Posted on 03/26/2012 11:01:08 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
HOCKESSIN, Delaware - In a sign that his campaign is in need of fresh funds, Newt Gingrich on Monday began charging $50 to have a photograph taken with him following a campaign speech to Republican County groups here in the northernmost part of the state.
It was the first time the former House speaker has charged those attending one of his public speaking events to pose for a photograph with him. Lately, a member of his campaign staff has been snapping photographs of any interested attendee and later posting them online at the campaign's website, newt.org.
On Monday night, those paying for a photograph were also told they could find their photos on Gingrich's website, after they had filled out a form providing their credit card information.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
What a total joke.
$50 for a picture?
This guy needs to save some self respect.
Seriously. I am lol.
That is a common practice at fundraising events, except the numbers a bigger.
I doubt Newt supporter$ care, they don’t expect something for nothing type. Newt, as president, is a priceless gift for America, IMO.
I paid $500.00 for a picture with GW Bush/costly photo.
I read your other post tho will comment here. If his supporters, want to donate, what’s the problem.
I saw Newt in Florida, and donated on the spot. They ask if they could send me a photo later and I said that wasn't necessary. They were very thoughtful. Can you image how fun it would be for some people who admire their favorite candidate to be able to meet them in person. When I met people like GW and Ollie North, it was such a thrill and I wanted to donate.
This has made FrontPage news on FR. The ground has begun to shake.
This is by far the most quixotic presidential campaign in history. When a candidate loses elections one after the other garnering 7% to 8% of the vote in some cases, he’s way down in the polls, opens up a 60-point negative gender gap with women, and doesn’t have a prayer in hell of even getting the majority of delegates in at least five states to have his name placed in contention for nomination, that candidate does the honorable thing and quits. And I’m talking about Bachman, Cain, or Perry. They all had the common decency to withdraw Yes, we got Romney because of Gingrich. Had Romney lost his home state MI (where he won by 3% of the vote, with Gingrich siphoning off 7%) this contest would have been over. And if not MI if Romney had lost OH where he beat Santorum with under 1% of the vote with Gingrich ferreting 14% of the vote, Romney’s candidacy would have been in ashes. And instead, we may have been talking about a Santorum-Gingrich ticket. Yet this was the dream that was not to be.
Finally, people will (hopefully) awaken to the Gingrichian fraud this has been all about.
...your guy convicted a man before even being charged
with a crime.
$50 is 5-gallons worth of gas. If Gingrich is going around complaining about the high price of gas, thats still a lot of gallons to empty just to take a pic of a candidate who keeps losing elections seriatim despite an assist from a casino mogul and his wife of nearly $20m in super-pac funds and outspending Santorum by more than 6 to1. No?
“LOL-Look at the names in your posse-the Newt bashers.
...your guy convicted a man before even being charged
with a crime.”
Wait until Santorum finds out Zimmerman watches porn. The sh*t’s really gonna hit the fan.
... and his Posse of Newt Bashers.. that sorta has a ring to it. LOL
You cannot retire your campaign until you are debt free by law. This seems like a fine way to go about getting those campaign debts under some sort of control so he can officially end it.
BTW, I read a while back that Clintoons ‘96 campaign is still active because they still owe people money. We are headed towards the 20 year mark on that. LOL.
he hsould be paying the people to take his photos from him the ugly mug!
Finally, people will (hopefully) awaken to the Santorinium fraud this has been all about.
"Yes, Past Performance Does Indicate Future Results"
Rick Santorum makes an excellent point that “past performance really does indicate future results.” I completely agree—but not just “in Mitt Romney’s case.” Rick Santorum became the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate in 2001 at a time when Republicans inherited balanced budgets, surpluses, and conservative, pro-life majorities. Senator Santorum and his big spending GOP allies proceeded to squander this inheritance. The leadership of the Rick Santorum Republicans proved disastrous:
· The Rick Santorum Republicans never passed a single balanced budget, after inheriting balanced budgets and record surpluses. They racked up $1.7 trillion in deficits and increased the average number of earmarks by almost 500 percent. The Senator even voted for the Bridge to Nowhere.
· The Rick Santorum Republicans increased the national debt by 12 percent and voted to raise the debt ceiling five times to accommodate it—even while dealing with a president of their own party.
· The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor to defeat the National Right to Work Act of 1995. He justifies this vote saying he was representing Pennsylvania where forced unionization is the law but today, PA Senator Toomey is cosponsoring nearly identical legislation.
· The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor — repeatedly — to protect Davis-Bacon legislation, an old law on the books that requires the federal government to pay more to its contractors. He was so wedded to big labor that he even voted against waiving Davis-Bacon in times of emergency. By voting to protect Davis-Bacon, the Senator cost taxpayers many millions in higher taxes, deficits, and national debt.
