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Understanding the Gingrich Phenomenon (and his appeal to a younger audience)
FOX News ^ | November 28, 2011 | Van Hipp

Posted on 11/28/2011 9:57:44 AM PST by presidio9

Last summer, when all of the pundits had pretty much written off Newt Gingrich’s presidential candidacy, my niece, a college sophomore whom I always believed to be apolitical, remarked, “My friends and I like Newt – he tweets a lot on Twitter.”

I should have remembered that.

Two years earlier, I had heard Gingrich speak at the National Rural Health Association’s Annual Conference. At the beginning of his remarks, he took out his new mobile phone, and thus began a 30 minute dissertation on social media as the new paradigm in communications, and challenged us all to learn it, understand it and implement it.

Gingrich, ever the student of history, grasped early on the significance of President Obama’s use of social media as an effective tool for communications in the 2008 campaign.

Unlike Obama, Gingrich has had scarce resources and hasn’t had a cadre of aides, handlers and public relation firms to devise his social media campaign strategy. Instead, the 68 year-old former Speaker of the House from Georgia, whose campaign up until now has been just about a "one man band," learned everything he could about social media and how to effectively employ it. As a result, he is now the one Republican presidential candidate who has mastered its use, and the results speak for themselves.

Today, Gingrich has over 1.3 million followers on Twitter. His nearest rivals, Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, have roughly 170,000 each, followed by

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gingrich; globaltax; globalwarming; newt; newtmania; newtured; reevaluategingrich
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To: presidio9
I would disagree with you on the younger generation voters.

If we get a candidate that is inspirational they will come out to vote.

Obama demonstrated this in the last election.

61 posted on 11/28/2011 4:55:24 PM PST by not2worry
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To: not2worry
If we get a candidate that is inspirational they will come out to vote.

This was not your point. You criticism was that Gingrich does worst with young voters. My response was that ALL Republicans (with the notable exception of libertarians) do worst with young voters. Again, this is because the average voter becomes more conservative as they age.

In any case, Carter actually BEAT Reagan among 18-29 year olds, so even the point you are making is dubious.

62 posted on 11/28/2011 5:06:30 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

I have 2 kids in college. Word is that their friends are supporting Paul or Gingrich. Obama is out.

Should be interesting.


63 posted on 11/28/2011 5:13:44 PM PST by Raebie (WS)
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To: Raebie

Which college?


64 posted on 11/28/2011 5:15:55 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

UNCW. A bunch of them watched the debate at our house last week. It was interesting to see. The former Obama voters were leaning heavily towards Paul. I’m beginning to think a 3rd party run by him might hurt Obama more than us.


65 posted on 11/28/2011 5:20:27 PM PST by Raebie (WS)
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To: Raebie
The former Obama voters were leaning heavily towards Paul. I’m beginning to think a 3rd party run by him might hurt Obama more than us.

Depends on who the nominee is. If it is Cain, I suspect you could be on to something there. If it is Gingrich, Romney, or Perry behavior on this website has led me to believe that some percentage of conservatives might actually vote for Paul as a protest. In any case, Paul's position on Iran alone disqualifies him from the CIC role.

66 posted on 11/28/2011 5:25:26 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

I think what’s been missing is a discussion about what disillusioned young people may do...those who supported Obama in 2008. Paul has a big following on campuses, as well as at OWS events.


67 posted on 11/28/2011 5:31:17 PM PST by Raebie (WS)
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To: Raebie
I think what’s been missing is a discussion about what disillusioned young people may do...those who supported Obama in 2008. Paul has a big following on campuses, as well as at OWS events.

No surprise there. Libertarianism appeals to those who are either too stupid, or lack the life experience, to think its oversimplified proposals through to their natural conclusions. The reality is that most of these people can't be bothered to vote at all.

68 posted on 11/28/2011 5:34:17 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: livius
The foaming-at-the-mouth "fry 'em all/deport 'em all" folks...

are playing with fire. They have no capacity to see more than ten feet in front of them so they don't comprehend the consequences if their "solution" were to be implemented. It is a mathematical certainty that the Moveon/Occupy/LaRaza/you-name-it Obamanoid Leftwing assholes would leap at the chance to paint the rest of us as racist capitalist hatemongers. The media would pull out all stops to flood the public with video clips of wailing old women watching their grandchildren being crammed into trucks by American troops and police.

"deport 'em all" is a recipe for blood in the streets and riots on a Rodney King scale, only nationwide. Marx would be grinning in triumph. The republican party would become extinct. Conservatives would be blamed and condemned far and wide.

The American nation would have cut off its legs to save its toes.

69 posted on 11/28/2011 8:30:40 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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