Free Republic

Link only: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-26/-stop-newt-republicans-confront-base-unwilling-to-take-orders.html

Panacea, Florida (CNN) -- While media outlets and Beltway pundits might use state polls to gauge the race in Florida between GOP presidential hopefuls Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, Ron Crum uses poles. Fishing poles. Crum, a Republican small business owner in this sleepy seaside town south of Tallahassee, calls Romney a multi-millionaire who expects to get breaks because he's rich -- be it a low tax rate or the GOP nomination. But former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Crum says, is a man who understands the plight of the working class and can articulate conservative principles effectively. Picking up...

After being pummeled by Newt Gingrich in a series of debates, Mitt Romney employed a new strategy last night at the debate in Tampa, Florida. He was more aggressive and attacked Gingrich on everything from his tenure as Speaker of the House to his contract with Freddie Mac. In contrast, Gingrich was more subdued and spent the evening responding to the Romney assault. Since his last debate, Romney hired Brett O'Donnell as his debate coach. O'Donnell previously worked with the Michele Bachmann campaign. According to Gingrich, O'Donnell's "speciality is to say as many untruths as fast as you can." Although...

COCOA, Fla.—A two-man fight for Florida is emerging ahead of the state's final Republican presidential debate, with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich pounding each other over personal and professional vulnerabilities. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul will take their places on the stage for Thursday night's debate but have their sights set elsewhere and have largely stayed away from the Romney-Gingrich drama. Public opinion polls had Romney and Gingrich in a tight race. The winner of Tuesday's primary will score something no one has yet claimed in a tumultuous primary season: a second victory. The first...

Gingrich a star on Reagan team: Romney "work product" as conservative at issue. Mitt Romney has raised the issue of Newt Gingrich's "work product." Wow. Intended to prod the former Speaker on the issue of his work for Freddie Mac (Gingrich last night released his contract with Freddie), the question, as seems to be a Romney characteristic, has clumsily backfired. It raises an all-too obvious question that is becoming increasingly revealing. What is Mitt Romney's "work product" for the conservative cause? The closest Mitt Romney ever got to the Reagan Revolution is apparently because he reads about it 30 years...

There is something truly obscene about the full blown assault on Newt Gingrich’s strong Reagan conservative history from and on behalf of Mitt Romney, who unabashedly ran away from the Reagan legacy and conservative principles in his 1994 Senate campaign and 2002 gubernatorial campaign. Truly obscene.

“Quinn is a former professor at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University who was excommunicated in 1993 for apostasy based on his historical writings. Instead of trying to deny Joseph Smith’s penchant for occultic activities, Quinn—who says he “remains a DNA Mormon”—concluded that Smith’s background truly did involve divining rods, seer stones, a hat to shield his eyes in order to see hidden treasures, amulets, incantations, and rituals to summon spirits. “Smith was a magician first class, Quinn believes, but he holds that Mormonism’s founder was also a man of God who used his magical tools to communicate with the Almighty...

As it turns out, Maine Republicans in a few towns will caucus this Saturday (January 28). The original plan I spoke with the Maine Republican Party about back in September revolved around the idea of holding caucuses within a window from February 4 and February 11 with a big reveal on that final date. That is still mostly true as most of the caucus venues will hold party meetings within that window. However, there are a few caucuses that branch out quite far from those two bookend dates. The collective caucus Lincoln, Lowell, Burlington, Chester, Enfield, Winn and Howland will...

VIDEO - Reagan's National Security Advisor Endorses Newt Gingrich At a veterans townhall meeting in Wolfeboro, NH, Bud McFarlane, National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, explains why Newt has the right experience and knowledge to be the Commander in Chief. "He also brings to the presidency a knowledge of how to move the U.S. Congress, how to have the courage to go against conventional wisdom, how to balance a budget, and at home and abroad show the kind of leadership that President Reagan did only 25 years ago. Nobody else in this race has those qualities of knowledge and...

