Embracing the Message, Not Just the Messanger

Prevailing wisdom appears to be that Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary because he stuck it to the main-stream media in the debates last week. Certainly the media is not popular in conservative circles, and there is a well-deserved reservoir of resentment against the relentless debate cycle of the past few months, but this is not the full story behind Mr. Gingrich's most recent phoenix routine.

Thousands of people do not turn out in cold January rain just because a candidate makes a smart remark to a reporter--or even two reporters. But they will defy the "inevitable" because they perceive a candidate who connects viscerally with their concerns. Mr. Gingrich's answer to Juan Williams in Myrtle Beach tapped into decades of Republican frustration with being identified as racist for not believing democrat policies implemented through the federal government are the only morally-acceptable means to deal with issues related to minorities. Mr. Gingrich's answer to John King in Charleston mirrored broad distaste for the politics of personal destruction that have colored our national discourse and driven many able candidates from public service. Both these issues have been of long-term concern to conservatives, and no other candidate has articulated them so forcefully in this cycle, if ever.

It legitimately can be debated whether Mr. Gingrich is the ideal vehicle for either message, but that should not blind us to the messages themselves. Republicans are looking for a candidate who will fight destructive stereotypes, and who will refuse to pander to salacious ratings-grabbing. This isn't just a debating trick. If Mr. Gingrich understands that it is the deeper demonstration of strength rather than simply his facility with the zinger that truly resonates, he may well and finally emerge from the ashes.