Newt, Glitter and the Gotcha Media

I never thought I’d be feeling sorry for Newt. (I guess calling out both sides for extremism, especially your own, is grounds for political extermination carried out by the Seal Team 6-like media).

What is truly painful to witness, however — and that’s before the pathetic closing frames of Mr. and Mrs. Gingrich acting like business-as-usual after being “glittered” by some wacko in Iowa– is the papparazzi-like intentions of this AP video 1/2 documenting a book signing while 1/2 looking to visually indict the couple (by way of awkward close-ups) for sporting bling from Tiffany’s.

Sure, I think NewtCallista (or is it CallistaNewt, the way the video demonstrates who’s wearing the pants) are a couple of hypocrites for assuming to be populists or modest people. The way the media operates like piranha these days, however, going for the jugular like there’s no difference between AP and TMZ — well, that’s even uglier.

If Newt really does hang himself (and who’s to say the dust he’s kicking up isn’t actually good for democracy, either in fostering a discussion challenging sacred orthodoxy, or for exposing the right-wing’s radical doctrine?), why would we wan’t the media to supply the rope?

This is my favorite screen shot of the bunch, though.  Hmm, how much will she get for that one?

Maybe the real discussion we should be having here, especially after a member of Congress was attacked and maimed in Tucson this year, is not just how to elevate the discussion and encourage a more constructive atmosphere in Washington and in the media, but, bottom-line, how to physically protect our Presidential candidates.

AP video here.