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.”

[Apollo5600]

Showmanship is all he’s got. If he cheated on his wives, he’ll cheat on us too. We’ll be lucky if he leaves 20 bucks on the dresser after the honeymoon night.

[org.whodat]

500 hundred of them were illegals, they thought he was having an amnesty drawing.

[DTogo]

Conservatism, experience, results, eloquence, statesmanship, knowledge.
Infidelity, Washington Insider, bi-partisan statism, amnesty, global warming, arrogance.

SERIOUS solutions to SERIOUS problems!
Serious PANDERING on SERIOUS problems!

The Conservative who practices Capitalism and gets hated for it!
The Establishment Republican who practices fair-weather cronyism and gets paid for it!

[federal__reserve]

But do those 800 people know these facts?

“Criticized Paul Ryan's plan saying social engineering from the right is bad”
“Era of Ronald Reagan is over!”
“We are not going to deport 11 million people”

For healthcare mandates before he is against it!
For man made global warming before he is against it!
Newt was actually FOR Cap & Trade!!
Partnering with Al Sharpton on Obama’s education reform.
Partnered with Hillary Clinton to advocate health-care IT legislation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThwVp0cwOMA individual mandates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154 climate change

Newt Received Over $300K for Work for an Ethanol Lobbying Group
Gingrich Received Over $300K for Work for an Ethanol Lobbying Group
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/265555/gingrich-received-over-300k-ethanol-lobbying-work-katrina-trinko



Newt voted to create the Department of Education.
Newt voted for the Amnesty.
Newt voted to lock up 65 million acres of Alaskan wilderness.
Newt voted to give China Most favored Nation status.
Newt pushed the liberal Scozzafazza in NY23( a GOP district) when there was a perfectly good conservative running in the race.
Newt is for the Individual Mandate where Health Insurance is concerned.
Newt is NOW for a limited Amnesty based on years of illegal stay.
Depending on the day of the week, Newt believes Global Warming is real.
We need a conservative, not a moderate globalist.

[Clemenza]

Fatboy Newt has about as much a chance of getting the nomination as I do of bedding Scarlett Johanssen.

[dfwgator]

Fatboy Newt has about as much a chance of getting the nomination as I do of bedding Scarlett Johanssen.

Especially since for that to happen, she'd have to break up with me first. ;)

[rintense]

Yes! Seems some need a big, conservative reality check.

[lonestar]

In Naples? LOL!

[Graewoulf]

” - - - “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.”

Newt, you left out how YOU are going to pay for the 2.6 Trillion dollars in entitlement payments to these 11 million illegal aliens.

Don’t ask us to vote for you, as we are TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY!

BTW, nice try with the “baloney” and “suggest” words to frame us the way the Obaminator does. You are picking up a few of his tricks.

BTW, BTW, until the POTUS candidates spell out how he/she will make the USA hostile to illegal immigrants, do not bother us with you useless “strengthening” of a 2000 long border. We are very good at spotting money ratholes.

[BobL]

“In Naples? LOL!”

Ever been there? That place is PACKED with Illegals. It was GROUND ZERO of the housing bubble and subsequent disaster.

...and it wasn’t today’s high school kids building those houses.

[altura]

Newt is actually fun to listen to. He is glib and articulate and knows a lot about a lot of things, including things not related to politics.

He has a million ideas and would implement some good ones and some bad ones.

I’ll take him over the others, but Rick Perry is the best candidate running. He does have the occasional pause and an ‘uh’ here and there, but we know what he would do because he’s done it in Texas.

[federal__reserve]

Newt, you left out how YOU are going to pay for the 2.6 Trillion dollars in entitlement payments to these 11 million illegal aliens.

Newt will just make the 1% pay their fair share /SARCASM Squared

[DungeonMaster]

Go Newt!!!!!!!!!!!!

[montag813]

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.”

He comes across like a confident if arrogant professor. The problem is, it is an illusion. He is a corporate whore, who will sell out the base in favor of the Chamber on illegal alien amnesty. He is the king of crony capitalists, having netted $115 million in just 6 years to sell his influence with his former colleagues. He isn't the first politico to cash in, but the first to make the jump, and then have the gall to run for office - the presidency, no less. He is a dead candidate walking. Debates with Obama? He would be 20 pts down before they even began. thankfully he won't make it that far, as he unzipped his fly on illegals this week. He is done.

[Fred]

They both support mandates and amnesty - Obama will make that real clear in Newt’s special debates and so will the evil DNC machine...

[Gator113]

“If he were half as smart ..”

Example of.... smart:

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/11/14/brutal-cain-blanks-on-libya-supports-collective-bargaining-for-public-employee-union/

[campaignPete R-CT]

http://www.newt.org/

[DungeonMaster]

Go Newt!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

The difference is in the arrogance of it. Even if Newt is “smart” I don’t need him telling me that all the time. Someone who does that either has an ego bigger than their head or is insecure.

[mriguy67]

He’s probably probably the smartest guy up there, and most dont like his personl life issues, but when looking at the big picture- romney is a Rino- Cain, who I like just doesnt know anyting about the rest of the world, however Newt would be smart to put him in a position to get job creation going. Perry has dug his own grave. We must pick the best of what we have and economic issues trumps mewts personal issues