Posted on 02/16/2012 10:10:29 PM PST by VinL
If anyone needed proof that there's only one intellectual heavyweight in the GOP race, this news proves it. Here's the breaking news: [ Romney, Santorum Paul drop out of the GOP debate].
TRANSLATION: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are afraid of getting bested by the best debater in the GOP field.
Here's the reality: Speaker Gingrich has frequently mopped the floor with these candidates' backsides in the debates. Can anyone picture Ronald Reagan backing out of the opportunity to debate an opponent?
It's true that this "strips Mr. Gingrich of his preferred mode of campaigning," it gives him a different opportunity to belittle his opponents. Why would Mitt 'Mr. Inevitable' Romney and Rick 'Mr. Momentum' Santorum run from the opportunity to debate 'Down in the polls' Newt Gingrich?
They've now told the world that they're afraid to debate the smartest conservative on that stage. Think of how this looks to the average voter. These candidates aren't projecting an image of strength. They're projecting inferiority. They're projecting a lack of confidence.
Conversely, the image that Newt is projecting is that of being the superior solutions guy, the intellectual heavyweight and the man who won't back down from a fight. That's the image a winner projects...
Real men fight battles. Instead of fighting, these 'gentlemen' chose to run and hide. In hiding, these candidates showed they don't have the fortitude it takes to be the leader of the free world. If they can't stand up to a candidate, why think that they'll stand up to Putin, Ahmadinejad or Chavez?
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
How did Newt do in Minnesota?
“Conversely, the image that Newt is projecting is that of being the superior solutions guy, the intellectual heavyweight and the man who won’t back down from a fight. That’s the image a winner projects... “
I don’t want ‘superior’ solutions that some academic came up with after reading some sci-fi novel. I want conservative solutions that are tried, tested and true.
I hope Newt takes it to them by showing up everywhere they campaign and giving rebuttals to their spineless BS.
***Real men fight battles. Instead of fighting, these ‘gentlemen’ chose to run and hide.***
It could not have been expressed more succinctly.
And just who is espousing those solutions?
I know that you have had your favorite during these primaries but they are doing their best to knock Gingrich out. I ask all of my Tennessee FRiends to really consider a Gingrich/ Obama debate and pray about it. Obama will crush the rest of the field even with his Marxist-socialist record.
I want conservative solutions that are tried, tested and true
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Like the 1994 takeover of Congress masterminded by Newt- or the Contract wt America?
Newts, my last hope of an effective leader.
I know he didn’t win. What’s your point, my friend?
Imagine in turn these scenarios:
1. Santorum debating three empty chairs? nahhh.... nope.
2. Romeny debating three empty chairs? nahhh.... nahhh....
3. Paulee debating three empty chairs? nahhh....ahhh??? nahhh....
The only vibrant articulately conservative (and Genuinely conservative... as opposed to severely conservative) scenario that works is Newt debating three empty chairs.
That said, I’ll happily take Santorum... but strive to get Newt!
If Newt’s ideas and solutions are so superior, why does he have to rely on a debate to win his home state primary? Why doesn’t he stop whining and get out on the stump and convince the voters he’s the best man for the job?
I don’t want ‘superior’ solutions that some academic came up with after reading some sci-fi novel. I want conservative solutions that are tried, tested and true.
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I think that sci-fi novel Gingrich read was the works and writings of our founders. I was under the assumption those were the tried, tested and true solutions we wanted.
It is laid out on his site under SOLUTIONS and often the works of our founders are cited in his plan.
Newt dropped the ball in Florida... sour grapes
“And just who is espousing those solutions?”
Santorum supports the Ryan medicare plan.
Newt should’ve been DOA since last May for attacking the Ryan plan but for some reason he’s still in this race.
I agree with you- but what’s that got to do with all 3 candidates running from the Ga debate? When do Presidential candidates surrender free air time to a national audience to support their candidacies against an incumbent President?
Is that why Newt declined Santorum's challenge to a Lincoln-Douglas debate in December?
Newt is freaking awesome!!! It’s all his puss whiner zombie followers that I have a problem with.
Santorum all the way!!!!
I often read comments about Perry...that if couldn’t debate and or was weak at it— he had no chance of beating Obama. It was all L when Perry thought of skipping a debate.
Now Romney, Santorum and Paul skip the debate.
I often read that Gingrich is unelectable because of his ‘woman gap’.
