Newt in Norfolk

Seems I wasn’t the only blogger [1, 2] who attended The Norfolk Forum last night and heard former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speak. (Oh, and of course, The Pilot was there, too.) I won’t rehash all that has been written but there were a couple of things that stood out for me.

First, Gingrich spoke completely without notes. Even the best speakers I’ve heard in the past had notes in front to keep them on track. Gingrich needed nothing to keep him focused. I assume this must be a speech he has given many times; nevertheless, it was impressive how focused he stayed – even when he appeared to stray, he came back to his points.

Second, as a technophile, I appreciated what Gingrich had to say about the use of technology in our society. He mentioned it in the context of healthcare, but I see a much broader application. Appropriate use of technology can save so much time and energy, and I fail to understand the reluctance of government, in particular, to adopt it.

Finally, I really enjoyed the way Gingrich tells a joke. The guy never cracks a smile and delivers the lines without effort. Again, likely the result of retelling, but they were dead on.

Now a complaint: Last year, we were offered reserved parking for The Forum in a lot across the street from Chrysler Hall. That worked out so well that I readily signed up for reserved parking again this year. This year, the reserved parking is in the lower level of the Scope garage. Bad idea. Getting out was almost impossible; in fact, I think I was in the last 10 cars to get out of there. I really wish they’d do something about this.