Gingrich: The key 'R' word is Republican, not Romney

Human Events ^ | 11/28/2012 | Newt Gingrich

[GVnana]

The key 'R' word is Republican, not Romney

With all the efforts to understand the recent election defeat, a lot of the focus has been on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his campaign.

That is exactly the wrong way to begin analyzing the outcome of the 2012 campaign.

The focus on Romney as a candidate is profoundly misleading for those who want to prepare for future Republican victories.

Any analysis of recent Republican presidential results will reveal a systemic failure which can’t be ascribed to Romney.

The last clear Republican presidential victory was in 1988 when Vice President George H W Bush won with 53.37 percent over Dukakis.

Since then we have lost the popular vote in five out of six elections for president and dramatically underperformed in re-electing a president with the lowest margin in the history of presidential re-elections. (Other incumbents were defeated for re-election but none was re-elected with a narrower margin than President George W. Bush in 2004.)

Consider the results:

[CatOwner]

Regarding the GOP, I thought ‘R’ was for retreat.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Consider the results:”

I did, Newt. We lost because we ran RINOS. Nothing more, nothing less.

[ansel12]

When someone to the left of Bill Clinton can register republican in 1993 and 19 years later be it’s republican nominee for President, while still campaigning against the party’s platform for being pro-life, for homosexual Scout leaders and a gay military, and his only political accomplishments being that he gave the nation gay marriage and Romney Care, then something is wrong within the republican system.

[Christie at the beach]

Newt would had been great to have taken the fight to Obama.

It would have become real nasty though that was what I was wanting for the 2 ideologies to completely collide. These other games that are being played by outside personalities is just noise. The two parties had to fight, head to head. We just didn't get that this time. After Newt's crushing win, in South Carolina, all deals and pay offs came out to stop him. The Republicans have got the moderate wing in power until they let/or we take it from them the Tea Party come in at the table to be in leadership, they will never modernize. They have to listen to Newt or someone like him with the experience. The R's are losing. The C's win.

[Servant of the Cross]

Gingrich nails it ping.

Instead of looking at the Romney campaign in isolation Republican activists and analysts should be looking at the culture, structure and system of the GOP and its consultants, people who are paid for campaign advice without long term institutional responsibilities.

Republicans need a thorough systematic lessons-learned approach because the problem is systemic rather than personality-based.

Ditch all of the national GOPe consultants. And Romney's own inner circle of advisers (fehrnstrom!) was even worse than the national pantywaists.

[marron]

I was wanting for the 2 ideologies to completely collide. These other games that are being played by outside personalities is just noise. The two parties had to fight, head to head. We just didn't get that this time.

I absolutely agree with you. I wanted a straight up fight. Win or lose, I wanted our principles on the table.

Too many Repubs run from their supposed principles, hoping to get elected by hiding what they supposedly believe in, sneaking in the back door. When you win that way you have no mandate and you haven't persuaded the electorate.

I wanted someone who could lay out the case for liberty, and if you do that and lose, at least you lost making your case. The only way to turn the country is to articulate your case and over time the truth of what you say becomes irrefutable. But if you never make the case, you never persuade anyone.

I'm looking to see who stands up right now to carry on the fight. It isn't anyone presently in office, it doesn't look like. Good grief, they reelected Boehner as speaker. They really don't get it.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Newt had a lot to do with his own defeat. When he came out and slammed Romney on Bain Capital he was indistigusible from the occupy wall street crowd.

[Jim Scott]

It’s glaringly obvious that the RNC is flatly opposed to conservative thought and will not support a conservative candidate for president. Unless or until the RINO-loving, ‘Rockefeller Republicans’ are swept out of power in the GOP, the party is doomed to electoral failure. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening any time soon. That is why I intend to switch my voter registration from Republican to independent. I know when I’m not wanted. Although the Republican party’s stand on ‘social issues’ remains valid the GOP no longer reflects my political values or those of most other political conservatives. If the party continues it’s drift to the left I expect it to become irrelevant within another 20 years.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Regarding the GOP, I thought ‘R’ was for retreat.

