Newt Gingrich On Mitt Romney: 'I Would Have Probably Done Better' Against Obama

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON -- Newt Gingrich blames Mitt Romney for being a bad candidate.

More than that, he blames the Republican party for fostering a corrosive culture that produced Romney as its candidate. The former House Speaker argued that the GOP has grown stale and introverted, putting itself on the wrong side of history on issues like immigration and painting itself into a corner on others, like gay marriage.

Romney's failed candidacy was just the latest illustration of this, the 69-year-old Gingrich said in hour-long interview that dealt, in large part, with the GOP’s problems and what he hopes to contribute to their solution.

Gingrich, whose staying power in the Republican primary has surprised many observers, was Romney's most acerbic critic during that intraparty contest. He would go on to play the role of dutiful soldier during the general election, only to revert back to form a month and a half after the national contest ended with Romney losing handily.

"I think either [Texas Gov. Rick] Perry or I would have probably done better [against Obama]," said the former speaker, exhibiting a bit of his trademark braggadocio.

Gingrich didn't go so far as to say he would have won outright as the Republican nominee. But even as he walked himself back momentarily, he couldn't help but offer another boast.

"f Obama had pounded on my weaknesses as intensely as Romney, who knows what would have happened. So I don't want to be arrogant and say I would have done better," said Gingrich. "I would say my impression is that, from the Obama team's standpoint, the two candidates they found the hardest to cope with were Perry and me."

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For those of you looking for a last dose of post-election delusional behavior...

[pollyannaish]

Gingrich is not always wrong...but he can be a real butt about it. I didn't hate Romney and I don't think he was a bad candidate. He just wasn't the right candidate. But neither was Gingrich.

 

The outcome was already in the cards. We are looking at a bigger problem than the Republican party and conservatism. We are looking at a country that has fundamentally changed. We got proof of that in the last election.

 

Now we have to stop whining about the establishment and candidates, and go back to the drawing board and figure out how to connect with the current population with our message. It is not our ideals that are a problem, it is that we are not communicating them in a way that the culture today connects to.

 

THAT is why this loss stung so badly for me. It was final proof that conservative ideas are not the values of a very large majority of our country. Very depressing.

[Geee]

I would have voted for Gingrich, but would have had to hold my nose to do it. I was proud to vote for Romney. Your points are very very valid @pollyannaish.

[Pepper]

Stick a fork in it, @Newt. My pet skunk could have done better than you.