Posted on 07/16/2016 10:44:19 AM PDT by Jim W N
Long before former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich found himself in the final running for Donald Trump’s VP pick, he spoke about the presumptive nominee in a rather interesting way. And by “interesting,” I mean “not entirely positive,” as the recently suspended Fox News contributor‘s private remarks this past February reveal. What’s more, according to what Gingrich told the Republican State Leadership Committee during their meeting in Washington, D.C., it seems he was praising and insulting the New York real-estate mogul. So much for that running-mate gig, Newt.
Per Pro Publica, it all started when Gingrich broached whether Trump’s successful campaigning would ever translate to governing. At the time, the press was all over studies dissecting the businessman’s penchant for speaking at a sixth-grade level. Hence why, when the topic of Trump’s ability (or lack thereof) to dialogue with the public came up, Gingrich wasn’t sure if it’d translate to actual politics:
“How we make the transition from, you know, language for fourth-graders to real policy, I don’t know.” Yes, Gingrich equated Trump’s speeches to the “language of fourth graders” — a full two grades lower than the science cited by the Washington Post and other outlets. Yet his description of the popular Republican candidate’s words wasn’t meant as a full-blown insult, per se. Turns out Gingrich was actually lauding Trump for his simple word choices, and even gave some off-the-cuff analysis to support its use:
“This is not a guy who’s shallow or simple, but he is a guy who knows an immense amount about marketing, which is why he talks at a fourth-grade level. He talks at the lowest level of any candidate in either party, not because he’s stupid. He does it because he knows if you talk at a fourth-grade level everybody can understand you.” Combined with his recent comments about race relations in the United States and past criticism of Trump’s questionable attacks against a federal judge, maybe “fourth-grade level-gate” will help Gingrich’s VP chances. Then again, considering the increasingly strong likelihood that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has the job, it probably doesn’t matter anymore.
It’s a fair piece I think. Newt DID say this but it was meant a compliment to Trump. I just don’t like the elitist tone of his comments.
“It is a sign of understanding your subject very well to speak in simple terms.”
That’s actually true.
It took a while for me to realize that when experts are hard to understand, it’s not because we are so dumb, it’s because they are obfuscating to hide that they are shams to some degree.
That was the right approach. Most executives are pressed for time and only have a few seconds to scan what’s put in front of them. If its verbose and ponderous, they’ll stop reading after a couple of sentences. They also start wondering about the motives of people who couch their proposals in wordy expositions. Why won’t this person get to the point? What is the real reason they want this?
A clean and simple approach will be welcomed and it will increase the likelihood of future requests being considered.
Way back in the 1980s all teaching manuals in the U.S.Navy’s Recruit Training were written at the 6th grade level.
Agreed. Nice comments.
Trump is “one of us.”
I like Newt but IMO he should be more careful to avoid the ruling elitism tone of phrases like “forth-grade-level speeches” because that is truly how the politicians in their self-satisfied, self-proclaimed “ruling elitism” think about the rest of us.
I would have loved to have been one of his graduate students or post-docs, apparently he spent a lot of time at bars!
Unfortunately, I have to disagree with number two on your list. After electing Obama twice, after being so easily led by white house race baiters and main stream media like drooling Oxen with rings in their noses, I am not overly optimistic about the influence of the electorate. My hope is enough of them will stay home protesting not having Bernie on the ballot. Enough will either stay home or vote Green Party to give the election to Trump.
Agreed. Excellent post and comments.
I call it “academia elitism” and it is highly contagious in the academic and political world. I like Newt but as I said, the elitism “klingons” are hard to scrape off.
“Do not use words such as ‘indubitably’, ‘subsequently’ or ‘pernicious’. It makes folks nervous, then they tune it out.”
No disrepect intended, but they are 4th grade level speeches. The names he uses are also 4th grade level: “Crooked Hillary”, “Lyin’ Ted”, “Little Marco.” When I first heard this, I thought: “what is this, grade school?”
But it seems to be working for him, or at least it has so far. It doesn’t present a very flattering picture of our voting populace that this is what it takes to win over voters, but it’s not a bad reflection on Trump. Quite the opposite, I think. He’s hit on something that no other candidate has, and that’s marketing your message in language your customers can understand.
Elites (to each other): we need to print money and refinance the debt
Elites (to the public at PhD level): we need quantitative easing
Public: ok
Trump (to the public at 4th grade level:) we need to print money and refinance the debt
Public: printing money is bad
Elites (to each other): The peons aren’t supposed to know what QE is
Elites (to the peons at 4th grade level): Trump’s an idiot. Don’t listen to his 4th grade level crap. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about since he can’t explain it with college level sentences. Beside you already know printing money is bad.
Not only understand, but understand “instantly” without processing. A person who hears Trump speaking will still understand what he’s saying even if not paying full attention because the brain processes it almost “in the background”.
Be that as it may, Trump is not talking down to us as does Obama, the Left, and many in the GOP, possibly even Newt when he’s not careful. Trump is one of us and he has a way of saying what we’re thinking.
Good one.
Oh yeah! Pro Publica. /huge eyeroll.
That’s a reliable, unbiased source. /big time sarc.
It’s a fair piece I think. Newt DID say this but it was meant a compliment to Trump. I just don’t like the elitist tone of his comments.
Haha, as a lark, I once used the word “chimera” in a progress report. Needless to say, I got a visit in my office from the tech boss.
Newspapers have been written on a 4th grade level for decades.
I’m not a mindless Trump cheerleader, but Donald Trump is doing this right. Cruz made an intellectual but worthless comment about Hillary and Bernie: “That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks”. Nice if you’re in academia, but he lost almost everyone he needed in the audience. Trump uses simple, clear statements, and everyone understands him.
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