Candidate News Thread - Newt Gingrich

[Geee]

Saveliberty and Valin, I would take any candidate over who we have now. Knowing the dirt that the Dems can throw at just about anyone and how they are fantastic at making mountains out of molehills, I am just concerned that the more material they have-the more they can make hay with it. Wether it is something that is relevant or not is only a concern to them if the candidate has a D after his name.

[Valin]

New Democrat Ad

 

 

H/T TOS

[Argyle58]

New Democrat Ad

 

 

H/T TOS

 

lol....Looks more like a campaign add for Newt. I guess this clarifies just how polarized politics have become. I see every complaint they are making about him as good things.

[clearvision]

They conveniently cut off his last comment as part of their implication that he only supports 0 capital gains for 200K and above. His statement continued on to say "for everyone".

[Valin]

New Democrat Ad

 

 

H/T TOS

 

lol....Looks more like a campaign add for Newt. I guess this clarifies just how polarized politics have become. I see every complaint they are making about him as good things.

 

 

I would be very interested in finding out political genius thought this ad was a good idea to run now. At the least the Gingrich campaign should send them a thank you note.

[Saltbag]

Wow, the Democrats put out that ad? It just makes me support him more. Seriously, Newt does need to send them a thank you note.

[nickydog]

Another Christmas present for Newt.

[Geee]

Why Is Newt Still Rising?

 

After Saturday night's Iowa debate, I'd bet $10,000 that Mitt Romney has sunk himself. Well, I might if I had an extra $10,000 lying around, which I don't. But after that debate, and more than a week of relentless attacks on him, why is Newt Gingrich still rising and Romney still sinking?

 

Gingrich's staying power has the Washington cognoscenti frustrated. When the Romney campaign launched its attacks on Gingrich, there was a flood of seemingly coordinated press promoting the attacks. In response, Gingrich had two New York press avails, looking friendly and presidential. And, in a now much-reported conference call with his staff, the former Speaker ordered them to avoid going negative.

 

The political consultants working against Gingrich seem unable to absorb facts or adapt their ideas to them. One of the biggest criticisms of Gingrich is his inability to organize staff and run a campaign. Karl Rove wrote what was supposed to be a devastating criticism of Gingrich's leadership deficiencies in the Wall Street Journal last week. Rove said, among other things, that Gingrich had failed to qualify for the ballot in both Missouri and Ohio and that the former House speaker had little or no organization in Iowa.

 

Rove's article would have been devastating but for one fact: it wasn't true. Gingrich has, for example, qualified in both Missouri and Ohio. His Iowa staff is strong and getting stronger by the hour.

 

Gingrich's key staffers have been with him a long time, and know their man well. The consultants who resigned loudly earlier this year weren't the Gingrich insiders. The veteran staff -- with a few new additions -- is also proving its worth hourly in dealing with the media.

Another reason Gingrich isn't fading is Mitt Romney. Let's face it: Mitt Romney is the Republican version of Al Gore. Even people who are predisposed to liking him can't seem to get there. Romney is supposedly more electable than Gingrich, at least according to the Inside the Beltway crowd and the major media.

 

Really? Liberal pollster Peter Hart's focus group, asked to pick a family relationship to Romney, labeled him "black sheep," "fun neighbor," "cousin," "second cousin," "dad that was never home." The same group labeled Gingrich "grandfather," "father," "my favorite uncle," and "uncle who keeps bringing home different wives." Is grandpa less electable than the dad who was never home?

 

In the Saturday night Iowa debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry again challenged Romney on the statement in his book No Apology that the Romneycare law in Massachusetts should be a model for the nation. Romney denied the book said that. (Perry was referring to a sentence in the hardback edition which said that the "Massachusetts Model" achieved portable affordable health insurance for everyone and "We can accomplish the same thing for everyone in the country, and it can be done without letting government take over health care.")

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/12/12/why-is-newt-still-rising

[Valin]

Why Is Newt Still Rising?

