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The Gingrich Comeback
The Wall Street Journal ^ | NOVEMBER 14, 2011 | STEPHEN MOORE

Posted on 11/14/2011 4:30:15 PM PST by presidio9

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to surge in the polls. Last week a CBS poll had Herman Cain at 18%, with Mitt Romney and Mr. Gingrich tied at 15%. Even more impressive was the latest McClatchy-Marist poll, which had Mr. Romney at 23%, Mr. Gingrich at 19% and Mr. Cain at 17%. A little over a month ago, Mr. Gingrich was barely above 5% in any poll.

Is the former Georgia congressman simply the latest flavor of the month in the wake of the Herman Cain sexual-harassment allegations, or can he actually win? In an interview with me this weekend, he notes that "after every debate I keep rising in the polls." He sees at least 70% of voters looking for an alternative to Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee. Mr. Gingrich says conservative voters "know I am the one who would be best to debate President Obama."

One Gingrich strategy that seems to be paying off is to remind voters of his record as speaker. He says he was the one who was able to persuade then-President Clinton "to sign a balanced budget, welfare reform and tax cuts." He says he inherited a 10-year forecast of $2.7 trillion in deficits, but that when he left Congress the forecast was "more than $2 trillion in surpluses" and "voters would love to see that happen again."

Mr. Gingrich has clearly appeared presidential in the GOP debates, and he says focus groups almost always "pick me as the debate winner." Mr. Gingrich's campaign suffered some major setbacks earlier this year after

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012gopprimary; newt2012; palinites; reevaluategingrich; spammers; stephenmoore
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1 posted on 11/14/2011 4:30:19 PM PST by presidio9
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To: All




Please support Free Republic.

Donate soon, Monthly, if you can.

FReepathon Day 45 ...

2 posted on 11/14/2011 4:31:46 PM PST by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC BY DONATING NOW! Sarah's New Ping List - tell me if you want on it.)
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To: presidio9

I’m liking Newt more and more with each debate.


3 posted on 11/14/2011 4:36:02 PM PST by Qwackertoo (New Day In America November 03, 2010)
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To: presidio9

Newt is going to have a harder fall than Cain or Perry given his past flip flops. These flip flops, ethics scandals, and personal scandals will be front-page news in the next few weeks.


4 posted on 11/14/2011 4:37:15 PM PST by Thunder90 (Fighting for truth and the American way... http://citizensfortruthandtheamericanway.blogspot.com/)
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To: presidio9

Newt is far and away the best debater and has the best handle on the issues.

Newt is also far and away the only candidate who has ever balanced the federal budget WITH SUPLUSES.

In those areas, no one holds a candle to him.

Also, he is a conservative: pro-Life, pro-God, pro-Gun, pro-America, pro-natural family and marriage, pro-military, pro-strong foreign policy, and pro-fiscal sanity.

His problems are some marriages that went sour, some political errors, and some weird thing as speaker that was termed unethical...something to do with a book, iirc. All conservatives at the time knew it was a liberal witchhunt.


5 posted on 11/14/2011 4:37:57 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: Thunder90

Agreed. he’s done before he even starts.


6 posted on 11/14/2011 4:39:18 PM PST by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: presidio9

There is still that problem with his wife. She’s a very odd bird and I think most voters will have trouble relating to her. If there was a way they could tone her down...maybe he would have a chance. Right now I see a lot of fodder for late night hosts and SNL. Mitt’s wife is opposite. Sorry Newt..you messed up with your choice of spouse. Also, what about the luxury credit cards?


7 posted on 11/14/2011 4:42:19 PM PST by crymeariver (Good news...in a way)
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To: Thunder90
Newt is going to have a harder fall than Cain or Perry given his past flip flops. These flip flops, ethics scandals, and personal scandals will be front-page news in the next few weeks.

Yawn. Care to summarize said "ethics scandals & personal scandals?"

8 posted on 11/14/2011 4:51:05 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: Qwackertoo

Newt is always great at debates and making speeches. Even conservatives he has double-crossed over the years have admitted that.

It’s not Newt’s intellect that is a problem. It’s not his Soap Opera of a personal life. It’s his past practice of betraying conservative supporters. You support him at your own peril.

Maybe he has changed. I sure hope so if he gets the nomination.


9 posted on 11/14/2011 4:51:49 PM PST by Pelham (Islam. The original Evil Empire)
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To: presidio9

This Newt?

First Amendment? - Gone under Newt:
Newt Gingrich Co-Sponsored the 1987 Pro-Fairness Doctrine Bill
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/04/29/newt-gingrich-co-sponsored-the-1987-pro-fairness-doctrine-bill/

Howard Dean Endorses Newt
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-25/politics/gingrich.dean_1_newt-gingrich-gingrich-candidacy-howard-dean?_s=PM:POLITICS

Stop the Insanity say no to Newt
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-10/politics/30381368_1_newt-gingrich-conservatives-herman-cain

Newt with his BFFS Princess Nancy, Kerry and Al Sharpton
http://www.mofopolitics.com/2011/11/09/friendly-reminder-newt-gingrich-is-a-rino-wimp-and-a-scumbag/

Newt loves HC mandates always has
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/05/13/newt-gingrich-long-time-supporter-of-health-insurance-mandates/3/


10 posted on 11/14/2011 4:55:33 PM PST by editor-surveyor (No Federal Sales Tax - No Way!)
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To: crymeariver

Re “ credit cards”: Newt had a line of credit at Tiffany. So what? He didn’t have a debt at Tiffany, and obviously he could afford whatever he spent. Are we now going to attack “ the rich”?


