Posted on 01/24/2012 5:55:37 AM PST by xzins
Are we watching the meltdown of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney?
Fending off pointed attacks by fellow GOP candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum ... Romney looked ...flustered, stiff, and at times just babbled
In comparison, Gingrich looked like he still had all the momentum from Saturday’s South Carolina primary win. He calmly answered questions ...(snip)
The biggest surprise in the debate: Gingrich was not asked about his personal transgressions, ...
...After his 12-point South Carolina win, Gingrich has surged ahead in the Florida polls, leading 41% to the former Massachusetts governor's 32%.
Still, Romney does expected to win Florida. Almost 200,000 absentee ballots have already been cast in the state... favor Romney. ...
But as Gingrich showed ... debate very much matters.
One point Gingrich hammered Romney on was his tax rate. Gingrich forced Romney to announce that he will release his tax records on Tuesday. ...He reaps millions of dollars a year from his former work at Bain Capital, though, maintains a low tax bracket. Gingrich in comparison pays a 31% tax rate.
Romney blasted Gingrich for his work at mortgage giant Freddie Mac, but ignored his own financial links to the organization.
...snip...Romney, though, had as much as $500,000 invested in Freddie Mac. All GOP candidates have blamed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for contributing to the housing crisis that helped to drag the nation into the Great Recession.
Ahead of next week’s Florida primary, Gingrich looks like he is gaining incredible steam. Romney — shell-shocked ...— looks like he’s out of answers.
And it might be a two-man race soon. In Florida, Rick Santorum is currently polling 11% ...
Monday’s debate turned out to be the slug fest most pundits thought it would be, with Gingrich the last man standing.
(Excerpt) Read more at policymic.com ...
Iowa is a small state of moderate, gullible farmers, who still get their opinions and political affiliations through the MSM. The same tactics that both Romney and Paul used to destroy Newt won't work anywhere else. In fact, most modern Conservative deeply resent hate campaigns and backstabbing, dishonest, candidates like Romney and Paul. Santorum is also not well liked for much of the same.
Mark said most of the ethics charges were filed by a far-left Democrat, maybe John Conyers. Mark said Newt was advised to pay the $300,000, I think because it would have cost more to continue defending against the charges.
We saw the exact same thing played out with Sarah Palin, when she had to resign as governor because she couldn’t afford to defend herself from frivolous ethics charges. Newt might want to mention the comparison.
The absurdity of you stating the above after your habitual, non stop, desperate trash talking of all the other GOP candidates would be laughable if it were not so sad.
Expect a home-run. Mitt like the enemies of the notorious Gaelic Warriors won't know what hit them....I'm hearing war-pipes!
thanks, TN.
Newt was putting his pieces in place on the board for a championship Chess game on Thursday...
Romney is getting desperate. What he thought worked for him in Iowa, is having the direct opposite effect from SC and beyond.
I think that the more Romney attacks Newt, he fails to focus on the real issues that he needs to, to get voters on his side. While Newt plays his intelligent strategy to his best advantage.
What Romney fails to realize is, Newt is one of the best Political Strategist of our time, in his own right. What Newt has done so far is outright masterful. Romney is more frustrated now than ever. As Romney continues to use all the wrong strategies, Newt runs away with it, on the grounds of knowing exactly what the electorate wants in a candidate.
Newt Gingrich = Obi-Wan (wisened Jedi master)
Rick Santorum = Luke Skywalker (whiny country boy)
Rick Perry = Han Solo (plainspoken cowboy gunslinger)
Sarah Palin = Princess Leia (handy with a gun and looks good in a bikini)
Mitt Romney = C-3PO (tends to ramble on nervously)
Rush Limbaugh = R2-D2 (round body, always has the right answers for you)
Chris Christie = Jabba the Hutt (obese, possible mob connections)
Ron Paul = Yoda (wrinkly, shriveled, preachy, all talk and no action)
Barack Obama = Lando (black guy who betrays you)
Joe Biden = Chewbacca (big, dumb, hairy sidekick)
Bill Clinton = Darth Vader (inspirational enemy leader and arch-nemesis of Newt/Obi-Wan)
George Soros = The Emperor (evil mastermind pulling the strings)
Ann Coulter = Boba Fett (vicious, ruthless, armed-to-the-teeth, gun-for-hire)
It’s amazing how you can sit there and watch a debate like last night...come away thinking that, in my case, Newt won the debate handily, then you read and listen to pundits like Dick Morris etc saying tha Newt lost and Santorum won.
