Newt Gingrich: Big ideas for big debate tonight

Politico ^ | 2/22/12 11:15 AM EST | MJ LEE

[Red Steel]

Newt Gingrich promised ahead of the Republican presidential debate in Arizona on Wednesday night that voters will witness the return of “big solutions” Gingrich and that he plans to leave the negativity backstage.

“I think you’re going to see the person I’ve been in 15 out of 17 debates, which is focus on the big solutions, talk with the American people and try to stay out of the kind of negativity that unfortunately has characterized way too much of this race,” Gingrich said on Fox News when asked what kind of candidate people can expect to see at the Mesa, Ariz., debate.

Gingrich explained that his daughters, Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Cushman, had expressed worries about the negative tone that the recent GOP debates had taken on.

“They were concerned, correctly so, that the weight of negative advertising by Romney had drawn us into a kind of back-and-forth that wasn’t particularly helpful,” the former House speaker said. “I think what people want to know is, are you capable of solving the country’s problems, are you willing to change Washington decisively?”

He added, “My two daughters Kathy and Jackie wanted to see me focus more on the big solutions that will make their lives and our grandchildren’s lives better, and not to get involved in the normal back-and-forth between candidates.”

Wednesday’s debate, hosted by CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona, is scheduled to be the last showdown before Super Tuesday.

[JediJones]

Big spending? This thread is about Newt, not Rick “I wrote laws with Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton” Spendtorum.

[tcrlaf]

If the last CNN debate showed us anything, it’s that “Big Ideas” will be the LAST thing CNn wants to talk about.

I expect LOTS of questions on Abortion, Religion, etc....
Gotta reinforce the approved-Media Matters meme, after all.

[JediJones]

No, we get the hard-line leader of the conservative rebels, the insider-revolutionary who even thought Ronald Reagan was too far to the left.

[cotton1706]

My prediction is that Newt is going to be unpredictable, and will be ready with a snappy comeback to a question on any possible subject, simultaneously answering the question, discrediting the media, and hopefully making Romney look like a stuttering lightweight.

[Red Steel]

we going to mars now,newt?

naw, Rick diverted the taxpayer's moola to food stamps.

New Rick thread here.

Rick Santorum, the Food Stamp Senator

[OHelix]

"Newt’s big ideas will be to outlaw internet gambling and bomb Iran and Gaza. It’s contributor payback time while he is still afloat.

Please direct me to where Newt Gingrich has made outlawing internet gambling part of his presidential platform. I keep hearing people like you attributing that to him, but I don't ever remember hearing it from him myself. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, in regard Iran and Gaza: I have heard him speak at length on many occasions regarding Iran, and Israel's right to exist and defend itself against those who have stated an intention to annihilate it, and have never heard anything like your "bomb Iran and Gaza" characterization. The closest thing he has said to that is only that military action as a last resort, would not be off the table.

[JediJones]

My prediction is that Romney will say Santorum was driven out of office in disgrace because of improprieties on his tax returns. It’s time again for Revisionist History 101 with Professor Mittney.

[McGruff]

GINGRICH: Now, I am going to give you a series of solutions that are big enough to get America back on the right track. And I think this has been the greatest challenge of this campaign.

We have lots of bickering; we have lots of arguments about this and that. We have virtually no discussion of what does it really take to take the most complicated society in the world, the largest economy in the world, and move it back to being the most successful, most prosperous, safest and freest country in the world.

So I am going to try this afternoon to set the stage for that.

And we have tons of details at Newt.org — any of you want, to just go to my first name dot org. You will see an immense amount of material.

But the standard here is that solutions big enough to get America working again — and the principle is to unleash the American people to rebuild the America we love.

Let me start with jobs: If I am the nominee, with your help, I will ask the entire Republican ticket to campaign with me on the pledge that when the Congress comes in on January 3, it will stay in session, and by January 20, when I am sworn in, it will have repealed Obamacare.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: It will have repealed Dodd-Frank.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: It will have repealed Sarbanes-Oxley.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: All three of those are job killing bills, which centralized bureaucracy in Washington DC and increased the corruption of the political system. All three should be repealed and held at the desk until I am sworn in. That afternoon, on the very first day, we should sign the repeal of all three. That's a reasonable start.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: Two hours after the Inaugural Address — that was just the hors d’oeurve. We haven't got around to serious work, yet.

After the Inaugural Address, I will spend it signing executive orders and presidential findings. All of them will have been published by October 1. The country will know precisely what this campaign is about.

The very first executive order will abolish all of the White House czars, as of that moment.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: We will sign, that day, an executive order, which as of that moment, approves of the Canadian pipeline to Houston, period.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: My message to Prime Minister Harper and the Canadian government is simple: You do not need a partnership with the Chinese. Give the American people a few months. When we beat Obama on election night, you can start buying equipment because we will approve it on January 20th.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: There will be an executive order to move the State Department, to put the embassy in Jerusalem as of that day, period.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: We will, that day, reinstate Ronald Reagan's “Mexico City Policy” — No money for abortion overseas, period.

