Newt Gingrich and the Chicago Honey Baked Ham Store
Here’s one of those little anecdotal things that makes me think — and I hope prompts you to share similar tales in comments below.
My boyfriend Justin came home last night from spending the last month with his family in Arkansas — to celebrate Christmas with them, but also to be there to help his sister since she had an at-risk pregnancy and delivered a newborn who had severe birth complications that kept her in the hospital for nearly four weeks. One of the things Justin and I do that’s really special for us is to drive down to a Honey Baked Ham store and get ourselves a quarter or half ham, so we can enjoy its sugarly, glazed goodness throughout the week. To keep this special, we only do it three, maybe four times a year.
This morning Justin asked if we could get a ham because Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary and the Cocktail Party GOP establishment had been punched in the face. Serendipitously, my friend Althea called me very excited about the recent polls for Gingrich and asked if she could come over tonight and watch the debate with us as I transcribed it — so she’s heading over in a few minutes with her two kids and her play aunties Miss Josie and Miss Hazel — which made Justin and I opt for a half ham since we’re suddenly going to have an apartment full of people watching Newt Gingrich debate (and hopefully knock the living tar out of Willard Mittens Romneycare).
“Ain’t nobody, nowhere, buying a ham and having folks over to watch Mittens do nothing”, Althea said before I hung up with her to get Justin ready to go to the store. Normally, I have to tell Justin three or four times it’s time to get his coat on, turn off the video games and find his keys, but he was sitting on the couch with his shoes and coat on all ready to get the ham.
“I’m excited,” he said, “even my parents think Romney’s going to lose now, and they believe all the lies the TV says usually”. That’s true, because Justin’s parents are very nice people who constantly respond to things the way the Cocktail Party GOP establishment instruct them to — and they believe everything they hear on television.
Folks, something very special happened on Saturday that I can only relate in my generation to the rebels blowing up that first Death Star…the Cocktail Party’s imperial hold on a great many people has been obliterated. As unlikely as he might at first seem, Newt Gingrich is a kind of pudgy Han Solo to a great many of us. There is now a real excitement to his campaign.
When we got to the Honey Baked store, I picked out a ham with the cashier while Justin looked at pies and side dishes. The woman asked me if this was a special occasion and Justin excitedly piped in with, “Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary and now he’s leading in Florida and people are coming over to watch the debate and even my parents say that Romney’s not going to be the nominee now and Kevin calls him a soggy cucumber and mayonnaise sandwich that nobody wants so we’re getting a honey ham for Newt Gingrich and I am excited”.
The woman looked at him, then looked around her to make sure her coworker was not listening, and said, “I hope Newt gets it and I hope he clobbers that no good Obama”. And then she magically found a mess of coupons for us that took a big discount off our order.
It’s really rare for Justin to talk politics with anyone out and about in Chicago because he’s afraid of Lefties harassing him for it, but he’s so revved up about Newt that he can’t stop himself. Today, Justin made his first phone banking calls for Newt into Florida and is excited to do that again tomorrow too. Tonight, Justin’s transformed our apartment into a makeshift Newt Debate Watch Center and will play host to Althea and her family while I transcribe the debate for readers here at HB.
The biggest thing Willard “Mittens” Romneycare had going for him was the Cocktail Party GOP establishment’s Death Star — the false narrative that Mittens was “inevitable” and “unstoppable” and the “it’s his turn!” “nominee in all but name only”.
That’s gone now.
People on the ground know it.
It’s a development worthy of a honey-baked celebration that’s normally reserved for only the most special of occasions.
Willard “Mittens” Romneycare and the Cocktail Party GOP establishment are in deep, deep, trouble.
© 2012, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
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Great story Kevin! I tweeted it to all my peeps….you and Justin make a delightful couple.
Love your username.
And people think the tea party is dead? Ha!
It's kind of funny that you will be eating ham on the night of the debates.
Tonight, Newt will be barbequing ham tonight.
Welcome home, Justin!
Keep spreading the Newt love.
(dang it, my mouth is watering thinking about Honeybaked ham)
I love buying pork products. Inside I love to shout, “Admiral Akbar!” every time I buy a honey ham.
I also love thinking that every dollar I spend in the honey baked ham store is one that is not being spent in Islam-loving Best Buy. I really will be angry with that company for the rest of my life for Best Buy’s war on Christmas and Thanksgiving.
You know what Althea surprised me with tonight too? She brought over homemade peach wings and the sweet potato casserole with the rainbow marshmallows on top. It’s going to be a great debate party tonight, let me tell you.
Justin’s back, I get all my favorite foods, and a house full of fun people to watch Newt clean Romneycare’s sorry, fey, clock.
Nuthin’ better.
I'm Newt Love (my real name) and I want to spread all this Newt Love all over everywhere!
Does anyone who actually watches Newt believe he is a racist? If so, they are an idiot!
Newt wants the best for all Americans, only he believes that means they have a job and an opportunity at a better job and not a welfare / food stamp / SNAP coupon.
Newt want the best for everyone on earth, meaning they have FREEDOM to live their own life without government restricting their good choices.
Newt is awesome. Everyone should have such a great guy as a grandfather!
