Posted on 03/02/2012 12:44:13 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
..."I guess about the only way I can describe him is unlike any politician we had ever encountered," Reed said. "He would come in, speak to your group, keynote the banquet and afterward go to the suite and stay up until the wee hours of the morning talking strategy with you."
A generation of Republican politicians recalls listening to cassette tapes featuring Gingrich's talking points as they drove to campaign stops, and dialing in to weekly national conference calls to hear his advice on how to sell conservative programs back home.
"He changed the whole formula here. Candidates were starving for this information, and he put it together," said Rep. Jack Kingston, who called Gingrich the "Godfather of the Republican Party in Georgia."
"He was out running as a Republican and a reformer and challenging the status quo way back when, long before anyone had given him a shot," said Kingston, who backs Gingrich for the nomination.
Kingston remembers attending a Young Republicans meeting in Savannah where Gingrich urged the group to read a history of Tammany Hall, New York's corrupt 19th century political machine. When one member balked at buying the book, Kingston said Gingrich urged them to focus on the grassroots strategies in its pages.
"Maybe what was different about Newt was many of the Republicans back then were content to stay in the party realm for precinct meetings and party functions, the safer stuff," he said. "Very few would run for elective office. And here he was. Not only did he run but he was successful."
Kingston added: "That was his leadership. He would practice what he preached."
(Excerpt) Read more at daytondailynews.com ...
Take a minute and read the beginning of this article about Newt.
I don’t recall anyone in Michigan (or Mass or Utah) talking about Romney like this.
I don’t recall anyone in Pennsylvania talking about Santorum like this.
It would be nice for Rush to take his listeners on a trip back, as this article does.
Gingrich has already earned a place in American school books as a conservative leader or historic accomplishments.
Romney took down the state GOP, losing seats in both elections during his term, and lost the traditionally GOP Governor’s seat to the Democrats, who have held it since he left with 34% approval.
Santorum, well, he has never done much of anything, he was removed from office by an 18 point margin, I doubt that he had much of a positive effect on conservatism in Pennsylvania.
We have a Marxist President with a radical agenda foreign to our heritage with his finger on the nuclear trigger. His paternity and citizenship are suspect. He takes great pains to hide his background from us. He was educated by Muslims, Communists, and at Harvard. He emerged into the public eye from the cesspool of Chicago politics. As a “community organizer”, he got poor folks on the dole and squandered taxpayer money in a failed attempt to subvert public schools to an ideological agenda. He attended a Chicago Church whose hate-America Pastor is a foul-mouthed servant of Satan. He is close friends with known terrorists. He admires and bows before oil potentates and tin-pot dictators. (We have pictures.) He treats America’s traditional allies with contempt. He hates Jews, Israel, America, and Whitey. He lies so easily and so often it is troubling. Based on his past & current associations, Barack Obama would never even qualify for a DOD Security Clearance; now he is Commander in Chief and fecklessly taking steps to disarm us in the sight of our enemies. Does that make you feel safe at night? Fellow Patriots, Barack Obama is a danger to your Life, Liberty, and Property and a disgrace to American ideals! Barack Obama deserves only our scorn and contempt, not our vote.
I’m absolutely convinced that Newt Gingrich is the junkyard dog we need to rip Obama a new one and send him running back to his Chicago slime pit with his tail between his legs. Newt has plenty of DC experience as Speaker, executive ability from his many enterprises, and a silver tongue that’s razor sharp! He’s fast on his feet, delivers it straight up with no hemming and hawing, and is often witty. His work with American Solutions was very impressive and as we’ve seen recently, Newt is able to put into words what the vast majority of Americans really believe. His fevered brain also has plenty of ideas for making government work better for taxpayers. Is Newt pure as new driven snow? No - none of the presidential candidates are in line for sainthood. Whatever Newt’s “baggage”, it pales next to Obama’s habitual lying and outright corruption - and unlike Obama, Newt is 100% American! Newt is like Larry the Cable Guy: send him to DC and he’ll “Get ‘er done” for all of us. Newt has “Been there, done that! Junkyard dogs are not show dogs, but they’ll save your bacon!
I am so damn mad at what Obama and his bootlickers have stolen from us - you should be too - and I want someone to represent me! Newt Gingrich is that man! Sic ‘im, Newt!
Newt really consolidated the South for Republicans. If I remember correctly (it was a long time ago) Republicans made huge inroads in the South in 1994. A number of yellow dog Democrats were defeated in Congress (what were left switched parties), and Republicans made big gains at the state level.
Important article to know and understand Newt's contributions from early on in his career!
for later, I’ve just got to take a break.
You make excellent points that go right to the heart of what this article reminds us about Newt. HE CHANGED the state. He turned it toward conservatism.
While Mitt complains he had to be liberal in Mass, as it is a blue state.
Rick Santorum uses the same excuse about his time in office in Pennsylvania.
Newt made a comment recently on the gop establishment wanting to maintain their morbid grip on DC. They see Newt as a threat and anyone that has followed this campaign knows the media, many on Fox News, the long time watered down republicans are afraid of Gingrich.
Looks like Gingrich dealt with this in his early days according to the article, ""Maybe what was different about Newt was many of the Republicans back then were content to stay in the party realm for precinct meetings and party functions, the safer stuff," he said. "Very few would run for elective office. And here he was. Not only did he run but he was successful."
And the GOP on the Hill don't want him sitting in the WH telling them NO, or cutting agencies, etc.
Thanks for including me in the list of recipients Catb. I’ve seen the video, but have not yet mastered the art of posting to multiple recipients (although I did do one yesterday).
I mean Cinncinatus’ wife. Man I’m horrible at this!
:)
Superb vid! Thanks.
Right!
Mitt was actually the fourth Republican governor in a row, Massachusetts prefers Republican Governors, or at least did, until Romney.
Santorum’s loss was a history making loss for an incumbent Senator in Pennsylvania, and was the worse in more than a quarter century for the US, according to the sources I have seen, like wikipedia.
Interesting article on Newt and GA GOP.
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/gingrich-fostered-georgia-gop-1303219.html
Thank you for the link to that article.
This reminded me of Texas and Gov. Rick Perry:
....”While Republicans didn’t take over the state in the 1990s — they took a severe beating in 1998 — they gained legislative seats and began winning some statewide races.
In 2002, Sonny Perdue, a party-switcher who became the first Republican governor since Reconstruction, and Gingrich trainee Eric Johnson helped lead a GOP takeover of the state Senate. Two years later, the state House was won by Republicans and today they hold all statewide elected offices.”.....
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Rick Perry was one of the “Pit Bulls” in the TX Legislature who fought for austere state budgets during the 1980s (as a conservative West Texas Democrat). He became a Republican in 1989 as the party took shape in Texas. He won the seat for TX Agriculture Commissioner in 1990. In 1998 he became the 1st Republican Lt. of Texas since Reconstruction. When GWB resigned as TX Gov to became president in 2000, Perry became the governor and he’s now in his 3rd term and the TX Legislature has a GOP Super Majority.
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