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Newt Gingrich holds town hall meeting in Naples (Packed, overflowing room!)
News Press ^ | 11-25-2011 | Bob Rathgeber

Posted on 11/25/2011 5:57:36 PM PST by TitansAFC

Is Newt Gingrich the latest flavor of the month among the candidates pursuing the Republican nomination for president? Or is he a real candidate who can beat the supposed frontrunner Mitt Romney?

If the reaction from his appearance Friday in Naples is even the slightest indication, then the former Speaker of the House will indeed challenge Romney for a spot on the ticket to face President Barack Obama next November.

At least 800 people crammed into the Hilton Hotel for a townhall meeting. The ballroom was jammed to the gills and loud speakers were added in the the hallways to accommodate those who weren’t allowed into the room.

He was a commanding presence at the lectern. He spoke for 39 minutes without notes and not once in his talk did he even utter one “uh.”

Gingrich speech was aimed at Obama and not his GOP opponents. He used his background as a history teacher to pepper his speech with historical milestones and repeatedly referred to the presidential race of 1860 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

It was then that the two candidates held seven three-hour debates with no moderator, just a time keeper. As he has done in other speeches, Gingrich said that if he is nominated, he will challenge Obama to a series of Lincoln-Douglas-type debates.

He said he has a plan that would force the president into debating.

“You see,” Gingrich said, “when Lincoln challenged Douglas and he at first declined, Lincoln began following Douglas where he was speaking and the next day would answer Douglas. It didn’t take Douglas too long to agree to debate.

“So when I am nominated, I will let the White House be my schedule maker. Where ever Obama goes is where my schedule goes. I won’t show up the next day though, I will be there four hours after he speaks.”

In a speech interrupted by applause more than a dozen times, that brought the loudest and most sustained ovation.

In a debate last Tuesday, Gingrich spoke out about his immigration position, and he said, was misinterpreted by his GOP opponents. He said the tenents of his immigration plan are “Control the border, English is the official language of the United States, and it’s baloney, if anyone suggests that I favor amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants.”

He said the government should make it easier for visitors to get visas. “It should be easier to disspell someone who is not desirable.”

Gingrich said his immigration stance hasn’t changed recently. “Check the transcripts of some debates. I said the same thing at the Reagan Library debate.”

Asked why the brouhaha now on immigration, he said it’s because he’s now running well in polls and his opponents are worried.

In essence, Gingrich appears to be setting himself up as the anti-Romney candidate, someone the tea party can turn to.

Barry Willoughby, founder of the Naples tea party movement, admitted that he has been skeptical about Gingrich, but is being won over to a degree.

“I’ve been following him lately and have been very impressed. I wasn’t that enthusiastic at first.

“The question remains ... is he electable. Does he have too much baggage.”

That also concerns Hal Molhoek of Naples.

“He has a firm grasp of the fact. He makes a lot of common sense. He knows the pulse of the country.

“I’m still not sure. I am a little concerned with his baggage.”

What would a townhall meeting be without an appeal for votes?

“Florida could be the decisive primary. If I win Florida I will be the nominee. I hope to do very well in Iowa and respectably in New Hampshire. We are the favorites in South Carolina. Right now I think Iowa is a jump ball,” he said.

“And, if you know anyone in Iowa, tell them to vote for me.”


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; amnesty; bordercontrol; englishonly; gingrich; newt; obama
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To: CelesteChristi

My sister- in-law wrote from Florida when Newt and Cain were both there....but like you learned it after the fact or she would have been there. Sorry you missed Newt....:(

I am happy to share my family members are fast coming into Newt’s court now...and that without my imput! Makes me glad!


121 posted on 11/25/2011 11:52:56 PM PST by caww
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To: no dems
Who is your candidate montag813?

I like Cain, and still think he could be the secret sauce to defeat Obozo. But he may not be able to recover. If Newt wins I will get behind him 100%, however. If Newt crashes and Romney too for some reason, then it is possible some new candidiates may come in before June. This whole crew seems unfinished somehow. I am sure I'm not alone in feeling we are missing some great would-be nominee out there somewhere.

122 posted on 11/26/2011 12:03:45 AM PST by montag813
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To: montag813

I’m not alone in feeling we are missing some great would-be nominee out there somewhere.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We are, and you wanna know why? People like Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin and others won’t run because if the media doesn’t crucify them, their fellow Conservatives will if they don’t toe the line every step of the way.


123 posted on 11/26/2011 12:44:07 AM PST by no dems (Why do you never see "Obama" bumper stickers on cars going to work in the morning?)
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To: maine-iac7
It would be an election season to enjoy - watching that little Caesar get whittled down to a grease spot on the stage.

LOL!

I'd love to see a Newt priority be VOTER FRAUD also.
* border control
* english only as national language
* voter ID required

124 posted on 11/26/2011 5:13:57 AM PST by b9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_hd23sdf4CE)
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To: maine-iac7
English will be the official language of this country.

That alone would cause immediate self-deportation,
especially here in San Diego!

Wow, would I love to see ENGLISH spoken here!!!!
No more bilingual classrooms.

Asians, especially, assimilate fast because they have to.

