Posted on 02/16/2012 10:10:29 PM PST by VinL
If anyone needed proof that there's only one intellectual heavyweight in the GOP race, this news proves it. Here's the breaking news: [ Romney, Santorum Paul drop out of the GOP debate].
TRANSLATION: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are afraid of getting bested by the best debater in the GOP field.
Here's the reality: Speaker Gingrich has frequently mopped the floor with these candidates' backsides in the debates. Can anyone picture Ronald Reagan backing out of the opportunity to debate an opponent?
It's true that this "strips Mr. Gingrich of his preferred mode of campaigning," it gives him a different opportunity to belittle his opponents. Why would Mitt 'Mr. Inevitable' Romney and Rick 'Mr. Momentum' Santorum run from the opportunity to debate 'Down in the polls' Newt Gingrich?
They've now told the world that they're afraid to debate the smartest conservative on that stage. Think of how this looks to the average voter. These candidates aren't projecting an image of strength. They're projecting inferiority. They're projecting a lack of confidence.
Conversely, the image that Newt is projecting is that of being the superior solutions guy, the intellectual heavyweight and the man who won't back down from a fight. That's the image a winner projects...
Real men fight battles. Instead of fighting, these 'gentlemen' chose to run and hide. In hiding, these candidates showed they don't have the fortitude it takes to be the leader of the free world. If they can't stand up to a candidate, why think that they'll stand up to Putin, Ahmadinejad or Chavez?
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
I think that you forget that they are supposed to be three candidates at each other's throats and wanting to do battle in debating each other. Interesting that you merely see them as a single team against Newt.
Read my link in #17. When Rick challenged Newt to a Lincoln-Douglas debate in Iowa prior to the caucus, and Newt failed to accept (but did accept one with Huntsman about a week later), did that knock Newt down a notch?
Now where’s my in foil, I need to protect my brains.
******************
Now, you see Gulf, you let yourself WIDE open with that remark in this debate. But, I’m not that type of poster/debater to take cheap shots. You’re a fellow conservative, presumably.
But, now you can see why Newt’s adversaries ran from the debate- they couldn’t take the chance of competing with Newt in debate.
I don’t know why this thread has gotten so long— everyone knows what the article’s author says is absolutely true. -:)
I think they came to the same conclusion that the rest of the country has.Newt No Longer Matters.He can go sit on his couch and whine while Pelosi comforts him.
Could be. They won't debate him again unless they have to. As long as he is polling weak they are better off to keep their distance. Gingrich needs a nation-wide TV broadcast to turn things around and its not in their interest at this point to let him have it.
I always thought the best chance to beat Romney was for Gingrich and Santorum to join forces. Maybe Santorum has hitched his wagon to Romney with the reverse calculation.
Because he needs it now. It sucks to not have a choice, but Newt put himself in that position.
***********
What’s the difference. You say Rick challenged him, now he has his chance. What’s he afraid of?
Incidentally, I’m accepting what you say as fact- but a doubt Newt would have avoided a Lincoln/Douglas debate with Rick. He likes Rick. And if you watched the LD debates with Newt and Cain and then Huntsman- they were merely discussions - they weren’t actual debates.
They all just chose not to dance to CNN’s fiddle when they had better things to do.
*************
Certainly, I won’t try to change your mind. Suffice it to say, that many people (not you), especially in Ga, are going to believe the 3 wimped out.
Newt's mistake was getting down in the gutter with Mitt and getting off message. After watching those two flinging poo at each other many voters said, "A pox on both your houses!" The only other palatable contender was Santorum, so they took another look at him and obviously like what they saw. Newt could have weathered the Romney attacks if he'd stayed on message. Instead he looked angry and whiny.
Read my link at #17. I posted it the night after Rick issued his challenge on Greta's show last December:
“Newt’s been campaigning on doing Lincoln-Douglas style debates and I think it’s a great idea - Count me in. The voters deserve more than 60 second sound bites, they deserve substance and real solutions to the problems facing our nation. This will be a great opportunity for the people of Iowa to learn more about us, our records, and our vision for America. Newt and I have been friends for 20 years, so this will be fun. Game on.”
I'm not aware if Newt ever responded, but if he did it was not to accept; there was no one-on-one between them in Iowa. To my knowledge, the Santorum campaign never called Newt on not accepting, but in the light of all the accusations of Rick's "cowardice" today in regards to the Georgia debate, I certainly think it's fair to raise the issue.
I think they came to the same conclusion that the rest of the country has.Newt No Longer Matters
***************
Ok. But what about themselves. Ga is proportional representation with the biggest pot of delegates on Super Tuesday. Why not take the opportunity to enhance their own candidacies? Why not showcase themselves before a national audience? That’s usually what presidential candidates do- they go on mass media for free air time to promote themselves.
I’m not aware if Newt ever responded,
*************
Joe, then you don’t know what happened. Rick surged in Iowa, maybe they decided not to do it- who knows? I sincerely doubt Newt would refuse to debate anyone—
Well I don’t want a humorless Bush reincarnate that’s figured out how to recite the magic talking points.
Newt’s capabilities are self-evident unlike the other govt bit players.
>> Newt’s mistake was getting down in the gutter with Mitt and getting off message.
No doubt, but that was triggered by Romney’s Dresden campaign against Newt.
Then he should have refuted the smears and gotten back on message, not gone nuclear. Nobody wants another angry, whiny president. We've already got that!
Yeah, he got off message.
I’m voting for Santorum here in Tennessee, as are any other conservatives I’ve managed to ask.
I’ve been trying to tell everybody, Newt is the only one with TRUE GRIT. If everybody would give him a chance, he would probably be the best president ever.
Given that Gingrich fell flat in the last two debates, and Santorum cleaned up by attacking Romney, who was kept on his heals, the author has a fundamental problem with his “argument”.
Romney is skipping because he gets nothing from debating. Santorum is skipping because Romney won’t be there.
Conservatives wouldn’t benefit from a debate without Romney; the mods would get the conservatives to fight each other, hurting both of them; Paul would help in that fight, and Romney would be the beneficiary.
Funny, I live in Tennessee and everybody I talk to is for Newt. I hope he does well here.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.