· The Senator sponsored the “Santorum Amendment” to raise the Minimum Wage 21.4%. He supported Ted Kennedy’s proposed hike in the Minimum Wage. And, in a 2006 campaign commercial, he bragged about his support for a higher Minimum Wage.
· The Rick Santorum Republicans abandoned their principles, resulting in the worst electoral defeat for Republicans since Watergate and the loss of GOP Congressional majorities in both the House and Senate. This left Congress in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. And in destroying the Republican brand of balanced budgets and spending control, the Rick Santorum Republican failure gave us Barack Obama in 2008.
http://www.redstate.com/newt_gingrich/2012/03/19/yes-past-performance-does-indicate-future-results/
You may think Gingrich to be a fraud.
However, consider all of the candidates’ voting records.
The picture fees do indeed seem silly. Major victory for Team Santorum!
Actually, Newt stubbornly broke new ground by not charging for pics up until now. Usually, the minimum is $100, at least that is the lowest I have seen.
he also stubbornly broke new ground by insisting on doing a rope line for every single event - which drove his staff crazy and often made him late for the following event on his schedule.
The man does what he thinks is right... and he has a very tender heart for the American people.
Santorum has been stumbling badly for quite some time. Him going one day without saying something stupid would seem like a major victory.
Romney has been charging for awhile.
Wow, shocking! But you know what's funny... I had the EXACT same experience the "new Newt" in 2007. Guy met me for a quick handshake and wouldn't spend 30 seconds talking to me -- but "his people" made sure to call and email me later trying to get me to pay a big wad of cash (it was $35 in 2007, I see he's now upped it $50) for the privilege of receiving a personal 4x6 photo of the brief handshake we had. Got a thumbnail of it with a link to his website and a request to enter my credit card information.
Yet every time I tell this story, his fans here insist it's all lies and Newt is really the kindest, gentlest, sweetest, most humble, considerate, gracious soul in person and would NEVER act pompous and arrogant face-to-face or try to exploit fans looking to meet him in person to make a cheap buck. So obviously, this article must be a lying hit piece too. Yep.
Just wait til the phone calls start in a few months from Newt's "team" at "American Solutions" asking you to donate lots more money to him so gas will be $2.50. Word of warning: They don't take no for an answer (and telling them not to call you anymore won't work either, they just keep reading the script). Good luck trying to have yourself removed from Newt's call list. It took me months.
And Newt fans, call me if you meet any other Presidential candidates who try to make you pay $$$ for shaking their hand. I've only met one so far and his name isn't Mitt, Rick, or Ron.
and I know you keep saying you have had experiences with Newt that are not borne out by others in this forum, so I am wondering, if maybe it has something to do with you, and not Newt, maybe something in your behavior or something. I have heard a lot of different complaints about newt, from policy to programs to personal baggage, etc., but never heard of anyone saying he was impolite or ungracious. Just trying to figure out why you had a problem with Newt, and so many others haven't.
Well let me add myself to the ones who have met Presidential candidates in the past and were NOT charged for pictures, especially in this fashion. I have attended fundraisers where you payed up front an certain amount with the promise of a picture with the candidate. That is far different than this weird move involving credit card info after the fact. After speeches like this, the candidates are usually happy just to make you happy with a fast pic as they rush to the next event.
Charging money to snap photos with celebs is common in the former (and usually is a black tie occasion where they're a select group of VIPs pay handsomely to sit at the same table and have dinner with the candidate), but considered tacky in the latter example. It's rare for politicians to try and squeeze cash out of people when they're posing for informal photos at public events, although Rod Blagojevich made a fool out of himself doing it during the 2011 Chicago Comic Con (but even HE didn't mind talking to people during the event). Some politicians, like Illinois State Sen. Chris Lauzen, don't even charge for photo-ops at their formal fundraiser dinners. He's nice enough to pose for free with you after you paid $25 to get in for dinner.
It's kinda like how you'd expect to see a gratuity fee automatically added to the bill if you're dining at some fancy sit-down Italian restaurant downtown, but what if McDonald's started charging gratuity fees? They'd probably get the same reaction Newt is getting.
Still waiting for my apology, till then, ignore list, YOU.
Oy vey.
This is what I was trying to warn you all about. Newt can only be about newt. He is too personally needy to put the country or even a wife before his own desires. He needed to drop out and fight Romney. Instead, he is helping Romney, just to get attention and now to pimp his pretty little self for photo money.
newt math: kids, how many $2.50 gallons of gas would it take to pay for one photo of you with Newt Gingrich?
Apology for what.
You are totally right about that.
It’s tacky indeed.
Newt is just not Good with money. His ex wives said it, he ran up that tab at tiffany’s, he can’t manage his own campaign coffers.
