Majority of what? Polls show him doing well.
His overly self confident (arrogance) isnt a good attribute, but that hasnt stopped him from finagling meaningful compromises which were a benefit to the country. I can only guess people are more focused on someone who has a profound insight and workable ideas than salesmanship or looking at this like a prom king event as in the past.
Majority of the country. As in, non-GOP-primary voters. Overall he’s at something like -28 approve/disapprove. In head-to-head matchups he loses by 10 or more to Obama. Women, by and large, hate him. Moderates hate him. Only the GOP primary voting population seems to love him right now.
All of this could change, but there is a reason the GOP establishment is melting down over his potential nomination.
I wonder about this to. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a attack ad bring up electibility. I guess it just seems too wonky and bloodless to bring up someones poll numbers in a TV spot. OTOH, ts probably Romney’s best argument if he could figure out a way to make it more well known to the GOP primary electorate.
(oddly in the bits of the debates I’ve caught, its Newt attacking Romney’s electibility by saying he’s only won one election that seemed most prominant).
Going by his record as Speaker, he never did anything but obstruct compromises which were a benefit to the country; while speeding all compromises not beneficial, like the Taxpayer Relief Act. (And, hey, what ever happened to that term-limits thing?!)
The problem with bringing up electability in an attack ad is that calling your opponent “too conservative to be elected” will turn off conservatives. That’s why they say things like “I can work with both sides” instead.
His solutions to illegal immigration seems like a perfect compromise on a huge issue.
Welfare reform? Clinton and the left had different ideas on how to do it but eventually hammered out deals with Newt to get the mostly republican version passed.
That wiki link you provided is full of accomplishments, very impressive to say the least.
As an aside, I see Newt pandering to the far right wing in some ways, like on climate change. If somehow magically overnight the utlra right thought global warming was real and important - New would be back on that couch with Pelosi in time to make the Friday evening news.
Let’s hope so.
It’s been pointed out before: It’s not that he’s smart; it’s that he sounds like a dumb person’s idea of how a smart person sounds.
Thanks for the image.
Stupid sexy Romney!
Anyway, Newt can get some cheap applause by playing to his audience’s dislike of the “liberal” media, i.e. it’s not Obama that’s wrong with the country, it’s reporters who concentrate on questions about my personal life. Am I right? C’mon, give it up!
Why? Is Calista sick?
It appears that Gingrich will be the last not-Romney standing. (Ron Paul doesn’t count, and Santorum in Iowa was a blip.) Therefore, Gingrich will win the nomination. All or most of the not-Romney voters will hop on his train.
Romney has never had anything but a plurality among Republican voters, and I just don’t think he will ever muster a majority.
Electability is dicey in a primary because it tacitly concedes the “product” you’re trying to sell–conservatism–is something the majority doesn’t really want. And no one wants to vote for the best turd-polisher.
The same can be said about Obama and it would be mostly true. He just defecated his 3rd consecutive SOTU speech tailored for 8th graders - yet he’s heralded as brilliant by his followers.
No one thinks Biden is anything but a nitwit, he’s safe from additional scrutiny.
Pelosi’s mildly retarded, Romney doesnt know shit, Paul is a fruitcake, and Santorum has kept to a 15 phrase limit so he doesnt risk tripping on an original thought.
You can be un-electable for reasons other then being too conservative. For example, if the last time the public was aware of you you were being drummed out of the leadership by your own party under a haze of scandal and by bi-partisan agreement that you were kind of a dick.
I’d like to see Gingrich debate Bill Clinton.
Clinton: So, you stupid son of a bitch, you think you got the stones to be president? Heck, when I cheated on my wife, she was healthy enough to kick my ass!
No, really, Newt is so repellent to so many that he couldn’t beat Jimmy-Carter-come-out-of-retirement. Carter would win a second term.
For me, it’s a simple answer : Romney.
I grew up in Newt’s congressional district back when he was Speaker. He came and talked to my high school back in 1991. I have met the man. Not just that day, but afterwards as well. He is more slimy and loathsome than any of you realize.
I’m not a huge fan of Romney, but Newt… I despise that man, because I have met him and he is as bad a human being as his detractors make him out to be. Probably worse.
I feel you’re holding back. How do you really feel about good ol’ Newt? Huh?
I hadn’t heard it put that way but it sums up my feelings about Gingrich and his supporters very well. Thanks for that.
Its not that Newt says smart sounding things. Its that he says it the way dumb people imagine a smart person might say it.
Granted his SOTU addresses suck ass. I didn’t like Bush but every state of the union address I came away thinking that he could connect.
I never thought Obama was brilliant. Smart, well, sure Gingrich got his PhD in European History from Tulane “the Harvard of the South” but Obama got his law degree from Harvard “the Harvard of Cambridge” where he graduated in the top 10% of his law school class. So I think a lot of people just assume he is smart.
But his intellect is not why so many people like him. Its what we THOUGHT he stood for. Its for the vision we THOUGHT he had. Now we are stuck with him and if the Republican candidates weren’t all so horrible (thank you tea party) I don’t know if people could get excited about him a second time.