Gingrich urges U.S. Republicans to move beyond Obama opposition

Reuters ^ | Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:02pm EDT | Scott Malone

[Olog-hai]

Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich told a meeting of the Republican National Committee that his party needs to move beyond its image of steadfast opposition to President Barack Obama and convince voters its goal is to improve the country.

“We have to get beyond being anti-Obama and we have to convince people you can have hope in America,” Gingrich said on Wednesday. “What we have to do, in a sense, is be a party of optimism and a party of hope and show actual cases of how it can work.”

Speaking at a Boston hotel adjacent to where Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney delivered his 2012 concession speech after failing to unseat Obama, Gingrich said the party needed to be more alert to ways Americans were changing, particularly in their use of technology. “What happened last year? Why were so many of us wrong?” Gingrich asked the group. …

[RedHeeler]

I applaud Mr. Levin for his ingenuity and purpose. Yet,Our Country is being bled out, by a generation of political class, whose words are never backed by substance of personal character/integrity and resolute action. Over the last fifty years, we have fallen into a moral abyss, that will end the greatest attempt of mankind to build a free society. These book signing, speechifying, talk show politicos are great at pretending to be something they truly are not- Patriots. This sick soap opera is coming to a bad end. Reality is not a TV show. Reality is not the glib oral repetition of known conservative values, for another shot in the spotlight. Reality is vastly rewarding, when the nitty gritty, day to day grind, of doing the next right action is our primary purpose. Our supposed leaders have avoided such self-sacrifice, for a long, long time. We are going receive the reality check, well overdue- and that will be Our reality for a very long time. Thanks for your well reasoned response, nathanbedford.

[Zhang Fei]

Gingrich is basically saying that the GOP is being obstructionist on the issues of the day. That’s a pretty cheap shot. He’s basically echoing the Obama line. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

[vaudine]

No one in the GOP-e has a clue. The present Dems are toxic and drunk on power, while the unaware-McLame, Lindsay girl, Pathetic McConnell, etc. think it is the same ole opposition and hunker down in cowardice.

No one addresses the fact that Mittsey was shut down while he was on a roll after the debate--shut down by the same consultants who helped McLame lose--afraid to hit O's policies and confusing that with possible cries of race attack.

Sigh--why are these people too stupid to learn.

It is NOT business as usual and we are losing the country while they twiddle their thumbs and stick their heads up dark smelly places. I cn smell the stench from here.

vaudine

[lodi90]

What a pant load from Newt pushing this MSM/Dem fairy tale. This is the Surrender Party prepping the field for some cave in deals with the kenyan in the fall. Amnesty, debt ceiling, tax increases, etc.

I found it quite interesting that Newt’s big backer Adelson is now one of the main amnesty players. Conservatives are being set up big time by the beltway GOP. They can all GTH

[Graewoulf]

The basic conflict is between those who want Liberty and those who want Totalitarianism.

For over a century various names have been applied by the advocates of Totalitarianism to their groups such as “Progressive,” “Socialist,” and “Communist.”

All such names are based on the King-Slave Style of governance.

The last King-Slave System practiced in America was the Plantation System which ended in a horrific Civil War, and consequences that we are still recovering from today.

Currently, the King-Slave Model has been sold to America as a “Safety Net,” and eagerly embraced by the “47 % “ who pay no person homage to their King.

The 53 % are being led by Republicans who are afraid of effectively opposing the King.

Hence, we have a watershed position in time rapidly approaching where we, the 53 % who pay our personal Federal Income Taxes, must choose between changing the Leaders of the Republican Party, or continue to financially support these same cowardly “leaders.”

Partial Government control is Socialism.

There is partial Liberty with Socialism.

Total Government control is Communism.

There is no Liberty with Communism.

Conservatives are dedicated to conserving Liberty.

The Federal politicians who support whole or partial Government control are either Socialists or Communists.

Conservatives should not donate money or time to these Socialists or Communists.

Will you LEAD, follow, or get out of the way?

Our sorry Democrats and RINOs in Congress have chosen to follow as America continues to not oppose “The Man” in “The Big House” at 1600 Plantation Avenue, in the District of Corruption.

What say all of you?

[stephenjohnbanker]

Good post, LLS.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Has Newt apologized for NAFTA, the WTO?”

Uh....no : )

[jersey117]

The only problem with that advice is that obama hasn’t moved beyond screwing up the country. He can admit and correct his mistakes at any time and engage in serious meetings on overhauling obamacare. But he won’t. So why should we?

[stephenjohnbanker]

” He represents a great part of what is wrong with Washington: “

Self-serving, Blowhard 101.

Go away, Newt.

[stephenjohnbanker]

What I see, as opposed to what I read....

” Newt: “ I am a globalist RINO, and I stand before you today, and warn you to stay away from me! “

LOL!

[Osage Orange]

Good post!

[LibLieSlayer]

Thank you sir!

[LibLieSlayer]

You got that right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IbJensen]

And Newtie needs to keep his trap shut!

[Impy]

Well the SOB is damn right, they party needs to lay out and sell it’s own agenda. He did that in his campaign, though half his ideas were insane and he was so inept he made that clown Perry look good in comparison.

[x]

Hey newt... “The era of Reagan is over”... remember when Rush kicked your butt for saying it?

You're saying Newt was wrong about that?

It sounds like Rush took Newt a bit out of context, but do you really think the Reagan era is still going on?

[stephenjohnbanker]

” half his ideas were insane and he was so inept he made that clown Perry look good in comparison.”