125 posted on 11/26/2011 5:34:18 AM PST by b9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_hd23sdf4CE)
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To: no dems

I notice that sometimes in puff pieces the writer, if they bring up any negative that the candidate was involved in or said, tries to make it seem like “old news.”

Reading that line gave me that feeling. If I was wrong, I am not too big of a man to admit it.


126 posted on 11/26/2011 5:42:23 AM PST by Grunthor (pro-illegal alien "conservatives" piss me off.)
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To: no dems

“He is the only one who has come up with a logical solution to a very, very, very complex problem.”

They broke the law. Both parties want to reward them for it. What’s so complicated?


127 posted on 11/26/2011 5:48:47 AM PST by Grunthor (pro-illegal alien "conservatives" piss me off.)
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To: not2worry

You always know who the smartest, most humane person is when Newt’s in the room, he’s the one with the big neon sign on his head.


128 posted on 11/26/2011 5:48:50 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: no dems

“if they don’t toe the line every step of the way.”

How about if they are with us on all of the big issues and 90% of the smaller issues?


129 posted on 11/26/2011 5:51:14 AM PST by Grunthor (pro-illegal alien "conservatives" piss me off.)
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To: maine-iac7
One wonders if the posters that keep saying these half truths do so deliberately or because they don't’ do due diligence research?

How can you call it half-truths, I've listened to him speak? I don't know how it's jealously either, there are many smart people in DC who are well respected.

If Gingrich is the nominee then we will be stuck with four more years of Obama picking Supreme Court Justices; primary voters may be willing to overlook such arrogance but many in the general will not.

130 posted on 11/26/2011 5:58:13 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: no dems
He has a big ego. Anyone who runs for President has a big ego.

True but the ones who flaunt it don't last long.

131 posted on 11/26/2011 6:00:14 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: TitansAFC
In a debate last Tuesday, Gingrich spoke out about his immigration position, and he said, was misinterpreted by his GOP opponents. He said the tenents of his immigration plan are “Control the border, English is the official language of the United States, and it’s baloney, if anyone suggests that I favor amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants.”

There's a lot of morons running around here with egg all over their faces. All I got to say to them is, pipe down sparky.

132 posted on 11/26/2011 6:13:21 AM PST by ez ("Abashed the Devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton, "Paradise Lost")
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To: ez
English is the official language of the United States,

That's demagoguery and Newt knows it. Such a bill would never get through the Senate but it makes for easy red meat that a lot of primary voters fall for apparently.

133 posted on 11/26/2011 6:24:03 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: caww

“Well there’s a couple ways you can take this....One...he’s going to need their votes and all the candidates will be appealing to them. Two....it’s an excellant way to offset the black majority vote for BO...so that our side wins! “

While it’s true that Newt may need to pander to minorities to get the votes, a CONSERVATIVE will not, as the base will come out, and the base will vote Republican. A non-conservative, like Newt, besides demoralizing the base (like McCain did) also has to worry about a Third Party coming from the right...which WILL happen this time.


134 posted on 11/26/2011 6:54:25 AM PST by BobL (Send Rove a Message, VOTE CAIN, no matter what)
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To: no dems

I quite agree.


135 posted on 11/26/2011 7:10:45 AM PST by llandres (Forget the "New America" - restore the original one!!)
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To: maine-iac7
It will be nice when people stop swallowing the media and opponent hype parroting the sound bite and listen to what he has been outlining as his immigration stance all along - starting with POINT ONE: Close the border.

That might be nice.

But your dilema is how to spin it to those of us who actually watched and listened to the debate and heard every word Newt spoke.

Hmmm....

And here is a news flash to your POINT ONE:

Closing the border is a seperate issue from the granting of amnesty. Don't conflate the two.

Allowing people who broke the law entering and broke the law working here under bogus identities to remain here legally is amnesty no matter how you or anyone else attempts to parse the word.


136 posted on 11/26/2011 7:16:57 AM PST by Iron Munro (Ben Raines For President)
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To: caww

We can get a fair amount of the black vote as well - put Herman on the ticket.


137 posted on 11/26/2011 7:20:39 AM PST by llandres (Forget the "New America" - restore the original one!!)
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To: llandres

Yes, I do think Herman will have a possible roll down the road here...if he rises above the thicket he’s fallen in....either or he does appeal to some...but on a whole the black vote still remains in Obamas court...especially those who love the handouts.


138 posted on 11/26/2011 11:08:19 AM PST by caww
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To: Iron Munro
Allowing people who broke the law entering and broke the law working here under bogus identities to remain here legally is amnesty no matter how you or anyone else attempts to parse the word.

It doesn't take much to understand they've broken the law...but 'Amnesty is citizenship' in relationtion to Immigration LAw... and that is not what Newt wants nor does he support that.....a close look at his plan and his invite by others to tweek it so their won't be Amnesty is open for all to contribute instead of just moaning and groaning why it won't work.

139 posted on 11/26/2011 11:11:32 AM PST by caww
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To: caww
Herman Cain on Illegal Immigration




If you're thinkin like me - Let's drain the swamp in D - C...Go Cain.
140 posted on 11/26/2011 7:05:34 PM PST by Fred ("The terrorists' want to kill us, so we need to kill them first!" http://hermancain.com)
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