It seems to me that Santorum is building up quite a woman gap himself.
Newt IS freaking awesome. His crybaby whiner supporters onm the other hand... They suck.
Go Santorum!!!!!
Newt likes Rick- probably didn’t want to humiliate him. Let Rick make the challenge now. Think he will, my friend? -:)
“I think that sci-fi novel Gingrich read was the works and writings of our founders. I was under the assumption those were the tried, tested and true solutions we wanted.”
hmm I doubt you’ll find a moonbase in the Federalist Papers. Or the idea of letting local councils get to decide which illegals get to stay or not. Or the idea that all new cars must be able to use ethanol (propped up with subsidies of course!).
How about this idea:
“The most exciting development of the past few weeks is what has been happening up in Massachusetts. The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system.”-Newt Gingrich
It was the Chairwoman of the Georgia Republican Party who screwed up. She didn’t have firm commitments from any of the candidates prior to announcing the debate. Why do you schedule a debate without knowing whether the candidates will attend?
A debate is the most efficient way of getting out your message. Fairly simple, no?
What a pleasant thing to say. Some Newt supporters have not uttered one criticism against Rick- they merely support Newt.
Why would he waste his time? Deny it all you like, the facts are this:
- When Newt was roaming the countryside selling himself as the master debater, with the worn out punchline about even letting Obama use his teleprompter, Rick challenged him to a one-on-one.
- Newt refused to accept the challenge.
IMHO, Rick's campaign has been very generous in not making hay about this and kind of letting it slide, but neither Newt or his supporters have any moral standing in accusing Rick of cowardice for declining the GA debate.
Well then Santorum must be more effective getting his message out by talking to the people instead of whining on national TV about all the nasty things others are saying about him.
Gingrich is still my war-horse.
Santorum has always been my #2 but this knocks him down a notch.
Jellybean, I’m sure I don’t know. Perhaps, she felt that since Obama took 47% of the vote in Ga in 2008, and demographics have become more Dem favorable since that time, Republicans running for the presidency would not miss an opportunity to speak to a national audience from Atlanta- and inspire the Ga republicans.
One article I read today contained a tweet from the Dem chairman—”Ga held a Republican debate, and no one showed up”
No matter which way one looks at this it’s apparent the push to keep Newt out seems to be something Santorum and Romney are working out together.
I am thinking they want the fix in now....Romney as Pres. Santorum VP....deal struck?
Then we might as well figure another four years of Obama.
“3 Wimps?” Maybe they just didn’t want to waste their time on a beat candidate.
I’m not denying anything- or alleging anything. You said that Rick challenged him to a debate— well, Newt accepted the debate in Ga— and Rick decided not to show. That’s just fact isn’t it?
This was Rick’s opportunity to go mano a mano with Newt— seems he declined.
The results at my MN caucus group:
12 Newt
12 Santorum
3 Paul
1 Romney
The biggest reason Santorum is where he is right now is the negative ad blitz in Florida by the Romney machine. Otherwise Newt would’ve locked it up by now. No one wants Mitt or Paul, so up rose Rick.
“Conspiracies ultimately unravel and fail”
Kind if like “conspiracy theories”... Now where’s my in foil, I need to protect my brains.
Newt Gingrich's campaign is not happy with the news that a planned March 1 debate is falling apart after rivals Mitt Romney decided not to participate.
"[Romney] spits in Georgia's face and cancels Atlanta debate appearence," Newt spokesman RC Hammond tweeted. He later added that Iis Romneyy "won't stand up and debate his GOP competitors how will he face President Obama?"
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/newt-spokesman-romney-spits-in-georgias-face-by
Maybe they just didn’t want to waste their time on a beat candidate.
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Could be— or could be they didn’t want to get their butts whipped-—Possible, right?
To a Lincoln-Douglas debate. In Iowa. Before the Caucus.
"— well, Newt accepted the debate in Ga—"
Because he needs it now. It sucks to not have a choice, but Newt put himself in that position.
That would be the following:
Newt is a pro-life Reagan Revolution conservative who led the Republican Revolution of the 90’s, taking the majority away from the democrats who had held it for 40 years..
And as Speaker, cut the taxes,... cut the government,... cut the spending,.... cut the deficit.....cut regulations....cut unemployment.... brought the federal budget under control for four years running.... blocked a socialist healthcare system from becoming law.....And created a pro-growth, pro-free market, pro-jobs environment ....extended the Reagan economy throughout the 90’s!!