You go to NRO where they have a poll saying Romney won. (they must be in the tank for the guy).
LOL.... that was quite good.
Dusty doilies, the smell of dusty doilies.
I agree with you. Newt was cool and collected. He reminded me of Ali in his later prize fights where he had the opponent punch himself out.
HIs answers on Space exploration, Terry Schiavo, English as the national language, for example could not have been answered better even if he had days to think about the answer with a teleprompter.
I don’t think there is anyone who can think on his feet like Newt. How does he do it? Over and over, he does.
But this morning we hear others saying he lost the debate, and that he fizzled. I guess we’ll have to see what the polls show, but I can’t seen them changing more than a few points.
That’s funny, but Chewbacca is a good guy.
I think older voters will find reasons to fault Romney. They are not going to vote for a Mormon to begin with, and will find him last night petty, shrill, cagey and slick looking.
Newt on the other hand looks distinguished, Churchillian and confident.
IMHO
I remind you that Newt at one point answered, “I’m not going to use my time to go after Governor Romney.” then he began to give a detailed answer on several issues.
Newt is a teacher. He’s in another league. I found myself thinking, how would he debate Obama? Will he push the Saul Alinsky moniker on him, and get him to repudiate it, which i would think Obama would do.
Romney is the product of handlers and consultants. It wasn’t until the end when the candidates were relaxed. Romney showed that he is well versed and naturally passionate about the banking business. He would be great as a Head of the Treasury Dept. but not the president.
If your impression of the debate came out as you describe, then it is probably that way for most who watched it. The pundits who are on Romney's payroll try to spin it, but most of us see it the way you described it.
Newt is firmly in control and all Romney has is his rhetoric and puppet media. But IT AIN'T WORKIN’ for the Romulan!
Had there been applause, that exchange would have rocked.
HOW BETTER CAN THE GUY ANSWER THE ATTACK THAN TO SHOW HOW PETTY AND SHRILL ROMNEY WAS. THE GUY WOULDN’T STFU...LISTENED. EVERYONE IN THE ROOM THOUGHT ROMNEY LOOKED DESPARATE AND SLIMY.
FINALLY NEWT SAYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THEN LATER IGNORES THE GUY ALL TOGETHER NOT WANTING TO WASTE ANYMORE TIME ON THE GUY.
If Santorum drops out now, the game is over. Why doesn’t he?
There is no way I would let Romney anywhere near the Treasury Department, or any part of our Government. His term as Governor proves what I am saying.
Besides, Romney’s ego would not stoop as low as a cabinet position where he would actually have to work and solve real and difficult problems. Especially, considering the mess that the Treasury is now in.
English as national language
Space exploration
Terry Schiavo/life/euthanasia
It is not possible that you didn't realize as you listened to those answers that Newt Gingrich was head and shoulders above everyone else in the room.
Romney's attacks: it is not possible that you didn't realize Newt had given you a classy, informed answer and pointed you to additional information.
Romney: I didn't hear one positive response come out of the man's mouth.
In short, Romney was the failed governor of a small northeast state who lost the governnorship miserably even before the end of his first term. He is the failed senatorial candidate who was destroyed by his opponent and his inability to nimbly respond to attacks on his record of crony capitalism and medicare fraud (both of which our media is refusing to run....you can bet they'll run it when the opponent is Obama.)
RINO Rick is hoping for a VP slot, or cabinet position that I am sure Romney may have promised to him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.