Gingrich vs. Obama: who is more trustworthy?

By Tom Quiner

This is part two of a discussion of Barack Obama’s trustworthiness compared to Newt Gingrich’s.

To my many liberal friends reading this, I’d like to explain my rationale for writing this post. As you know, I am a fan of Newt Gingrich. I think he would make a great president, and I plan to caucus for him on January 3rd.

I know you gently demur.

Newt Gingrich has been hammered in the press by liberals and conservatives alike this past month for his “baggage.” Fair enough. Goes with the territory when you run for president. But when one of my liberal friends said he couldn’t trust Newt Gingrich because he had been twice-divorced, I was prompted to post a blog earlier this week: “Do you really trust President Obama more than Newt Gingrich?”

I methodically revealed one broken promise after another from Mr. Obama. Unfortunately, that post was far from exhaustive. Since Mr. Obama did not receive the same scrutiny in the press as a Newt Gingrich or a Mitt Romney, I am compelled to build on the president’s lack of integrity on a number of additional issues.

One of candidate Obama’s broken promises was his adamant support of public financing of presidential campaigns:

“I have been a long-time advocate for public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time as a way to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests. I introduced public financing legislation in the Illinois State Senate, and am the only 2008 candidate to have sponsored Senator Russ Feingold’s (D- WI) bill to reform the presidential public financing system. In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (r- AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.”

When it came time to honor this campaign promise, Mr. Obama reneged, even as the McCain campaign honored their commitment to stick with public financing. The McCain campaign also denied that the Obama camp tried to discuss or even negotiate on this issue.

This is but one of countless pledges on which he brazenly reneged, and as always, with little outrage from the Mainstream Media.

Once president, Americans became alarmed at the shocking expansion of government spending and national debt implemented by the president and his party. President Obama spoke soothingly of his budget …

“What my budget does is…that by the middle of this decade our annual spending will match our annual revenues. We will not be adding more to the national debt.”

And yet, despite Mr. Obama’s point-blank denial that his budget was adding to the national debt, the budget released by the White House totally contradicted him with these projected deficits over the next decade:

  • 2010: $1.293 trillion
  • 2011: $1.645 trillion
  • 2012: $1.101 trillion
  • 2013: $768 billion
  • 2014: $645 billion
  • 2015: $607 billion
  • 2016: $649 billion
  • 2017: $627 billion
  • 2018: $619 billion
  • 2019: $681 billion
  • 2020: $735 billion
When we look at the nation’s accumulated debt burden on Mr. Obama’s watch, the shocking numbers explain why the Tea Party was born:
  • 2010: $9.019 trillion
  • 2011: $10.856 trillion
  • 2012: $11.881 trillion
  • 2013: $12.784 trillion
  • 2014: $13.562 trillion
  • 2015: $14.301 trillion
  • 2016: $15.064 trillion
  • 2017: $15.795 trillion
  • 2018: $16.513 trillion
  • 2019: $17.284 trillion
  • 2020: $18.103 trillion

To recap this and my previous post, Barack Obama promised to:

1. Provide healthcare for all.  He didn’t.  22 million will remain uninsured under his watch.

2. Close Guantanamo. He didn’t. It’s still open. He stuck with the Bush approach.

3. End military tribunals. He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

4. Revise the Patriot Act. He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

5. End the Bush-era tax cuts for “the rich.” He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

6. Never sign a new piece of legislation, known as his “sunlight before signing” vow, until 5 days had passed. He’s broken this promise repeatedly, especially on mammoth pieces of legislation like Obamacare that required lots of sunlight time to be properly scrutinized.

7. Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses. He didn’t.

8. Never hire lobbyists in his administration. He broke the vow and hired lobbyists.

9. To stick with public campaign funding for his presidential bid in 2008. He didn’t honor his pledge. But John McCain did.

10. Not add to the national debt. He has, with a mind-boggling expansion of federal spending.

In fairness, not all campaign promises can be kept. Intentions are good, but politics get in the way. But most of the promises on which he reneged above were Mr. Obama’s choice.
It is these brazen betrayals that breed such cynicism amongst voters.
In light of Mr. Obama’s choice to consistently dishonor the moral underpinnings of his campaign, I respectfully suggest that Mr. Gingrich’s two divorces should be a minor consideration to independent voters.

4 Comments

  1. Monte B. Gray on December 23, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    I’d be willing to bet that all politicians have made promises that they failed to keep!

    Which is why I’m an advocate of term limits for all politicians. Politicians should not be allowed to make public service a career. Pay them a heap load of money, but eliminate the retirement benefits. Then maybe we can get people in who would really like to change things for the good of the country, instead of hanging on as long so they can feed from the public trough!

    As an independant voter I have supported democrats in the past. But I won’t support Mr Gingrich due to his past. The country should move beyond this former “career politician” and his baggage.

    I will caucus this January for Ron Paul. To me he is the only candidate who appears to have any common sense in how our countries problems can be solved. Even though, he’s made a career out of politics also. But, that was after a successful career as a doctor!



    • quinersdiner on December 23, 2011 at 4:07 pm

      I specifically stated that all politicians make promises they can’t keep. However, Mr. Obama reneged on a litany of promises he could have easily kept, but chose not to. Regarding term limits, Ron Paul supports term limits with his rhetoric, but not his actions. He has served 12 terms in the House. By the way,that’s more than Newt Gingrich. So when you talk about career politicians, talk about Ron Paul. Likewise, Barack Obama has spent most of his adult life as a community organizer/politician. Your suggestion of term limits certainly has merit.



  2. Rhonda on December 25, 2011 at 11:22 am

    Amen and amen. I am keeping this blog to refer to when my liberal friends tout Obama’s (dubious) accomplishments.



  3. olemike on December 27, 2011 at 9:35 am

    Unfortunately, most liberals will never admit that President Obama did not follow through with his promises. He is , in fact, just like most other politicians – he will say or do anything to get elected and then do what he wants.