Newt plans to go to a 15% personal flat tax after deductions ...and a 12.5% corporate tax.... and eliminate the capital gains taxes altogether.... He wants to privatize social security and medicare.... and eliminate the payroll tax.
And he wants to neuter the EPA and the Fed..... Repeal ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley.....Fire all of the czars, ......dismantel the Marxist state... and fire if not jail Bernanke.....And send 185 federal socialist welfare programs back to the states and the people,..... and return education back to local control.
Newt will directly challenge the liberal activist judiciary and end the unconstitutional power grabs of our usurping black robed rulers.
He wants to restore the constitutional balance of powers between the three branches ...and restore states rights and individual rights......He wants to turn government control back to the states and local people as the founders set it up.
Conservative solutions pretty much says Newt's your man!
No, I don’t see that as a possibility seeing as they have been on the stage with him 30 times without it hurting their prospects so far. They will also go on the stage with him in the future assuming he doesn’t drop out and endorse Rick this week.
They all just chose not to dance to CNN’s fiddle when they had better things to do.
I think that you forget that they are supposed to be three candidates at each other's throats and wanting to do battle in debating each other. Interesting that you merely see them as a single team against Newt.
Read my link in #17. When Rick challenged Newt to a Lincoln-Douglas debate in Iowa prior to the caucus, and Newt failed to accept (but did accept one with Huntsman about a week later), did that knock Newt down a notch?
Now where’s my in foil, I need to protect my brains.
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Now, you see Gulf, you let yourself WIDE open with that remark in this debate. But, I’m not that type of poster/debater to take cheap shots. You’re a fellow conservative, presumably.
But, now you can see why Newt’s adversaries ran from the debate- they couldn’t take the chance of competing with Newt in debate.
I don’t know why this thread has gotten so long— everyone knows what the article’s author says is absolutely true. -:)
I think they came to the same conclusion that the rest of the country has.Newt No Longer Matters.He can go sit on his couch and whine while Pelosi comforts him.
Could be. They won't debate him again unless they have to. As long as he is polling weak they are better off to keep their distance. Gingrich needs a nation-wide TV broadcast to turn things around and its not in their interest at this point to let him have it.
I always thought the best chance to beat Romney was for Gingrich and Santorum to join forces. Maybe Santorum has hitched his wagon to Romney with the reverse calculation.
Because he needs it now. It sucks to not have a choice, but Newt put himself in that position.
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What’s the difference. You say Rick challenged him, now he has his chance. What’s he afraid of?
Incidentally, I’m accepting what you say as fact- but a doubt Newt would have avoided a Lincoln/Douglas debate with Rick. He likes Rick. And if you watched the LD debates with Newt and Cain and then Huntsman- they were merely discussions - they weren’t actual debates.
They all just chose not to dance to CNN’s fiddle when they had better things to do.
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Certainly, I won’t try to change your mind. Suffice it to say, that many people (not you), especially in Ga, are going to believe the 3 wimped out.
Newt's mistake was getting down in the gutter with Mitt and getting off message. After watching those two flinging poo at each other many voters said, "A pox on both your houses!" The only other palatable contender was Santorum, so they took another look at him and obviously like what they saw. Newt could have weathered the Romney attacks if he'd stayed on message. Instead he looked angry and whiny.
Read my link at #17. I posted it the night after Rick issued his challenge on Greta's show last December:
“Newt’s been campaigning on doing Lincoln-Douglas style debates and I think it’s a great idea - Count me in. The voters deserve more than 60 second sound bites, they deserve substance and real solutions to the problems facing our nation. This will be a great opportunity for the people of Iowa to learn more about us, our records, and our vision for America. Newt and I have been friends for 20 years, so this will be fun. Game on.”
I'm not aware if Newt ever responded, but if he did it was not to accept; there was no one-on-one between them in Iowa. To my knowledge, the Santorum campaign never called Newt on not accepting, but in the light of all the accusations of Rick's "cowardice" today in regards to the Georgia debate, I certainly think it's fair to raise the issue.
I think they came to the same conclusion that the rest of the country has.Newt No Longer Matters
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Ok. But what about themselves. Ga is proportional representation with the biggest pot of delegates on Super Tuesday. Why not take the opportunity to enhance their own candidacies? Why not showcase themselves before a national audience? That’s usually what presidential candidates do- they go on mass media for free air time to promote themselves.
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