Are You a Renter Who Rides Metro, Works for a Fancy Newspaper?

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

In addition to winning the South Carolina presidential primary on Saturday, Newt Gingrich also recently voiced his opinion on your decision to rent (not own) an apartment (not a home) in a city (not a suburb). He also threw in the Metro and fancy newspapers — leaving out dog parks and bike lanes, but perhaps he’ll hit on those in the future.

In a speech to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) last week, Gingrich pledged his support for the institution of home ownership, The Wall Street Journal reports. At the “Rally for Home Ownership” in South Carolina, Gingrich advocated for the repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial bill, as well as more lenient tax policies for manufacturers and builders.

Gingrich, who campaigns as a small-government conservative, makes an unlikely bedfellow for a trade group like NAHB, which lobbies for government regulation of the industry. But platform changes like this are not uncommon in a primary season, during which candidates try to appeal to multiple, shifting electorates.

Accordingly, Gingrich used the rally to strike a populist tone and appeal to his suburban base, drawing a harsh comparison between those who value home ownership and those who, in his mind, do not:

“Those who live in [apartments] writing for fancy newspapers in the middle of town after they ride the Metro, who don’t understand that for most Americans [having] their own property… is one of the greatest achievements of their life, and it makes them feel like they are good solid citizens,” Gingrich told the crowd.

Gingrich’s comments are interesting in light of where we live — a densely populated downtown neighborhood with lots of renters (yes, lots of condos, too) who use public transportation. And while we may not be solid citizens, our rents are certainly fancy here in Borderstan.

Anyway, welcome to the 2012 presidential election.