That bee thee problem: )

[LibLieSlayer]

You and I both know that America has changed but that does not change what Reagan was all about... and THAT was what newt was saying was over. He said more than that at the time and Rush took him out behind the woodshed. newt tried to redefine what he said but he just dug the hole deeper. Yes I do believe the era of Reagan lives... it lives within millions of Americans that know the truth. The era of Reagan was about supply side economics... individual responsibility and the freedom that goes with it... we win and they lose... hell yes it is still alive.

It lives in the legislatures of many states and in the hearts of at least 48% of the American People. Reagan's era was our Founder's era... and newt meant exactly what he said. He also said the electorate had changed and moved to the left and that we must as a party change to attract them back. michael steele actually said we must as a party become more diverse and move in the "direction" of the electorate... newt said the same thing. Reagan would have educated them on why the left is always wrong... Santorum and Michael Steele were making the same exact arguments on Bill Bennett's radio show at the time... Morning in America and they meant it too.

LLS

[CutePuppy]

He probably did in his speech because that would be in keeping with his custom and it probably was not reported in this article. I would not be surprised that the media does not believe itself to be in the business of offering its bandwidth for solutions about how to defeat Democrats.

Correct, it's just another case of Gingrich being "lost in translation." This was not a policy speech or policy paper (he published great analysis and some suggestions in the open letter to RNC shortly after Romney's ignominious defeat) - this was just a short introduction address to the Boston meeting with RNC Chair Priebus.

Clearly, "beyond" doesn't mean "instead of" - it means having something to "back it up" and provide a positive, hopeful agenda. You can't beat "something" with "nothing" as many people, including Mr. Romney, had to learn again in 2012.

Short articles in Politico and Boston Herald provide a little more colour, better insight and direction than Reuters':

From Newt Gingrich: No GOP health care plan - Politico, by Tal Kopan, 2013 August 14

< snip > ..... "I will bet you, for most of you, you go home in the next two weeks when your members of Congress are home, and you look them in the eye and you say, 'What is your positive replacement for Obamacare?' They will have zero answer," Gingrich told the Boston crowd ..... < snip >

..... "We are caught up right now in a culture, and you see it every single day, where as long as we are negative and as long as we are vicious and as long as we can tear down our opponent, we don't have to learn anything. And so we don't," Gingrich said, ..... < snip >

..... "I think part of what we have to do in the era of Obama's disaster, is we have to get beyond being anti-Obama, and we have to reconvince people you can have hope in America, that we can have a better future," Gingrich said, according to video of his remarks.

Priebus told CNN he did "not completely" agree with Gingrich's remarks ..... < snip >

From Gingrich tells GOP gathering: 'Get beyond being anti-Obama' - BH, by Matt Stout, 2013 August 14

< snip > ..... "I don't think we beat Hillary Clinton in a personality fight because the media will prop her up," Gingrich told his fellow members in a welcome luncheon ..... < snip >

..... Gingrich, in an event dubbed "Becoming the Party of Breakout," addressed more than 100 Republicans as part of the kickoff to the four-day event, emphasizing the need to address technology and new ideas to shake up the Republican Party. ..... < snip >

..... many Republicans who oppose the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, can't offer an alternative. "It's a very deep problem. Breakout means you have to do the homework. "We have to get beyond being anti-Obama."

[CutePuppy]

Gingrich is basically saying that the GOP is being obstructionist on the issues of the day. That's a pretty cheap shot. He's basically echoing the Obama line. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

How did you come to that conclusion? I hear him saying exactly the opposite.

He is telling elected Republicans that they are all talk and no action, that by not having or being unable to articulate the positive alternative agenda they can be easily portrayed as the "obstructionists" and The Party of No and that they are now or will be losing the PR war to the Dems (as they have done consistently on a number of issues of the day for a number of years now) if they don't have the answers or vision beyond the "Obama is XYZ and his XYZ policies are bad [for you, for the country, for the world]" because people that need to be reached have tuned this out long time ago. That it's time move past the numerous failures of 2012 and learn the lessons, so they don't keep repeating them.

More simply, he is saying that they are lousy "obstructionists" and they need to up their game and offer people "change and hope / hope and change" the same way Reagan did, Clinton ("the man from Hope") did, Gingrich did (with Contract with America) and Obama did, or they will lose more PR battles and not gain much ground in 2014 and 2016 and beyond.

Democrats, on the other hand, are actually organized to make they horrible agenda a PR success - for example see how they intend to enroll as much of low-information segment of population into Obamacare to make it look like enough of a "success" to boast and push the program beyond the tipping point:

From Retirees in Enemy Territory Go Door-to-Door on Obamacare - BL, by Alex Nussbaum, 2013 August 14

Republican governors seeking to make their states enemy territory for Obamacare are facing a counteroffensive. Among the vanguard: two 74-year-old retirees walking the streets of working-class New Jersey. ..... < snip >

..... The campaign is relying on tactics honed in Obama's election victories to promote the law in states where leaders such as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have shown little support. Low enrollment early on could deal the act a serious blow, raising costs for consumers, bolstering Republican attacks and deepening public skepticism. Success could smooth its path into the future. ..... < snip >

..... Would Obamacare cover everybody in the house? "It's for everyone in America," Lee said. ..... < snip >

"Anytime you can talk to people who don't know about the law and give them some information, that's a success," she said. "This is just the first step. These people, we'll be contacting them again." ..... < snip >

I prefer the friends who tell me the truth, not who tell me what I want/like to hear. Gingrich tells them what they are facing now and what they should be ready face in the near future and concrete steps on how best to deal with these challenges, and he points out that most of them and the party in general is still in full "blame and flame" mode and is ill-prepared to deal with realities on the ground.

"A man can't be too careful in the choice of his enemies" - Oscar Wilde

Same goes for friends. With friends like Gingrich we might yet win on the issues.