© mmxii ittm® Somewhere in Alabama: While I profess no skills in the field of "Political Projections" that fact does not preclude me from taking "my best guess"; so here goes.I figure I am about as scientific and rational as any of the "smart guys"! If you look at the Assumptions you will find how I arrive at my conclusions. I see no reason for Newt not picking up the lions share of the McCain vote.I believe these voters reflected the "saner" side of the issue in 2008. (Of course Sarah didn't hurt the ticket)Nor do I have any reason...

Newt up against the Prophet Obama would be a painful thing to watch. He might be deft with one-liners but it would be futile. There are .. uncommitted voters to be cultivated in 2012 — all would be unmoved by Newt’s juggling of conservative shibboleths.. Now Newt is hustling my fellow conservatives .. The last time around he successfully hustled conservatives in the House of Representatives and on the House impeachment committee.. He blew the impeachment and .. his role as Speaker. He now says Republicans in the House were exhausted with his great projects. Nonsense, they were exhausted with...

Different crowds, different tones at events for the 2 top GOP candidates. The two leading Republican presidential candidates came to Central Florida on Wednesday, and their events — and reception by voters — couldn't have been more different. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney showed up at factory in Orlando on Wednesday morning, telling a politely enthusiastic crowd of about 400 that President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night showed that the president is out of touch with America. "We have a president who is detached from reality. He's detached from the people. He's detached from his own...

There is something truly obscene about the full blown assault on Newt Gingrich’s strong Reagan conservative history from and on behalf of Mitt Romney, who unabashedly ran away from the Reagan legacy and conservative principles in his 1994 Senate campaign and 2002 gubernatorial campaign. Truly obscene.The latest iteration comes from Elliott Abrams writing in National Review, quoting pieces of a single speech Newt apparently gave on the floor of the House on March 21, 1986, in which Newt criticized certain foreign policy decisions of the Reagan administration. Abrams does not link to the full speech or to other speeches of...

"50 Things you may not know about Rick Santorum......."

Sen. Rick Santorum has no viable path to victory and brings no new issues or ideas to the table. He no longer serves a purpose, or has a justification to remain in the race. Santorum has no viable claim that he is more conservative or more electable than Gingrich. He has no viable claim that he will be better in raising money, in organization, or would do a better job as president. There is simply no path for him. Further — despite winning Iowa, Santorum lost badly in NH and SC, and has no means to complete in FL. It...

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Rick Santorum, coming off a drubbing at the hands of fellow conservative Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, cancelled his scheduled appearance at an Univision forum, at least according to Univision..........

Newt was running late to our rally today in Coral Springs by about an hour and half. But instead of causing folks to leave, it provided an opportunity for many more to show up. Hardly anyone from the establishment GOP of the county came to the rally. But Tea Party activists of note were all over the place with one of them, Chad Lincoln, acting as emcee and giving updates until Newt arrived. Of course we were not without drama. Many Ron Paul nuts were out and about. I have never witnessed so many of them showing up in one...

Rick Santorum has said he will be in the race for the long haul, and I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. But what message does it send his supporters in Florida that he’s not even hanging around for election night? Failing to show early signs of momentum in the Sunshine State, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Wednesday signaled he may be cutting out of Florida before the state’s Jan. 31 primary. Speaking to reporters here, the former Pennsylvania senator said was unsure if he would be in Florida the night of the primary, committing only to campaigning in...

A protester and the crowd have a party

When you compare the substance of the so-called rowdy mob debates in South Carolina with the serious Brian Williams exercise in Florida, there is simply no contest. Yes, it is true. The substance of the supposed cockfights in Carolina was actually far more intellectually important and informative than anything that was accomplished in Tampa. Frankly, what these debates must have are intelligent, concerned, and rowdy crowds to keep the feckless and clueless liberal moderators on the subject of anything important. Moreover, their reaction to the passionate and articulate defense of conservatism is a good way to motivate the candidates to...