11 posted on 11/14/2011 4:56:06 PM PST by mh
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To: xzins
What you stand for doesn't matter in this country.

Name recognition, appearances, using cliche and contemporary themes/arguments with their jargon, celebrity endorsement, the timing of things, the politics of sex & race... that's what matters. Newt could have the answer to life and in the end he's “just” an old fat white guy with gray hair and a geeky voice that people don't even notice.

12 posted on 11/14/2011 4:56:40 PM PST by Red6
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To: xzins

Newt’s problems are definitely not his marriages.

Most have enough conflict in their own lives to look the other way on that.

Newt’s problem is that he is absolutely not a conservative. His embrace of utopian global governance is what will keep every thinking voter from considering him.


13 posted on 11/14/2011 5:00:37 PM PST by editor-surveyor (No Federal Sales Tax - No Way!)
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To: xzins

In the marketplace of ideas - Newt has the best selection & great products.

However, the American people are searching the aisles for the most attractive gift wrap: nice hair, tall, good-looking, perfect wife, virtuous life, no runs, no fouls, no errors.

There’s nothing we don’t know about Newt and he knows we know. That’s a good start!!!!


14 posted on 11/14/2011 5:00:56 PM PST by sodpoodle (Cain/Gingrich - a twofer I can go for.)
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To: xzins
His problems are some marriages that went sour, some political errors,

Newt Gingrich was 18 when he married 26 year-old Jackie Battley, his HS geometry teacher. Nine years and two kids later, they had grown apart and Battley, not Gingrich suggested divorce. The went over the papers while she was in the hospital having a benign tumor removed. Not quite as juicy as the hate Gingrich crowd would have you believe, but that's what happened. This does not excuse Gingrich's shameful lack of respect for the sacrament of marriage, but he seems to have undergone a religious epiphany with the help of his current wife, Callista. As a Christian, I am willing to take him at his word on this one. I'm looking for the candidate not named Romney who is best qualified to fix the economy, restore America's place in the word, solve the dysfunction in Congress, and expose Obama in a debate. If character was my only factor, I'd be out campaigning for Tim Tebow.

and some weird thing as speaker that was termed unethical...something to do with a book, iirc. All conservatives at the time knew it was a liberal witchhunt.

While Newt was speaker, democrats filed 84 ethics sanctions against him. Eighty three were dropped -sound familiar Palinites? The one that stuck had to do with a class he taught. The committee could not agree that a violation had occurred, but the settlement agreement required that he reimburse the committee for the cost of the investigation, $300k. Two years later, the IRS cleared him, but the damage had been done.

15 posted on 11/14/2011 5:03:45 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: Qwackertoo
I hate to be blunt, but blunt I shall be. If you don't know history, start reading and researching.

Newt is a snake! He's not a RAT, but he is a SNAKE. Beware, and for all of those that like Newt, then you'd better be prepared to accept the things in the past that he has supported, and those in the future that you know will likely go the way he's going to take them.

If you are a Tea Party supporter, then read on....

16 posted on 11/14/2011 5:04:12 PM PST by LibFreeUSA (Pick Your Poison)
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To: crymeariver
Sorry Newt..you messed up with your choice of spouse. Also, what about the luxury credit cards?

By all accounts, even of enemies, his wife is primarily responsible for Gingrich finally taking Christianity seriously. No wonder the media hates her!

17 posted on 11/14/2011 5:05:19 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9
Lots of short memories around here these days...

Newt Gingrich endorses Dede Scozzafava in NY-23 House race

Gingrich Explains Scozzafava Endorsement, Slams Right-Wing Critics

Memo to Gingrich: Get Lost. Now

Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance

Gingrich donors dropping like flies

Bill Bennett to Gingrich: You’re Shooting at [Paul Ryan] From Behind! (Testy Radio Interview)

Mark Levin grills Newt Gingrich on his comments about Paul Ryan’s plan

Gingrich Calls GOP Medicare Plan 'Right-Wing Social Engineering' (supports individual mandate)

Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance (Newt praises Romneycare)

Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate

Gingrich Apologizes to Paul Ryan for 'Right-Wing Social Engineering' Criticism

Gingrich: ‘Strategic Blunder’ for Palin to Mock Obama as ‘Community Organizer’

Newt Gingrich Acknowledges ‘Contradictions’ On His Libya Views, ‘I Was Trying To Follow Obama’

Gingrich: My Ad on Global Warming with Pelosi was a "Debate," I will "Not Apologize"

18 posted on 11/14/2011 5:05:48 PM PST by Timber Rattler (Don't Tread on Me!)
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To: editor-surveyor
Right now I am for Newt because everyone other than Romney seems to be imploding. But, I share your concerns that there is a big government a-hole in Newt that's constantly fighting to break loose.
19 posted on 11/14/2011 5:06:12 PM PST by bwc2221
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To: Qwackertoo

>> “I’m liking Newt more and more with each debate.” <<

.
Do you think that what he said in any debate will be somehow binding on him when in office?

Newt has always said one thing to get elected, and then done the opposite in office. He has a history of that going back to 1978, when he supported Carter’s legislative agenda, and spearheadded the passage of the Education Department.


20 posted on 11/14/2011 5:07:47 PM PST by editor-surveyor (No Federal Sales Tax - No Way!)
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