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Posted on 11/02/2011 7:25:34 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The College Board and News Corp. sponsored a forum on education with four GOP presidential candidates last week, and the runaway winner was Newt Gingrich. (Truth in advertising: I moderated the session along with Joel Klein, the former New York schools chancellor who now runs an educational unit for our employer, News Corp. Each candidate received 30 minutes, which was refreshing after the 30-second trivial pursuits of the debates.)
Michele Bachmann (local control), Rick Santorum (moral values) and Herman Cain (business principles) stuck mainly to their talking points, but Mr. Gingrich kept the crowd of 1,000 or so engaged and entertained with a wide-ranging tutorial on everything from the failures of "L.A. Unified" to Jeb Bush's Florida "virtual school." The session was a reminder of Mr. Gingrich's knowledge of government and rhetorical skills, which were overwhelmed by his early campaign missteps.
This is an unusual primary season, however, and the question is whether voters will now give Mr. Gingrich another look. The former House speaker's allies think so. They say Ms. Bachmann and Rick Perry can't come back, Herman Cain will fade as his national sales tax gets broader scrutiny, and neither Mr. Santorum nor Jon Huntsman has attracted much voter support. That leaves Mr. Gingrich to emerge from Iowa as the main challenger to Mitt Romney. Even if Mr. Romney wins New Hampshire, the campaign then becomes a two-man race heading into South Carolina and Florida, where Mr. Gingrich's debating talents and conservative agenda will contrast with Mr. Romney's poll-driven caution.
That scenario may be a long-shot, but no one should rule it out. After Thursday's education session, Mr. Gingrich mentioned that in a conventional year he might not get that second look.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Those are interesting suggestions for any of the Presidential candidates.
I like Newt..
But I don’t trust him as far as I could throw a bowling ball..
Same with Perry and Romney.. and Huntsman and Santorum..
I do trust Ron Paul to be “the Wild Man”..
Might make a good President with a good Congress to bring him down off “the ledge”..
You know........ before he “jumps”..
I’m a futurist. I thought Alvin Toffler did a great series illustrating what what society would like it. All the changes he predicted came true. The reactionaries today are all on the Left. They want to take us back to the twentieth century.
We are not electing DIC (dictator & chief). He'll have to answer to Congress and the public. We can keep him on the right path. Newt is THE MOST CONSERVATIVE person in the race. No question about it, check his record.
Don't keep telling me about him sitting on the couch with Pelosi. I was mad too, but I'm over it. Can we move on now?
Perry was a Democrat for heavens sake! Romney has been on both sides of EVERY important issue. Cain is not ready for prime time, as we are seeing. BUT NEWT SAT ON A COUCH WITH PELOSI ONCE. OMG can we ever forgive him? Can't support Newt, he's not PERFECT, like those other perfect candidates?
All I am saying, give Newt a (second) chance.
“You go to war with the army you’ve got” Sans Sarah, Newts our best warrior, he has been there and done that. No other candidate has done more for conservatives then Newt. He’s far from perfect and occasionally wanders off the reservation. But he can be made to feel the heat and see the light. Right now the nation needs bold conservative leadership and IMHO only Newt can deliver that. Sarah was my first choice but Newt is easily acceptable.
I think Newt is going break out soon, and the race is going to be Romney vrs Newt. Newt has come back from political Hell, he has done his time wandering in the wilderness. He’s back and he is wiser and stronger then ever.
In terms of actually getting conservative legislation through Congress, Newt might have the best chance of anyone else running on the GOP side.
Newt obviously is not a perfect candidate. Aside from his personal issues, there's the whole Pelosi/global warming deal. But other than that one substantive issue -- which I suspect wouldn't lead anywhere anyway given our current economic problems -- Newt is pretty good on the issues.
And if it does come down to a choice between Newt and Mitt.... That's an easy call for me.
Those seeking ideological purity will insure the re-election of Barack Obama. We must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.
You’re exactly right, Newt is by far the best we’ve got. Our discussion should be who should run with him. Newt’s baggage doesn’t appear to be nearly as heavy as I thought it was.
Just like every other candidate Newt carries some baggage. However, he is probably one of the most experienced and knowledgeable of the bunch and should not be dismissed because of his sit down with San Fran Nan or one or two other things. Remember, he did engineer the Pubbie victory when we needed it most. And we need it now!
You’re exactly right, Newt is by far the best we’ve got. Our discussion should be who should run with him. Newt’s baggage doesn’t appear to be nearly as heavy as I thought it was.
I think you are correct.
With the GOP establishment and the racist left trying to knock him down, I don’t think Cain will be the nominee.
Which means it will be Romney vs. either Newt or Perry.
I think Perry blew his chance. Therefore, I think it will be Romney vs. Newt.
With the GOP establishment and the racist left trying to knock him down, I don’t think Cain will be the nominee.The problem isn't the racist left... we KNEW what they were going to do... and Herman should have known to.
It's his response, so far.
It's been anemic.
He's losing the current battle and if that continues he will lose the war.
I've always been worried about his inexperience and that means the ability to handle attacks from the press, especially when you are a conservative and you know those attacks are going to be massive, dirty and unrelenting.
I just don't have a lot of faith in Cain's ability to withstand it all and remain standing.
So I guess I'm agreeing with you, reluctantly. It's either going to be Romney or Newt.
No way is it going to be Perry. He's too much like Howdy Doody. I mean, I like the guy, but c'mon. Really. It's not just that he's inarticulate... he's downright goofy.
Newt just can’t make himself believe that the current liberal crowd wants solutions in the vein he wants. He’ll forever seek compromise.
Newt is brilliant and tested under fire. I think he would destroy Obama in a debate and people would see just how visionary he is. He was the one who forced Bill Clinton to a balanced budget and now Clinton takes credit for it. I wish more people knew that. Newt can win a one on one with Obama. I’m still for Cain and I’m NOT for Romney. He is so slick he’s sickening.
Here come the highly predictable references to his appearance with Nancy Pelosi in a political ad several years ago. If that’s all you have, then Newt ain’t that bad. For the record, Newt does not support cap and trade.
Totally agree. Well said.
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