 

 

Gingrich's staying power has the Washington cognoscenti frustrated. When the Romney campaign launched its attacks on Gingrich, there was a flood of seemingly coordinated press promoting the attacks. In response, Gingrich had two New York press avails, looking friendly and presidential. And, in a now much-reported conference call with his staff, the former Speaker ordered them to avoid going negative.

 

Smart move on Newts part. He doesn't have to respond in kind...those who support him will do that for him.

 

 

Karl Rove wrote what was supposed to be a devastating criticism of Gingrich's leadership deficiencies in the Wall Street Journal last week. Rove said, among other things, that Gingrich had failed to qualify for the ballot in both Missouri and Ohio and that the former House speaker had little or no organization in Iowa.

 

Hugh Hewitt has been hitting this hard for some time now.

 

 

If Newt can survive and overcome these attacks it will make him a much stronger candidate.

 

In some ways Newt reminds me of Don Rumsfeld, Like him a lot...but not sure I'd want to work under him.

 

 

Romney is supposedly more electable than Gingrich, at least according to the Inside the Beltway crowd and the major media.

 

Is he? I like Mitt, and was a supporter of his the last time (note; came close to getting banned from TOS because of it), His problem is he doesn't connect with people, he looks and sounds like a CEO, his use of the word "Challenges" comes to mind as an example, ie "We are facing Challenges" when people I work with hear that they think Layoffs, No pay raises, we're screwed. Policy and "flip flopping" (who hasn't changed their minds on something!) issues aside this is his major problem, he doesn't come across as real.

 

 

Romneycare, he has to hit that hard, I mean REALLY HARD in order to win A. the nomination and B. the general election.

 

 

One man's opinion...freely given and worth almost that much.

[Argyle58]

Karl Rove wrote what was supposed to be a devastating criticism of Gingrich's leadership deficiencies in the Wall Street Journal last week. Rove said, among other things, that Gingrich had failed to qualify for the ballot in both Missouri and Ohio and that the former House speaker had little or no organization in Iowa.

 

You left out the next sentence that refuted Rove's comments. Gingrich did qualify and IS on the ballots in both Missouri and Ohio. Further, he has a strong organization in Iowa and is getting stronger every day.

[Evad]

Wow, the Democrats put out that ad? It just makes me support him more. Seriously, Newt does need to send them a thank you note.

He should, along with a special thank you to that ultimate air head, Nazi Pelosi for her latest demonstration of complete idiocy.

I would love to see this evil witch get into a battle with anyone over the subject of corruption and ethics.

A battle with Noot would be especially delicious.

[Evad]

From Pookie Toons:

Nancy Pelosi threatened to talk about stuff she learned about Newt in closed House proceedings.

In other words she'll violate House rules in order to show that Newt violated House rules.

[Jill]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/gingrich-planning-announcement-ga-capitol/nFzmW/

 

Is this it? The Cain endorsement?

[Valin]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/gingrich-planning-announcement-ga-capitol/nFzmW/

 

Is this it? The Cain endorsement?

 

 

If it is, then it's proof that Cain is A. a racist or B. a progressive!

[Valin]

WSJ: Cool Hand Newt?

Now that Newt Gingrich's leading in the GOP presidential polls, the big question is whether he can control his tendency toward condescension and vainglory.

PAUL A. GIGOT

12/12/11

 

Newt Gingrich is at his scrappy best as the underdog or minority leader. He tends to get into trouble when he's riding high and begins to let his sense of personal historical destiny get the better of his judgment. Now that he's leading in the GOP presidential polls, the big question is whether he can control his tendency toward condescension and vainglory.

 

His first test came in Saturday night's ABC-TV debate, and he held up well. Under attack from nearly all sides, he kept his sense of humor, sheathed his snarl, and cheerfully rebutted the accusations. His sharpest reply noted that the only reason Mitt Romney isn't a career politician is because he'd lost a Senate race to Ted Kennedy in 1994. But the gibe was softened with a matter-of-fact delivery and a can-you-believe-this smile. The closest he came to a sneer came in a reply to the "Newt Romney" barbs of Michele Bachmann, whose practiced sound bites must be hard to take given her general lack of depth. But Mr. Gingrich never stepped over the line that would make him look mean.