Newt Love (my real name)
See http://www.newtlove.com/ to know who I am.
Newt Love, you should be the symbol of the party.
And your book is DAMN GOOD.
Hey Hillbuzzers, get his books on Amazon. I think the link is here.
Newt Love EVERy where.
Kevin – I think this story will also make your day, it did mine – Stanley Cup Champion Goalie is a Tea Partier and he chose not to visit the White House "Tim Thomas posted the following statement on his Facebook page regarding his decision to not attend a ceremony at the White House to honor the Bruins for their Stanley Cup win last June:
“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.
This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT”
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/01/23/bruins-goal…
Don't tell me that. As a Maple Leafs fan I am required, by statute, to hate all things Bruins. This makes it very hard.
I absolutely love this post Kevin! It really makes me happy to think of you guys, your ham, and Justin all excited! Have a great party…..I'll be watching out here on the left coast.
Kevin, you and Justin should just "Ham It Up!"
I think they already did!
Go, Justin! And welcome home.
I hope your debate party tonight is fabulous. I suspect it will be.
The GOP Establishment didn't get the message in 2010 when we Tea Partiers delivered the House. It will be the Tea Partiers who will make a difference in this election. One would hope the GOP Establishment might finally get the message in this 2012 primary season, but I do not see any indication of it yet. They are trying to manipulate the election (with the help of the media, including Fox), and I hope they fail.
kevin, i am now officially in love with your justin, too! thanks for the day-and-evening brightener.
What a nice experience, frankly I am not a Newt fan nor a Mittens fan, I am conflicted and we vote 1/31.
Rush said basically the same thing, not that he endorsed Newt but that Newt is a 'vessel' and the establishment Republicans are being sent a message that They cannot dictate who our candidate will be, we are tired of being taken for granted. ( Wouldn't it be great if black voters finally got tired of being taken for granted and constantly being treated in a condescently and insulting manner….we can only hope.)
We all have to stand up, no matter what color or religion we are.
Dear Sue– Rush is full of nonsense. He's right, then he's wrong, then he's sensible, then he's insane. His syndication partners are Bain Capital. Rush seems to have no idea whatsoever what is in the 21st Century Contract With America. Rush knows nothing of Newt's proposals. Rush knows nothing of the South Carolina exit polls on ELECTABILITY.
Rush is apparently totally uninformed. OR MAYBE Rush can only afford to understand a little, because if he really says what's going on, Bain will make trouble for him.
The idea that people voted for Newt to "send a message" is ridiculous. And "Newt is a vessel." Oh please. Susan, go to Legal Insurrection and read about the polling data from South Carolina. Read the Sean Trende article from Real Clear Politics, right after January 21st.
The exit polls indicate that people from every background CHOSE NEWT(except 18-29 year olds (Ron Paul)). And one of the biggest groups who chose Newt is the group who said ELECTABILITY is their primary concern — to defeat Obama.
So what is Rush talking about? Rush is totally uninformed. About Newt, about the exit polls. MAYBE RUSH CAN'T AFFORD TO KNOW MORE. And my friends, what izzup with that.
That's beginning to happen, Sue. And it scares the CRAP out of the Dems.
Kevin, I admittedly haven't been keeping up with things around here, but I have some of your posts about Justin. This is the first one where you say where he is from and I just said I knew it…you found a guy from the south. I TOLD YOU, that it would be much easier to find a conservative gay man in the south! Good for you!
I am excited here too Kevin. I am so happy that the GOP party establishment is upset that Newt won. Their angst is obvious to everyone, and it is wonderful! Who says the Tea Party is dead???? Ha!
People wish the tea party was dead–whats dead are the ideas of people like Mike Murphy Steve Schwartz (is that the McCain advisor that the left loves??) I am not sure Newt is the candidate, but as Rush said, it as a sign to the elites that we want a fighter and we will not have a candidate shoved down our throats (paraphrasing Rush)
I'm so happy that Kevin is finally getting through to people.
He's truly a warrior.
Kevin, this article gave me some insight into the Private Equity thing. Romney paid only 15% because a tax-loophole allowed him to count his salary with Bain Capital as capital gains. Wish I could have counted my salary as capital gains. Check it out and share:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2012/01/3…
Excellent article! That's why we all know Obama is full of it when he talks about raising income taxes on the wealthiest Americans. The wealthiest Americans dont' pay income taxes…they pay capital gains tax. Unfortunately, he can't raise the capital gains tax for them without raising it for the rest of us. I wish McCain would have done a better job of explaining this back in '08. I run into people all the time who don't understand how this works.
Nice story.
Kevin, Great story..but today I am livid! I was unable to watch the debate in FL yesterday but just found out that NBC issued a GAG ORDER on the audience!!!
Is this true?
We the people have the right to express our opinions, regardless of the candidate. If NBC did indeed require silence, it clearly reflects their concern regarding Newt and his ability to excite the people. Newt's had two standing ovations the the last two debates (unheard of). Demanding silence would be a CLEAR effort to minimize excitement for one of the candidates.
Seriously, I'm irate and can not believe I am not seeing more about this in conservative press!!
The Honey Baked Ham story brought tears of joy.