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Gingrich to teach free online course from White House if elected
MSNBC ^ | November 22, 2011 | NBC's Jo Ling Kent

Posted on 11/22/2011 5:13:59 PM PST by presidio9

If elected to the White House, former speaker of the House and history professor Newt Gingrich wants to teach Americans a lesson -- that is, for free on the Internet about his policy views. The self-proclaimed "ideas man" said on Monday his course would be distributed on the Web in a format similar to the University of Phoenix or Kaplan.

"I think I will probably teach a course when I'm president," Gingrich told students and supporters after a campaign speech on entitlement reform at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

"I will probably try to do something that outlines for the whole country what we're going to try to accomplish," he said. "It will be free."

The former West Georgia College professor who holds a Ph.D. in modern European history from Tulane University rarely misses an opportunity to remind voters and journalists of his academic credentials. On the campaign trail, Gingrich often employs historical anecdotes involving the Wright Brothers, horse-drawn stagecoaches and Abraham Lincoln to illustrate his policy positions.

Gingrich said an online course would be one element of a major social media strategy that would allow him to communicate with more citizens directly, if elected president.

"The idea would be, why wouldn't you want a president in the age of social media to methodically in an organized way share with you what they're going to accomplish so that those people who really won't understand it can understand it," Gingrich said.

Touting himself as a social media savvy candidate, Gingrich promised to tweet more as president but speak less.

How exactly? The former speaker vowed to deliver few speeches to his constituents,

(Excerpt) Read more at firstread.msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: reevaluategingrich
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To: Winstons Julia

He doesn’t golf?


21 posted on 11/22/2011 5:53:31 PM PST by magslinger (Who cares if they are"electable" if they are going to govern like Democrats? -noprogs)
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To: presidio9

Well, if he has time for that, he is NOT doing his job!


22 posted on 11/22/2011 5:54:20 PM PST by Deagle
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To: afraidfortherepublic

“Didn’t he have to pay a big fat ethics fine for doing that as a Congressman??”

No. On January 21, 1997, the House voted 395 to 28 to reprimand Gingrich, including a $300,000 “cost assessment” to recoup money spent on the investigation. The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated. In 1999, the IRS agreed. Basically, there was no fine, but cost of bogus investigations charged. VERY different.


23 posted on 11/22/2011 5:58:10 PM PST by jessduntno ("They say the world has become too complex for simple answers... they are wrong." - RR)
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To: afraidfortherepublic
Didn’t he have to pay a big fat ethics fine for doing that as a Congressman?

Actually no (and thanks for asking).

When he was speaker, Democrats filed 84 ethics violations against him. Eighty three were thrown out (sound familiar, Sarah Palin fans?). The last charge had to do with a class he taught at a tax exempt foundation. I assume that's what you are referring to. The complaint accused Gingrich of two tax improprieties: "Failure to seek legal advice" and "providing the committee (that was investigating him)with information which he knew or should have known was inaccurate." The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated. A settlement was negotiated requiring him to reimburse the committee $300k for the cost of the investigation. Two years later, the IRS cleared him of all charges, but the damage had been done.

24 posted on 11/22/2011 5:59:02 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

I amazes me sometimes, how people will complain and complain about how liberally slated the media is, and then use the media lies like they were facts.


25 posted on 11/22/2011 6:02:51 PM PST by airborne (Paratroopers! Good to the last drop!)
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To: airborne
All I ask is that if you are going to attack Gingrich with media talking points, that you identify an alternative. The clock is ticking on Romney as our default nominee. If someone on this website has a better candidate get to work selling me on him. This circular firing squad BS leads to two ultimate possibilities: President Obama or President Romney. I'm not in love with either option, but there is a better way.
26 posted on 11/22/2011 6:07:55 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: Winstons Julia

Simple. He won’t play golf like the current occupant.


27 posted on 11/22/2011 6:08:06 PM PST by vladimir998 (Public school grads are often too dumb to realize they're dumb)
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To: vladimir998; magslinger
Simple. He won’t play golf like the current occupant.

Incidently, Bush famously stopped playing golf for the rest of his presidency in 2003, but how many people on this website know that Ronald Reagan also gave up golf for most of the time he was in office. The story goes that secret service intercepted a armed man while Reagan was golfing. Reagan's response was "Somone could have gotten killed so I could be out playing golf." He never played again. Not as widely reported, but it did happen.

28 posted on 11/22/2011 6:13:31 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

I don’t agree with everything Newt says but I would love to take the course. Where do I sign up?


29 posted on 11/22/2011 6:16:21 PM PST by WellyP (REAL)
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To: presidio9
This circular firing squad BS leads to two ultimate possibilities: President Obama or President Romney.

Either way, America loses.

30 posted on 11/22/2011 6:24:55 PM PST by airborne (Paratroopers! Good to the last drop!)
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To: vladimir998; magslinger
AP account of golf course assassination attempt on Reagan. He never played again while in office after October 1983.
31 posted on 11/22/2011 6:26:51 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

he’s so intelligent.

at least as intelligent as obama,

and more intelligent than o’reilly.


32 posted on 11/22/2011 6:27:43 PM PST by ken21
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To: jessduntno

In that case it sounds like there was a Ronnie Earle style fishing expedition.


33 posted on 11/22/2011 6:29:27 PM PST by Fred Hayek (FUBO, the No Talent Pop Star pResident.)
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To: cripplecreek

What’s a website? A piece of static information.

Have you ever taken an on-line course? They can be excellent. They are not automatically excellent, of course. But can you imagine an on-line course on the Constitution? Many people in the US barely even know what it is. Maybe they could learn.


34 posted on 11/22/2011 7:20:00 PM PST by livius
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To: SatinDoll

Presidents who are actually doing the job find ways to communicate with the people over the heads of the media, why not a web course instead of “fire side chats” or televised speeches? It has the virtue that it can be prerecorded in gaps in the Presidential schedule, rather than delivered synchronously.


35 posted on 11/22/2011 7:45:44 PM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
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To: cripplecreek
Starting out with a lie about it being free isn’t real encouraging.

ahahah

and you know this how? Let's have the proof.

It seems as though you are so ready and always waiting to pounce 'anything NEWT" as a lie, that you really look foolish.

36 posted on 11/22/2011 7:54:53 PM PST by maine-iac7 (ALWAYS WATCH THE OTHER HAND)
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To: maine-iac7

Frankly I really don’t care about what you sycophants think. You pathetic clowns have zero moral courage and can’t wait to toss your panties on the stage of every political star to come along.

Do yourself a favor and ignore me.


37 posted on 11/22/2011 8:00:28 PM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
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To: Winstons Julia
How will he have the time ... IF he is president?

He could do it in less time than the current Occupier of the WH spends playing golf, alone - let alone all the time he spends vacationing and traveling - he doens' even show for work in the WH until 9:30 and leaves early -

Then add in the Newt has ALWAYS put out above average work level.

Don't judge New by past POTUS's -

38 posted on 11/22/2011 8:00:59 PM PST by maine-iac7 (ALWAYS WATCH THE OTHER HAND)
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To: presidio9

"Oklahoma, I didn't get your homework, don't make me come over there!"

39 posted on 11/22/2011 8:03:37 PM PST by Snickering Hound
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To: The_Reader_David

As President he can communicate. Whe White House web site is perfect for telling citizens what, when, and why he is doing certain things. That is part of his job as a leader and CinC and I am not excluding teaching people why he is doing what he intends.

But teaching a free on-line course? No, uh-uh.


40 posted on 11/22/2011 8:14:03 PM PST by SatinDoll (NO FOREIGN NATIONALS AS U.S.A. PRESIDENT)
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