GOP candidates for Congress bullish on Gingrich at top of ticket

MSNBC ^ | Dec 16, 2011 | By Michael O'Brien

[Jim Robinson]

The hottest argument in Republican circles these days isn’t about immigration, taxes or even health care policy. It’s about New Gingrich and whether nominating him as the party standard-bearer would be disastrous or providential.

The pundits and professional consultants have weighed in on the question in a largely negative manner but many of the Republican candidates seeking election to Congress next fall don’t appear to share the concerns the GOP establishment seems to have about the impact Gingrich would have on downballot races as their presidential nominee. A dozen of the GOP’s top recruits to run for Congress, part of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” program for 35 promising candidates, said in interviews with NBCPolitics.com over the last week that they’re not worried about running with the former House speaker at the top at the ticket. Some are downright excited about the prospect.

"I’ve been telling people all along that Newt is the real thing, and he’s substantially different than when he was Speaker of the House," said Dave Garrison, the Republican challenging Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett in Texas.

“I think for my race, my views are more in line with Newt Gingrich, and if the base rallies behind a Newt Gingrich-like candidate, it will benefit me,” said another Republican running for Congress in the southwestern U.S., who asked for anonymity in order to speak candidly about the race. “I think Newt’s a more exciting candidate; he’s going to bring more attention to the conservative cause.”

[Jim Robinson]

Gingrich's Package deal for the TEA Party Rebellion: Take the White House, take the Senate, continue building the tea party majority in the House, continue taking control of state and local governments, flush the liberal activist judiciary, repeal ObamaCare, repeal/abolish all of Obama's Marxist government, cut and flatten the taxes, reestablish and enforce the tenth amendment, cut regulations, dump the EPA, build the pipelines and drill baby drill, cut entitlement spending by privatizing social security and medicare, cut deficits, balance the budget, drop Obama's idiotic lawsuits against our states, enforce the border, rebuild our military, free our free economy and put our free people back to work!! First with the Reagan Revolution, then the Republican Revolution and now the TEA Party Revolution!! Go, Newt!!

Rebellion is brewing!!

[RockinRight]

New Gingrich

New Gingrich? Is that a typo or is that what we're calling him now? You know, the "New" Newt.

[harpu]

Good to hear from you...I’ve been getting concerned that I was alone with my feelings/support for NEWT!

[fightinJAG]

don’t appear to share the concerns the GOP establishment seems to have about the impact Gingrich would have on downballot races as their presidential nominee

First I've heard that there was any concern about downballot races.

If anything, having any candidate at the top who leaves GOP voters with any sort of queasy feeling will lead to even greater voter intensity downballot.

Plus, most conservatives understand that whoever is President, we must elect as many conservatives to the House and Senate, as well as governorships, as possible. To help push the agenda AND to keep POTUS on track.

[sodpoodle]

Great platform JR - I hope he is interviewed at length or preferably buys time to state exactly those proposals.

He has the Congressional knowledge and experience to get it done.

Damn the torpedoes and get Newt in the chute!!!

[harpu]

Note; ALL things negative is strategy of the ‘rats’ and the lamestream! NEWT scares the hell out of everyone who lives off the gubr’mint’s teet - ‘fawning media’ included!

[Gator113]

Newt is a commin’...... and thar’s gonna to be a new Sheriff in town.

It’s not just about another election, it’s about the survival of our country and the future of our grandchildren. On this, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

GO NEWT GO.........

[cotton1706]

Well, I for one can only say that Newt energizes me and Mitt demoralizes me. I want to be excited next November, not indifferent about what happens.

[Jim Robinson]

[Elite] GOP criticism of Newt Gingrich is mounting

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-12-16/gingrich-criticism-GOP/52007338/1

Excerpt:

Pundits from columnist George Will to former president George H.W. Bush Cabinet member William Bennett to Red State blogger Erick Erickson have questioned Gingrich’s conservatism, his temperament and his sometimes contradictory positions. The National Review, a conservative magazine, editorialized against Gingrich on its website Wednesday, saying that Republicans have a chance to take control of both Congress and the White House but “to nominate (Gingrich) would be to blow this opportunity.”

[RedMDer]

Snip: “I think what we want at the top of the ticket is someone who’s smart and articulate and is willing to challenge the status quo,” said Mark Meadows, a House candidate in North Carolina.

Go Newt!

[Rashputin]

I agree. Newt has a lot of payback saved up that he'd like to pass out to the democrat thugs as well as the RINO crew who were against him when he was Speaker so I think he'd be far less inclined to compromise and make deals that some folks seem to think he would be. He'd probably like nothing better than to see a lot of the familiar faces in both parties replaced with Tea Part folks.

Regards

[Utmost Certainty]

If anything, having any candidate at the top who leaves GOP voters with any sort of queasy feeling will lead to even greater voter intensity downballot.

Nah. If a lukewarm candidate (i.e, Romney) gets nominated, you just get lukewarm, middling intensity for everything else. Whereas having a real leader who can actually inspire, can yield great surges down ballot.

[Gator113]

Perhaps we should refer to him as Newtron (Neutron), because he is going to blow Obama and the democrats War on America off of it’s foundation.... and he’s going to do that intelligently and very quickly.

GO NEWT GO..............

[Jim Robinson]

The sane, safe and legal, don’t say or do anything to rock the boat, call the lawyers first Mitt Romney won’t energize anyone. Newt’s pulling in the conservative base and tea party patriots 2:1 or better over Romney. The only conservatives who vote for Romney will do so by holding their noses. Excitement with Romney? No, it’d definitely be a lesser of two weevils vote.

[trisham]

Bump!

[Parley Baer]

That is just it. The GOP is trying to cram Mitt Romney down our throats. I will have none of it. Go Newt. I am surprised at Michelle Bachmann for being the willing pitbull for the RINO establishment in attacking Newt. It is quite obvious now that she has avoiding attacking Mitt.

[Responsibility2nd]

"I’ve been telling people all along that Newt is the real thing, and he’s substantially different than when he was Speaker of the House," said Dave Garrison...

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Unfortunately this is true. Newt WAS conservative when he was Mr. Speaker. His record since he left office....

 

Much more liberal.

[hinckley buzzard]

George Will, Bill Bennett, and Erick Erickson--three einsteins who have zero campaigns for elective office combined. Yeah I think we should listen to their voices of experience.

[Utmost Certainty]

I think Bachmann’s just trying to peel away enough supporters from Newt so she can hopefully scrape on by remaining relevant through Iowa.

Like an analogy I read earlier, she’s like a drowning person clawing to remain afloat, who will inevitably drag others down with her.

[hinckley buzzard]

It was obvious as soon as she said " I am a serious candidate for president" that she is running for Romney's veep. Serious candidates don't have to tell you who they are.