NewtTube

I don't care much for TV reruns or reality programs, so the writer's strike has left me searching for something new to watch on TV.

By virtue of my AppleTV, I have all of YouTube available to me from the comfort of my couch in the living room. Of course, the standard fare of YouTube isn't of much greater interest to me than reruns, but like the Internet generally, there's some good stuff scattered through the vast wasteland that is YouTube. Some of the good stuff, which I'm now thoroughly enjoying, is a whole slew of lectures from Newt Gingrich. Newt apparently even has his own YouTube account which makes finding more videos of him super easy.

And the more I watch, the more I like Gingrich and what he has to say.

I don't think most Americans have a positive view of Newt, and I think that's probably deserved. When you think of Newt, you probably think of the Connie Chung interview, the government shutdown, and the Clinton impeachment - none of which offer favorable impressions for the Speaker of the House who oversaw them.

Letting that all be as it may, today's lecture-giving Newt is a guy serious about finding solutions to America's problems, and in many of the 5 minute clips of him on YouTube he offers more common sense policy suggestions than I think I've heard in all the Republican and Democratic debates combined.

I work for a management consulting company. When we meet with clients, they could care less about what our "business philosophy" is. All they care about is we have such and such a problem - how can you help us solve it?. Refreshingly (and in stark contrast to all the '08 presidential candidates), this is the style Newt brings to his speeches.

While the Republican nominees debate "Sanctuary Mansions", Newt is laying out the actual problems with immigration and actual solutions that the American people would get behind.

(Note to the Republican nominees: Don't tell me you're pro-life, tell me how you'll get us closer to doing away with abortion. Don't tell me you're against illegal immigration, tell me how you'll fix it. Don't tell me "the best defense is a strong offense" in regard to Islamic-fascism, tell me the actual steps you will take to defeat it. Don't tell me you are for limited government, tell me the strategy you have for getting spending under control, reducing government intrusion into daily lives, and reducing inefficiencies. [In short - be like Newt!])

In addition to this post, I'm now planning on making a number of posts to highlight Newt videos from time to time. Whatever your political leanings, I think you'll find them worth your while. And, maybe -- just maybe, getting people more exposure to the solutions-oriented policy approach he takes will raise the bar for the '08 (and beyond) presidential and congressional candidates.