Gingrich commits political malpractice
“I don’t have to go around and point out the inconsistencies of people who aren’t going to be the nominee,” Gingrich said. “I’m going to be the nominee. It’s very hard not to look at the recent polls and think the odds are very high I’m going to be the nominee.”
Right.
Viewed in retrospect, that bit of arrogance has to be disconcerting for Gingrich supporters. What Gingrich said next, though, stands as an act of staggering political malpractice that may lead the remaining Gingrich backers in New Hampshire and South Carolina to re-evaluate everything.
“I don’t object if people want to attack me,” Gingrich told ABC’s Jake Tapper. “That’s their right. All I’m suggesting is, it’s not going to be very effective. People are going to get sick of it very fast. I will focus on being substantive. And I will focus on Barack Obama.”
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Newts going to hit Mittens! oh no, better defend poor ol’ mitt.
Flapjackmaka on January 4, 2012 at 9:23 AM
I’m just looking forward to the wrath Gingrich unleashes on Romney now. Should be really fun to watch.
vegconservative on January 4, 2012 at 9:25 AM
What happened to “Stay Positive” Newt? Has he been….mugged by reality?
thebrokenrattle on January 4, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Romney already destroyed Newt. He’s an afterthought. How is his broke campaign really going to hit mitt. My take: his attacks won’t work bc they come off as sour grapes.
cd98 on January 4, 2012 at 9:30 AM
“an act of staggering political malpractice”
Yeah. Horrible. Far worse than adding trillions to the debt while taking 4 million dollar junkets on the taxpayer dime. (For starters)
vityas on January 4, 2012 at 9:34 AM
It’s “political malpractice” to say that people will grow tired of ineffective attacks? Sound more like common sense to me. If the attacks are effective, people will grow tired of the candidate.
Mord on January 4, 2012 at 9:36 AM
This is just more of that vetting process we’ve been told all the candidates must endure. Just imagine what Obama has in store for Romney.
RedRedRice on January 4, 2012 at 9:36 AM
It depends on what he hits him with. There’s a lot to not like about Romney’s record and if Newt harps on that endlessly, it could damage Mittens’ campaign. There’s a reason 75% of the GOP base isn’t backing him yet.
Doughboy on January 4, 2012 at 9:37 AM
Negative ads on Newt just reminds us why we don’t like him…At least the ones of us that lived thru Newt’s reign.
rich801 on January 4, 2012 at 9:37 AM
You’re going to be disappointed.
Basilsbest on January 4, 2012 at 9:39 AM
By your standard 88% don’t like Newt.LOL
rich801 on January 4, 2012 at 9:40 AM
There is a close connection between having an enormous ego, and being arrogant.
Having an enormous ego without being arrogant is a rare trait.
Dextrous on January 4, 2012 at 9:43 AM
the point when Newt made this personal is the point when he lost. sorry Newt, you’re just playing into Mitt’s hands when you get all angry, erratic, unorganized… characteristics that are unsettling to most voters for one with their hands wrapped around the nuclear football
gatorboy on January 4, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Yeah… me too
beatcanvas on January 4, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Newt should redouble his attacks on Romney. Santorum is a non starter as a national candidate and everyone knows it. His extremist positions on getting Big Brother government into the personal lives of citizens would kill any national candidacy he could think of.
Newt is the only conservative alternative to Romney. The big money boys, Wall Street crony capitalists that took government bailout money and want that to continue that corporate welfare know that Romney is their boy and they launched a money bomb against Newt.
Newt was silly to think he could take the high road but he has now come back to his senses. A very smart and very successful national pol once said that every dollar not spent on negative ads against your opponents is a dollar wasted…maybe that is a bit much but it is correct at its core. Most people are sheep and take negatives easier than they believe positives. Just read through HA on any day and you will see this this correct
georgealbert on January 4, 2012 at 9:46 AM
If Romney can’t even handle attacks from a fading candidate, he is not going to be able to handle Barack Obama. I thought Romney was supposed to be the expert campaigner.
Doomberg on January 4, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Newty is a cranky old man with a bipolar disorder who has no busines in a race for the nomination for President of the USA.
Falz on January 4, 2012 at 9:48 AM
The reality is that negative ads work. You’d think Newt “The Historian” would already know this.
It’s human nature. There is an entire industry devoted to publishing dirt and gossip about well known people. It is huge and it is very successful. People constantly gossip about their friends and neighbors. Nasty gossip is a staple of office water cooler conversations.
But there is an invisible fine line politicians cannot cross lest they be labelled too mean spirited and nasty. Newt may not know where that line is. He may find it by tripping over it and falling flat on his face.
farsighted on January 4, 2012 at 9:50 AM
I wonder how Mitt feels about getting McCains endorsement?
You could see it as a HUGE stink-rag on your shoulder.
Mimzey on January 4, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Deep down, Romney really is a ruthless sob. I don’t know if that’s a good quality for Presidents, or a bad one. I guess it depends on who he aims it at.
RBMN on January 4, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Gingrich. He says things. Reminds me of a talking toy with a pull-string.
Paul-Cincy on January 4, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Staying positive was based on the other side being respectful but how long can someone take attacks ? this is politics not priesthood, Newt should keep telling the truth and if Mitt cosider that as negative, he should use the same advice he gives Newt toughen up.
evergreenland on January 4, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Could you elaborate on Santorum’s extremist positions? Frankly, I think that Newt is going scorched-earth on Romney because he already knows he will not be the nominee, but he wants to aid another candidate who he respects–Santorum.
KickandSwimMom on January 4, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Romney’s led a better private life than the Newton.
You tell me who’s a “ruthless sob.”
blatantblue on January 4, 2012 at 10:14 AM
By the way, that’s S.O.B, not ‘sob.’ ‘Sob’ is what you do after the Iowa Caucuses.
Dextrous on January 4, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Oh, go soak your head in the toilet. I would much rather have McCain as president right now that Obama.
SC.Charlie on January 4, 2012 at 10:52 AM
It’s “political malpractice” to say that people will grow tired of ineffective attacks? Sound more like common sense to me
[Mord on January 4, 2012 at 9:36 AM]
But he didn’t say,
Ineffective attacks > people will tire of them
He said,
Attacks > ineffective > people will tire of them
Your’s is true. His is only true if the attacks are ineffective, which he happens to believe will be ineffective.
Considering that he has previously indicated the attacks are effective, there’s reason to think this is political malpractice.
Dusty on January 4, 2012 at 11:01 AM