(Applause).

GINGRICH: And we will have an executive order to repeal every act of religious bigotry by the Obama administration period.

My goal, with your help, is that by the time President Obama lands in Chicago, we will have repudiated at least 40 percent of his government on the opening-day.

[org.whodat]

15% and downward trend, LOL, down hill slop all the way.

[ex-snook]

"Your help would be greatly appreciated."

The one who pays big money for the piper calls the tune.

[OHelix]

"Yeah, maybe Newt is going to propose some kind of Star Wars base on the moon or something crazy like that."

Russia has such plans: Russia has vowed to build a base on the Moon within two decades which it plans to use as a staging post for a manned mission to Mars.

As does China: China may send manned flights to the moon and set up a base there by 2030 and it could land on Mars by 2050, a technology think thank [sic] said.

To your skepticism, a visoionary might reply: "You may be right, I may be crazy, but it just might be a lunar trip you're looking for." ;o)

[RetSignman]

I can hardly wait for the fireworks tonight but I hope Newt will go after Team Willard.

[Georgia Girl 2]

The first question to Santorum will probably be:

“Don’t you feel that your religious rhetoric especially the references to Satan and the inference that President Obama is not a Christian are hurting your credibility in the polls?” Followup: “And don’t you think you are straying from the real issues that people want to hear about such as jobs and the economy?”

First question to Newt: “Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks you have seen your support in the polls slip significantly compared to your competitors Gov Romney and Senator Santorum. At what point will you decide that you are no longer a viable candidate and exit the race?”

First question to Mitt: “Governor Romney it appears that you have regained your momentum in the Michigan primary and expect to win there as well as Arizona, and a handful of other states on Super Tuesday. Are you prepared at this moment on this stage to urge the other three candidates to drop out of the race so the party can begin to heal and unite behind you to campaign agains’t Barack Obama?”

First question to Ron Paul: “Congressman Paul in recent days reports of questionable financial accounting practices have plagued your campaign. Specifically your team has been accused of engaging in double billing for plane tickets and other travel expenses. Would you care to defend yourself agains’t this fast expanding scandal?”

[bopdowah]

I gotta chime in yet again: I’m absolutely convinced that Newt Gingrich is the junkyard dog we need to rip Obama a new one and send him running back to his Chicago slime pit with his tail between his legs. Newt has plenty of DC experience as Speaker, executive ability from his many enterprises, and a silver tongue that’s razor sharp! He’s fast on his feet, delivers it straight up with no hemming and hawing, and is often witty. His work with American Solutions was very impressive and as we’ve seen recently, Newt is able to put into words what the vast majority of Americans really believe. His fevered brain also has plenty of ideas for making government work better for taxpayers. Is Newt pure as the driven snow? No - none of the presidential candidates are in line for sainthood. Whatever Newt’s “baggage”, it pales next to Obama’s habitual lying and outright corruption - and unlike Obama, Newt is 100% American! Newt is like Larry the Cable Guy: send him to DC and he’ll “Get ‘er done” for all of us. Junkyard dogs are not show dogs, but they’ll save your bacon! I am damn mad at what Obama and his bootlickers have stolen from us - you should be too - and I want someone to represent me. Newt Gingrich is that man! Sic ‘em, Newt!

[OHelix]

"The one who pays big money for the piper calls the tune."

That's clearly your accusation... now back it up.

If what you say is true it should not be hard to find a quote of Newt Gingrich advocating banning of online gambling. Show me.

Either your accusation holds water, or its full of something else. ;o)

[taildragger]

Ok...

When does someone super-impose Rick's face w/in the Church Ladies?

[houeto]

No I am just saying Newt won’t have an opportunity to go into his big ideas because the moderators probably will take the debate discussion a whole other direction.

Why in the world do we let liberals moderate our debates. There are real an$wer$ to that question.

[Mariner]

CNN would be negligent if they don't go after Santorum on his own words concerning whether American institutions are being coopted by supernatural forces and which Christian denominations are dead to Christianity...and whether he believes Mormonism is a cult.

This is all absolutely fair game.

[WaterWeWaitinFor]

“We going to mars now, newt?

Well - did everyone laugh at JFK when he said we were going to the moon? Some perhaps. Great things have come from the space program. Newt, IMHO is connecting the dots on Ozippy’s trashing of everything American, from the space programs, illegals, vindictive treatment of anything religious, constitutional rights, and lots more.

It's about TIME someone stood up for We The People and stop this ridiculous PC campaigning. Romney looks like a girlie man - how about if Newt and Perry team up? Anyone but Obama at the end of the day, but Newt can help clear ourselves of Romney - I'm all for it. Mars here we come!

[sodpoodle]

You are a keen observer of the MSM modus operandi for GOP debates.

I would not bet against your summary - might even print it out and check your accuracy;) LOL!!