name is on my comment.
HR is basically correct in his recounting of the incident.
I was covering the General Assembly full time when it occured.
He left out that it was the second such incident.
And that after Republicans told Mr. Nelms to step down that he went to the Democratic Caucus and asked to run as a Democrat and was told “no way.”
That said, it’s probably irrelevant to his endorsement of Gingrich. As irrelevant as Gingrich’s campaign, which suffered the worst roll out in recent presidential politics history.
@SV –
This is where I tend to take a fairly aggressive stand on this. When someone says “two plus two equals four” — that doesn’t become invalidated for taking a leak and having someone turn it into a gay brothel. Really?
Politics can be a nasty business… but this is the sort of shit most of us left behind in middle school. Now, instead of talking about Gingrich’s policies, we’re talking about everything but.
I don’t know who Steve Vaughan is, but his statement is wrong. He said it was my second such incident. Not exactly. I was walk/running the Vita exercise course late one afternoon when I was robbed at gunpoint. I had a gun held to my head, was forced to lay on the ground while my watch, my money and my car keys were stolen from me. That is what Steve Vaughan described as my “second such incident.” And finally, I went to my caucus, the Republican caucus, and to the Democrat caucus to apologize for the embarassment and the poor publicity that my actions had brought upon the legislature, due to my being a member of the House. Nothing else.
Just to set the record straight, I did not post the original comment about Mr. Nelm’s arrest, someone else did and I responded to it after finding news reports that confirmed the arrest. It was relevant to the discussion because, as lawyers say, it goes to motive. It offers an explanation as to why Mr. Nelm is forgiving and sympathetic to a politician who has been muddied in the press over personal indiscretions.
As for being a troll, JR, there is a thin line between posting comments intended to incite confrontation and taking a contrary view to the prevailing opinion. The difference is that in the case of the former the blog owners wish to stifle dissent by labeling contrary opinions as troll remarks. I have been reading this blog for quite some time and seen much more egregious remarks than anything I have posted that could be labeled as trolling.
Finally, Shaun, I would be moved by your argument about standing by your comments and not “posting as a pseudonym” if Bearing Drift didn’t have contributors who post as pseudonyms, such as DCH and Ward Smythe. And,
speaking of shit that we left behind in middle school, calling someone an asshole certainly falls into that category.
Robert, no doubt Newt has the chops to be president (intelligence, communication skills, experience, etc.), but I’m hearing exactly the same arguments that were made (by liberals) to defend Bill Clinton’s indiscretions ~ and I didn’t find them persuasive at that time either.
Newt’s personal life (over many, many years) is a train wreck. The infidelity (lies) is bad enough, but it’s the arrogance, hypocrisy, and (more troubling) cruelty that are most disturbing. Call me old-fashioned, but honesty and character are important. I believe the Republican Party can find both ability AND character in our next nominee.
Newt isn’t just flawed (like all of us); he’s a serial offender ~ a pretty significant data point when sizing up a potential nominee. He was hugely polarizing in ’98 and I can’t imagine him being less so in 2011. And he did a terrible job (IMO) delivering on the Contract with America. Yes, the next president will (hopefully!) require great sacrifice from all of us ~ exactly the reason why our next leader must be capable of inspiring and leading … by example.
I have known HisRoc for a long time and he’s the last person I would ever label a troll. He’s not afraid to provide his opinion. I know who he is because he’s shared it with me. If we want to force folks to comment under their real names, that’s fine, but I’m not a fan of giving folks a hard time for taking advantage of something we allow.
Thank you, Brian.
If we really want to set the record straight, then BD should restore the comments that Ken deleted so everyone can see the entire thread. I will give JR and Shaun the benefit of the doubt and assume that they haven’t read the deleted comments. Otherwise, I would have to assume that they are attacking not the person who posted the arrest record of Mr. Nelms but the person who questioned why it was deleted. And JayD, I have always respected your positions but I am certain that you didn’t see the deleted comments or you would know that I was not the one who was “throwing out this crap out of context.” In fact, in my deleted comment I recommended that BD take down this entire post because of the negative comments about Mr. Nelms.
HR- Not sure I agree there. Former Del. Nelms had something he wanted to say about Newt’s presidential run. He shouldn’t be denied that opportunity because the comments got out of hand. That precedent lets the least responsible commenters stifle debate. On the other hand, partially censoring the thread leaves us in the situation we’re in now, where people are commenting on comments they didn’t see. Perhaps taking down all the comments and closing the post to comments would have been the best way — although still imperfect because Gingrich’s campaign should be a debatable topic here — to have handled it.
A modest proposal. If BD Invites an Outsider to post a statement then that statement is not open for direct comments. (Presumably BD could exert editorial control over the statement contents.) BD would then open a second post for debate about the Topic(s) raised in the statement.
I have found it a bit awkward to respond to invited statements. Don’t know if others feel the same.
HisRoc, my sincere apologies go out to you. I saw only your post – not the deleted comments. I don’t need to see the original; your word on how it all ‘went down’ is more than good enough.
Jay D,
That is very kind of you and the mistake is understandable–no harm, no foul. As Steve pointed out, there is considerable hazard in selectively censoring comments. It can change the entire context of the thread, as the “douches” have discovered, to use Shaun’s choice of words. (Not that I expect any apology from him or JR.)
I would like to withdraw the last sentence of that comment. Shaun, JR, and I will never see eye-to-eye and that was an unwarranted cheap shot at them. To each his own.
We talk about censureship as though people don’t wish to discuss the big elephant in the room. I guess we ignore that we don’t wish to debate. Some would say that it’s political rhetoric, others would claim its a form of censureship.
To each their own.
As for Newt, I believe he was fighting for the average American but it seems that the corrupt polical class got him as they eventually do the good ones that don’t fall in line.
Now we have repealed successful policies and implemented anti-liberty legislation.
Jay D – Do you need a grant funded report from a university professor who doesn’t have a clue about the private sector or a news media hack who learns from what the political class tells them. Or is it more political rhetoric?
And yet the Tea Party is degraded by a bunch of minions who whine about their post being deleted, which could be a simple mistake by a new contributor. Can’t wait til these same draconian rules apply to them.
@HISROC, You claim that others may need to keep their anonymity because of their position? And that’s fine but what is your excuse? You’re retired from two federal jobs. It appears that you can’t get fired?
Does someone have to earn your respect before you treat them with a little dignity. Why is that?
John Jackson: No university study required. Know (and admit) my views are old fashioned – in my version of a perfect world we’d have more Eric Greitens and far fewer Newts and Clintons in charge of the public checkbooks. But realistically, my influence (on nominee choice) fits in a gnat’s navel … like everyone else, just waiting to see how it all plays out.
HisRoc: O ye of little faith!
While also often at odds with BD positions, I trust our hosts to review comments (in the proper context) and ‘do the right thing’.
If you don’t like what has been done here, don’t read and don’t comment.
Del. Nelms was invited to comment here about the presidential race, yet two people back-to-back found it necessary to comment about Del. Nelms.
Let’s put it this way, it’s like inviting someone to dinner, but your dog decides that’s a good time to nuisance bark. You wouldn’t allow that – you want your guest to enjoy the dinner, so you put the dog in the other room or outside for a little while.
Certainly not anything we want to do, but staying on focus from time to time is important. I support the decision of Ken to delete the comments and will not restore them.
JR, just be clear, my ‘do the right thing’ post was not support for restoring any deleted comments … it was made in reference to an apology.
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