In Gingrich's last two debates and the speech he just gave in Palm Beach FL, he talked about cutting taxes and regulations, repealing ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, and Sorbates-Oxley, getting rid of Obama’s “czars,” and even getting the Tenth Amendment in motion – all good.
But I haven't heard him say a word explicitly about CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING. Obama's multi-trillion-dollar drunken Marxist-Keynesian poli-psycho spending binge has taken the U.S. to the brink. Gingrich, PLEASE EMPHASIZE LESS GOVERNMENT. Don't talk so much about what our government can do (building the transcontinental railroad and going to the moon), talk about unleashing the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Talk about CUTTING GOVERNMENT! BY OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS!
Some of my thoughts about the last two debates:
1st FL debate: The Cain method of, "Just go to my website" doesn't work. The American people don't know all the ins and outs of this stuff and deserve a straightforward, hard-hitting, no-nonsense answer from Gingrich on these charges. Whether they're false or not, the American people deserve a clear, concise answer on WHY they're false, what the truth is, and then (if they're false) a sharp rebuke on the perpetrator(s) and a reiteration on the media's attempts to move the debate away from the REAL problem: Obama and the Dems.
2nd FL debate: I really think Gingrich could have done more to take the thunder away from Santorum and Romney (who really blasted Gingrich early on). Apparently Gingrich later said he was so surprised by Romney's dishonesty that he didn't know how to answer until he checked the facts later to be sure.
But I think Gingrich could have really fired back and launched some spot-on points about things like the trillion-dollar deficit, less, not more, government programs, etc. I think he probably missed his que right at the starting gate when Blitzer baited him into a swipe at Romney. In the past, Gingrich has successfully called the moderator on that kind of stuff. (He did later but not as effective.)
I'm actually wondering if Gingrich's handlers influenced him the last couple of debates to play a "prevent defense" (almost always fails) instead of putting on a full-court press (i.e. advised to defensively keep from losing instead of offensively going all out for the win).
I think Gingrich has missed the boat by not going after Romney’s allegations and not being more aggressive in attacking Romney’s issues.
I don’t understand why Newt doesn’t just keep hitting Romney in his liberal record. That’s Romney’s glass jaw in the primaries: His record as governor of Massachusetts is to the left of Obama’s record as President.
I agree, and have said it before. Newt pleaded nolo contendere at the debate when Romney fired off a hail of “resigned in disgrace” at him. He should have refuted that on the spot. You have the floor, a nationally televised debate, that’s no time to be providing a bibliography entry called newt.org.
Several people on FR jumped on me for suggesting that seniors in FL get their input from the tv, not the internet; but PPP comes to the same conclusion. Seniors are breaking for Counterfeit Mitt.
It seems that way watching the last two debates.
I Hope this poll is wrong.
Newt doesn’t believe in slashing government spending, so that’s why he doesn’t talk about it.
I don’t see Newt as a small government guy, he is more of a reformer, innovator than he is a cutter. He did say he’d roll back to 2007 level spending where possible but clearly cutting government is not what Newt is about. Reform Yes, Cut, slash and Burn, not so much. Folks that want to really cut government would make getting rid of the income tax by eliminating the 16th Amendment a top priority since it is the income tax that enables big government.