Regarding Gingrich, "R" stands for "remarry".

Your time has past, Newt. Time to step aside.

[annieokie]

I like this guy: Bill Whittle..........he and Newt would be a great team. watch his Q&A video in that site, he plays the Virtual President. He knows his stuff, as well as NEWT.

http://blip.tv/davidhorowitztv/bill-whittle-6444929

[SpaceBar]

If this is typical of the discourse we have to look foward to for the next four years, brace yourselves for President Biden.

[CdMGuy]

Baloney. We lost because the Republican leadership has been sitting on their collective butts for the past 20 years while the Dems have figured out what it takes to “get the vote out”. They work their butts off at the local level. Yes, they cheat like hell where they can but if the Republicans were as organized as the Dems, they would have won as the Romney voters would have overwhelmed the Obama voters.

[Christie at the beach]

That is a misunderstanding unfortunately. I got what he was saying in that the media would make Romney look like this greedy profiteer/closing businesses, to fire people. Talk radio twisted it up when they should have not. Newt did not leave his principle foundation. It turned out he was right because the left used those all characterizations against Mr. Romney. Newt is very brilliant, thought provoking and people expect him to be this perfect political animal. I wish he had been the candidate because solutions would have really been discussed. I enjoyed it so much when he called Obama and his corrupt administration out. No one else would/ do it. Maybe Palin but not like he took it to the media. I think we are going to have to accept, this is not only a 2 party ideas fight; it is also a fight with the Media. Our next candidate will have to be like a Newt on that level (to be able to handle or to go over the media as Reagan did to promote the message) Imo.

[Christie at the beach]

Once the grassroots work night and day, to get the people elected, they eventually, become milk toast Republican so not to make waves. Term limits is the answer. Romney got a lot of votes thanks to the grassroots/TP. They do a heck a job on the ground but were seeing lot of voters throwing their hands up about the candidate.

[what's up]

When he came out and slammed Romney on Bain Capital

Yes, that was ridiculous.

Newt is a good talker but people also forget that he "caved" over the Gov't shutdown debate with Clinton, the same thing for which people are up in arms against Boehner.

[showme_the_Glory]

The other team was better coached, had a better game plan, and executed better. I players were about the same.

[Psalm 144]

Regarding the GOP, I thought ‘R’ was for retreat.

*************

???

I thought it was ‘reruns’, or ‘retread’...

[hosepipe]

REPUBLICANS Not the RNC selected a liberal to run for President..
NOT THE RNC...

Useing the RNC is just a strawman.. its most republicans that chose the liberal to run..
and by the way REJECTED literally ALL conservative candidates..

IF you are a conservative and still a member of the republican party...
YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM....

The bad apples(RINOS) have spoiled the whole barrel..
If you hang around you are now or will become a bad apple as well..

The democrats have perfected voter fraud to such a beautiful extent VOTING is a loosers game..
You have to give it to them.. it was brilliant..
NEW TACTICS ARE NEEDED.. “voting is not IT”...

Saul Alinsky tactics WORKED.. better than expected..
THIS MUST be admitted and faced.. or you have just become Syisphus.
forever rolling a ball uphill..

** Clue; Many republicans have been rolling a ball uphill for decades..

[Christie at the beach]

->>>REPUBLICANS Not the RNC selected a liberal to run for President..
NOT THE RNC...

Our primaries were full of fraud- like the democrats crossing over....we did not get the person that we wanted in truth.. ABO hurt conservatism/faithful. When I called into the RNC headquarters telling them that we were seeing many voters not enthusiastic for Mitt Romney, they replied that he was the candidate. THIS WAS DURING THE PRIMARIES. Yes, the republicans must be blamed too for following the likes of Bill O Reilly; all of the stuff that are given to swallow thinking it's authentic summaries. We got the candidate the media wanted. Next time, to heck with what they want. Find the most principled conservative out there as far I am concerned and listen to Newt; those like him. If they rerun a moderate, we all better come together the next time and expect less than a perfect man or woman who has more good than fault. IMO.