 

(Snip)

 

*Can Mr. Gingrich maintain his message and personality discipline? His advisers say he's mellowed with age and since his conversion to Catholicism and that he has a new calm about him. Others say he can't help himself -- and that he is, in the analogy offered by one Republican, "the Hindenburg," a hydrogen airship that will blow up sooner or later. The nomination may hang on who's right.

 

* The question for many. The pundits are gazing into their crystal balls, attempting to divine the answer.

[nickydog]

Michael Savage apparently has offered Newt $1,000,000 to get out of the race. He claims Newt will not be able to beat Obama and we need someone who will. He sees Newt as the "fat old white man" in comparison with O in a debate. I did notice last night when Newt stood up after the "debate" with Huntsman that his buttoned suitcoat was badly stretched across his girth. It looked like that poor button was about to pop right off.

[Valin]

Michael Savage apparently has offered Newt $1,000,000 to get out of the race. He claims Newt will not be able to beat Obama and we need someone who will. He sees Newt as the "fat old white man" in comparison with O in a debate. I did notice last night when Newt stood up after the "debate" with Huntsman that his buttoned suitcoat was badly stretched across his girth. It looked like that poor button was about to pop right off.

 

 

Who?

[Valin]

PJ Media: Explaining Newt

Roger L Simon

12/12/11

 

A good portion of the right-wing punditocracy, Beltway sorts especially, appears to harbor a deep dislike of Newt Gingrich. They can’t believe he is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination and are doing everything in their power to enlighten the great unwashed about the multiple inadequacies of this man and knock some sense into them (us) before it is too late.

 

Now I am not a Beltway person. I am something even worse — a Hollywood & Vine person — so everything I say is suspect and should be. But allow me to chime in on why Newt is attractive to some of us at this juncture.

 

(Snip)

 

 

Unfortunately, the Republican candidates aren’t much better. Romney, Perry, Santorum, Bachmann, Huntsman, even Paul, are no more than critics of a system gone moribund. They do not inspire us. Their ideas, even when worth investigating (flat tax, etc.), are no more than rehashes of proposals we have heard for decades.

 

Only Newt dances. Only Newt, on occasion, is original. Only Newt — and here is the important part — has the capacity to wake us up.

 

What attracts me about the man is the very thing that Romney criticized, the part that wants to explore the moon and stars, maybe even mine them.

 

Sure Gingrich has an idea a minute, many of which are bad, but at least he has ideas. At least he is thinking. And — guess what — he says what he thinks. Politicians aren’t supposed to do that.

 

But Gingrich reminds me more of a Steve Jobs or a Richard Branson than he does of a politician, and that is a good thing because politicians these days are the kind of people that make me want to bang my forehead against the desk.

 

And I would like to add — and perhaps this disqualifies me — that I don’t care who is more or less conservative, who is a RINO and who is not, or what kind of libertarian someone may or may not be. I think when your ideology has become rigid, you have checked your brains at the door. If you want proof of that, just look at today’s liberals. Their ideology has been extinct for years and they are walking around like the living dead, trying to preserve the welfare state and the vision of Lord Keynes while the whole world crumbles around them.

 

But, you’re saying, Gingrich has all these faults.. He’s erratic, arrogant, impatient, smart-alecky, thin- skinned, selfish, with a nasty grin like a roadshow Satan, etc., etc.

 

Well, yeah.

 

However… let me remind you of something. Now of all times we need a president to inspire us. And to do that we have to listen to him or her, lots of times, over and over, for four years, maybe eight.

 

(Snip)

[nickydog]

Good article, Valin. Now all Newt needs to do is get the suits that fit from the dry cleaners or find out who Chris Christy's tailor is.

[Rheo]

Michael Savage apparently has offered Newt $1,000,000 to get out of the race. He claims Newt will not be able to beat Obama and we need someone who will. He sees Newt as the "fat old white man" in comparison with O in a debate. I did notice last night when Newt stood up after the "debate" with Huntsman that his buttoned suitcoat was badly stretched across his girth. It looked like that poor button was about to pop right off.

