Newt Gingrich holds town hall meeting in Naples (Packed, overflowing room!)

News Press ^ | 11-25-2011 | Bob Rathgeber

[TitansAFC]

Is Newt Gingrich the latest flavor of the month among the candidates pursuing the Republican nomination for president? Or is he a real candidate who can beat the supposed frontrunner Mitt Romney?

If the reaction from his appearance Friday in Naples is even the slightest indication, then the former Speaker of the House will indeed challenge Romney for a spot on the ticket to face President Barack Obama next November.

At least 800 people crammed into the Hilton Hotel for a townhall meeting. The ballroom was jammed to the gills and loud speakers were added in the the hallways to accommodate those who weren’t allowed into the room.

He was a commanding presence at the lectern. He spoke for 39 minutes without notes and not once in his talk did he even utter one “uh.”

Gingrich speech was aimed at Obama and not his GOP opponents. He used his background as a history teacher to pepper his speech with historical milestones and repeatedly referred to the presidential race of 1860 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

It was then that the two candidates held seven three-hour debates with no moderator, just a time keeper. As he has done in other speeches, Gingrich said that if he is nominated, he will challenge Obama to a series of Lincoln-Douglas-type debates.

He said he has a plan that would force the president into debating.

“You see,” Gingrich said, “when Lincoln challenged Douglas and he at first declined, Lincoln began following Douglas where he was speaking and the next day would answer Douglas. It didn’t take Douglas too long to agree to debate.

“So when I am nominated, I will let the White House be my schedule maker. Where ever Obama goes is where my schedule goes. I won’t show up the next day though, I will be there four hours after he speaks.”

In a speech interrupted by applause more than a dozen times, that brought the loudest and most sustained ovation.

In a debate last Tuesday, Gingrich spoke out about his immigration position, and he said, was misinterpreted by his GOP opponents. He said the tenents of his immigration plan are “Control the border, English is the official language of the United States, and it’s baloney, if anyone suggests that I favor amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants.”

He said the government should make it easier for visitors to get visas. “It should be easier to disspell someone who is not desirable.”

Gingrich said his immigration stance hasn’t changed recently. “Check the transcripts of some debates. I said the same thing at the Reagan Library debate.”

Asked why the brouhaha now on immigration, he said it’s because he’s now running well in polls and his opponents are worried.

In essence, Gingrich appears to be setting himself up as the anti-Romney candidate, someone the tea party can turn to.

Barry Willoughby, founder of the Naples tea party movement, admitted that he has been skeptical about Gingrich, but is being won over to a degree.

“I’ve been following him lately and have been very impressed. I wasn’t that enthusiastic at first.

“The question remains ... is he electable. Does he have too much baggage.”

That also concerns Hal Molhoek of Naples.

“He has a firm grasp of the fact. He makes a lot of common sense. He knows the pulse of the country.

“I’m still not sure. I am a little concerned with his baggage.”

What would a townhall meeting be without an appeal for votes?

“Florida could be the decisive primary. If I win Florida I will be the nominee. I hope to do very well in Iowa and respectably in New Hampshire. We are the favorites in South Carolina. Right now I think Iowa is a jump ball,” he said.

“And, if you know anyone in Iowa, tell them to vote for me.”

[TitansAFC]

The "Newt Gingrich for President" ping list!

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To whom it may concern: If you wish to give me BREAKING news, links, information, or tidbits for the purpose of (perhaps) having me post it at FR, your confidentiality WILL be kept by yours truly. I will tell NOBODY the source of my information.



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SERIOUS solutions to SERIOUS problems!
The Conservative who practices Capitalism and gets hated for it!

---Newt Gingrich 2012.

[napscoordinator]

800 people and we are supposed to be impressed. Heck Sarah Palin filled stadiums. This guy is not impressive with those numbers. How is he to compete with Obama when Obama gets 30,000 and Newt gets 800? Now you know that is a serious problem.

[writer33]

How is he to compete with Obama when Obama gets 30,000

I'm sure Obama couldn't get a tire changed now. Much less 30,000 people in a stadium. Sarah Palin - that's a different matter.

[TitansAFC]

Thought you’d like to see this after our chat.

According to the Miami Herald, more than 1,000 people were crowding the town hall, packing the hallways outside the meeting so much that they brought in loud-speakers so that those outside could hear the townhall, too.

Chants of “Newt” and thunderous applause filled the room.

Today, I added six NEW Freepers to the Newt ping list. :-)

[Grunthor]

“In a debate last Tuesday”

Last Tuesday? As in Tuesday of “last” week? I thought that debate was this Tuesday. Wow time flies.

[Patrick1]

Last time I checked Palin wasn’t running.

[Tucker39]

NEWT PING.

[GOP_Harley_Guy]

Nominate Newt, and you’re making a mistake — replaying the ‘90s all over again. Newt is OLD news. Nothing new from him that I haven’t heard since the ‘90s. And I don’t say that lightly.

[napscoordinator]

So what. She still was able to pack 30 grand into a stadium and Newt can only get 800 and that is impressive? I don’t think so.

[GBA]

He spoke for 39 minutes without notes and not once in his talk did he even utter one “uh.”

It would be great to have a President who is articulate about America, our history and conservative values again, especially in the face of the all out progressive socialism/liberalism the dems and rinos have shackled us with.

I don't know if that person is Newt Gingrich or not, but I'm willing to hear him out and give him a chance to change my opinion one way or another.

I remember the glory days of the Reagan Revolution and long for a return to a better way. Newt was a part of it and knows how it's done.

[TitansAFC]

It wasn’t a stadium, it was a townhall meeting with little fanfare.

They had to turn people away, and there was no room left in the room or the hall.

Yeah, that’s impressive.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

He's probably going to drop significantly in next weeks polls because of his illegal immigration comments. I don't think it will be as significant of a drop as Perry, but I do believe it will cost him the nomination. I'm just wondering who will benefit from it. I hopes it's Cain, but things are jumping all over the place so fast I just don't know.

http://www.hermancain.com/

[gov_bean_ counter]

Mail.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Nominate Newt, and you’re making a mistake — replaying the ‘90s all over again.

And 2008 too.

[hinckley buzzard]

HEHE It was a Town Hall, moron. You don't have a Town Hall in a stadium. Palin would be embarrassed by you.

[napscoordinator]

Ok. Fine you believe that. I suppose if I read that one of the three conservatives participating in the Republican Primary Season, (Bachmann, Cain, or Santorum) received that headline, I would be 1/2 happy too. I would expect much more participation from those three though.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Que ?

[RockinRight]

It has to be compared relative to the size of the venue...

[vladimir998]

“So when I am nominated, I will let the White House be my schedule maker. Where ever Obama goes is where my schedule goes. I won’t show up the next day though, I will be there four hours after he speaks.”

FINALLY!!! Someone gets it.