In fact, Newt denied Marianne's claim that he had asked her to accept an open marriage.  Yet that is the most futuristic, visionary thing he has ever done!

Did you hear that PT Blog readers?  All those titillating posts by Stanley Siegel about casual sex and non-conventional families -- Newt Gingrich was living that.  No wonder he got to charge so much money to consult because of his ability to peer into the future.  Newt is the avatar of the kind of future family-sexual relationships that the rest of us only dream about.  Newt and Callista, together, that is -- maybe I misjudged the lady.

Keep in mind that Newt wasn't simply trying to cheat on his wife -- he was trying to extend the accepted boundaries of marriage.  Instead of accusing Newt of doing something wrong, I hope political reporters will start asking him how he became such a far-sighted explorer in the marital bedroom. (Picture Newt on all fours with one of those mining hats with a light on top of it.)

Mitt Romney indeed!

P.S.  Suggested theme song for the Gingrich campaign:

Comin' to you on a dust road
Good lovin', I got a truck load
And when you get it, you got somethin'
So don't worry, 'cause I'm comin'

I'm a sooouul man, soul man. . . .

(apologies to Isaac Hayes and David Porter)

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P.S.S. (January 21):

OK, seriously,

EJ wrote:

I get that there's an element of sarcasm here, but, come on. There is a big difference between polyamory and lying to your partner about your non-monogamy. There is also a difference between having a real conversation about opening an otherwise healthy marriage and telling your wife you've become bored with her and asking her to condone an affair you're already having, while she's in a state of extreme stress. Gingrich runs on a platform of "traditional family values," has made it pretty clear with his words what that means to him, and deserves some scrutiny. It's also fair to assume that anyone he married would have the same idea of what "traditional" marriage means, and he should have anticipated some resistance on her part and been sensitive to the subject. Do not make the mistake of equating this man's actions with those of polyamorous people who actually care about the lives & feelings of the people involved.

I responded:

You know, seriously, I thought about what it would have taken Gingrich to convince Marianne -- who seems like an intelligent, caring woman who loved the man -- to participate fully in this triad. And, for starters, as you point out, it wouldn't have involved the sneakiness that is part and parcel of Gingrich's character.

It is distressing that someone like Gingrich may be rising as the most likely candidate for the Republican nomination for president. For what is most evident about Gingrich is that his entire focus is in turning every feeling, every utterance, to his self-serving advantage. What is most telling about the end of his marriage is not that he was screwing another woman, but that he dumped his wife (as he did his former wife) when she became ill.

When you call Gingrich a pig, it's not because of his sexual exploits. It's because he has no regard for any human being outside of himself.