 

 

Who?

Bravo: Mark Levin Offers Michael Savage $100K To Get Off The Radio…

[Valin]

Good article, Valin. Now all Newt needs to do is get the suits that fit from the dry cleaners or find out who Chris Christy's tailor is.

 

[Valin]

Michael Savage apparently has offered Newt $1,000,000 to get out of the race. He claims Newt will not be able to beat Obama and we need someone who will. He sees Newt as the "fat old white man" in comparison with O in a debate. I did notice last night when Newt stood up after the "debate" with Huntsman that his buttoned suitcoat was badly stretched across his girth. It looked like that poor button was about to pop right off.

 

 

Who?

Bravo: Mark Levin Offers Michael Savage $100K To Get Off The Radio…

 

Absolutely no love lost between those two. I'd pay good money to watch them debate.

[Valin]

Fred Grandy Endorses Gingrich for President

 

Atlanta, GA - Former Iowa Congressman Fred Grandy today announced his endorsement of Newt Gingrich for President of the United States.

 

"I am proud to support Newt's campaign for president,” Grandy said today. “I believe that his optimistic, solutions-oriented message is resonating well with the people of Iowa and with all Americans.

 

(Snip)

[RandyM]

Fred Grandy Endorses Gingrich for President

 

Atlanta, GA - Former Iowa Congressman Fred Grandy today announced his endorsement of Newt Gingrich for President of the United States.

 

"I am proud to support Newt's campaign for president,” Grandy said today. “I believe that his optimistic, solutions-oriented message is resonating well with the people of Iowa and with all Americans.

 

(Snip)

 

 

 

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Winnowing the Field

We fear that to nominate former Speaker Newt Gingrich, the frontrunner in the polls, would be to blow this opportunity. We say that mindful of his opponents’ imperfections — and of his own virtues, which have been on display during his amazing comeback. Very few people with a personal history like his — two divorces, two marriages to former mistresses — have ever tried running for president. Gingrich himself has never run for a statewide office, let alone a national one, and has not run for anything since 1998. That year he was kicked out by his colleagues, the most conservative ones especially, who had lost confidence in him. During his time as Speaker, he was one of the most unpopular figures in public life. Just a few months ago his campaign seemed dead after a series of gaffes and resignations. That Gingrich now tops the polls is a tribute to his perseverance, and to Republicans’ admiration for his intellectual fecundity.

 

Both qualities served conservatives well in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Gingrich, nearly alone, saw the potential for a Republican takeover of Congress and worked tirelessly to bring it about. Even before the takeover, Gingrich helped to solidify the party’s opposition to tax increases and helped to defeat the Clinton health-care plan. The victory of 1994 enabled the passage of welfare reform, the most successful social policy of recent decades.

 

Gingrich’s colleagues were, however, right to bring his tenure to an end. His character flaws — his impulsiveness, his grandiosity, his weakness for half-baked (and not especially conservative) ideas — made him a poor Speaker of the House. Again and again he combined incendiary rhetoric with irresolute action, bringing Republicans all the political costs of a hardline position without actually taking one. Again and again he put his own interests above those of the causes he championed in public.

 

He says, and his defenders say, that time, reflection, and religious conversion have conquered his dark side. If he is the nominee, a campaign that should be about whether the country will continue on the path to social democracy would inevitably become to a large extent a referendum on Gingrich instead. And there is reason to doubt that he has changed. Each week we see the same traits that weakened Republicans from 1995 through 1998: I’d vote for Paul Ryan’s Medicare reform; Paul Ryan’s Medicare reform is radical right-wing social engineering; I apologize for saying that, and no one should quote what I said because I was wrong; actually, what I said was right all along but nobody understood me. I helped defeat Communism; anyone who made money in the ’80s and ’90s owes me; I’m like Reagan and Thatcher. Local community boards should decide what to do with illegal immigrants. Freddie Mac paid me all that money to tell them how stupid they were. Enough. Gingrich has always said he wants to transform the country. He appears unable to transform, or even govern, himself. He should be an adviser to the Republican party, but not again its head.

 

From National Review.