"Centrist" Understatement

One might believe that the most notable part of Gene Healy’s discussion of Newt Gingrich’s Meet the Press appearance (via Ezra) was Gingrich’s suggestion that the First Amendment be modified such that a panel of judges could shut down “jihadist” websites, and that, moreover, the judges making up the panel should have combat experience. While I’ll acknowledge that the proposal has some merit, given that Newt, most of the Bush administration, and the vast majority of the neoconservative movement would be excluded from such service, I’d have to say that it’s rather disconcerting to hear a presumptive presidential candidate advocating the gutting of the First Amendment. But then again, I’m not a “centrist”. Our friend Justin Gardner, however, is a self-proclaimed centrist. Long time LGM readers will remember Justin from the Flight 93 Memorial fiasco, during which he defended the bizarre wingnutty argument that the memorial was, indeed, a shrine to radical Islam. Justin has also agreed that many Democrats are “rooting for the other side”.

So, what does the self-proclaimed centrist have to say about Newt’s appearance on MTP?

Listen, Newt does have some good ideas. There’s no doubt about that. But he’s a politician through and through, so handle his centrist proclamations with lead-lined gloves.

Uh, thanks for the warning. Of course, Justin misunderstood Healy’s first central point, that Gingrich, while a forceful rhetorician, really doesn’t have any new or interesting ideas and is the definition of a partisan shill. Justin entirely missed the second point, which is that Gingrich would like to replace the First Amendment with a Starship Troopers style arrangement in which those with military service get to decide what’s appropriate for the rest of us to think and say. Oh, and that this is a bad thing.

Way to go, Justin. Hope you get yourself an Insta-link.