This is what I was trying to warn you all about. Newt can only be about newt. He is too personally needy to put the country or even a wife before his own desires. He needed to drop out and fight Romney. Instead, he is helping Romney, just to get attention and now to pimp his pretty little self for photo money.
newt math: kids, how many $2.50 gallons of gas would it take to pay for one photo of you with Newt Gingrich?
thank you for warning us about Newt's cash-strapped campaign charging for photos, which is common practice. I won't respond to your nasty personal attacks. However, I will point out to you that when you have a candidate who pronounces a man guilty, malicious and sick in mind, in order to pander to the libs and the media, before the man has been charged, or there has even been a rendering of what actually happened, you have far bigger "candidate" problems than asking someone to pay for a photo... you have a candidate who chillingly operates much like barack obama, for starters...
Newt was different and if you can't see that, that's your problem. Yes, politicians do charge for formal photo-ops at fundraisers where people pay handsome to get inside, and are promised a photo-op in advance, as well as a private meeting with the candidate. Newt's the only one who wants to turn informal handshakes into his own little spur-of-the-moment fundraiser (and we were not told it would cost $35 for the "privilege" of getting the photo until AFTER it was taken, of course)
But hey, you think Newt's such a swell guy, feel free to pluck down $50 for a brief handshake. And make you sure you do what I did and sign up for his "american solutions" newsletter giving them your home phone number. Have a great time and knock yourself out.
I was there - great speech on energy and independence. Line of the night was about him debating 0bambi without a teleprompter.
TBF, I can only agree that Santorum was dead wrong, deadly wrong, on what he said about the FL shooting. How dare he as a public figure take a side on something he knows nothing about? This Zimmerman is being hunted and could find himself hanging in a tree before long. That was very, very unwise.
Even though he made that very poor decision, he is still my choice over the other other candidates. I wish Mr. Or Ms. perfect were running. But at least Santorum will pick conservative judges. And that is important.
I don’t really mean to “bash” Gingrich like you say. I don’t feel he has the ability to postpone his own personal desires , and that is important for a President. Our neediest Presidents have been disasters: Clinton, obama. But Gingrich is brilliant and comes up with great ideas. He’s just not suited for a leadership position. Professor, historian, commentator, author. Not President.
Oh, I don’t really care about the pictures.
So what have we learned about Team Santorum over the last few days? An absolute unwillingness to admit the slightest degree of fallibility exhibited daily by their chosen candidate. It’s not fun anymore. It’s #ed up.
(Although I did note a post of mine #1 to be exact, was just removed; something like that doesn't happen to often here on FR, I think maybe the last time was three years ago when I called Kim Jong il a naughty name of sorts). ;-) Oh well.
Senator Santorum (my candidate, after first Bolton, then Palin, then Cain) better not start in on this kind of disconsolate thing, otherwise I am going to have to eat holy crow right here on FR in front of EVERYONE, and ask that HE throw in the towel and accept Bishop Romney as the ultimate nominee.
Ah, Newt.. don`t lower your standing further.
Pathetic...truly sad, final downfall of what was once a hopeful campaign.
Yes, it is a common used practice for fundraising
Ollie sent me a handwritten Christmas card with all his family at their home in Virginia..I treasure it..George Allen sent me a handwritten letter thanking me for my work on his campaign and neither are mass productions but are rare...but I would have gladly paid for a photo shoot with Newt.
Calista must be wanting some new pearls.
I try to ask them when they bash Rick:
Does it help Newt? Everyone knows he is finished so no.
Does it help Mitt? well, duh!
Does it hurt Santorum? well, duh again.
So Rick bashers are for Mitt Romney plain and simple.
I got one of the so-called Newt supporters who liked to attack Rick to admit she preferred Mitt Romney over Rick Santorum. She showed character and had integrity— unlike those who assault Santorum who won't admit they prefer Mitt over Rick.
No Rick Santorum supporter should want to get down in the gutter with a Newt person—Newt is finished so what would be the point other than to please Romney.
So admit you prefer Mitt over Rick—you can still keep Newt as number one—then we can know where you truly stand.
How much for a picture with someone thats actually winning?
Really the folks finding this funny are doing themselves nor their candidate any favors.
If anyone really thinks most folks supporting Newt are suddenly going to support another candidate because he is getting a few bucks from some pics are wrong.
This “controversy” makes me wonder; is the campaign staff confiscating cameras/cell phones? Seems to me if one wants a free picture it’s simple enough. Fact is, Newt is getting shut out of the media (reporters have jumped ship - per Fox this morning), and donations are down. Instead of whining about it or calling bull***t he is solving the problem with the Six Flags model. When you go there and ride there’s a good chance your pic was taken and you have the option of buying a copy or NOT. He’s got to find the cash to push on where he can, and again, if attendees’ aren’t prohibited from snapping their own pic at the same time I don’t see the problem.
IMO The title needs to be changed from “Gingrich Charges For Pics” to “Santorum Supporters Anti-Capitalism”
After Santorums treatment of our troops including screwing over the Armed Forces Retirement Home in favor of the Catholic University of America:
http://southfloridateaparty.net/content/how-rick-santorum-ripped-american-veterans
Newt’s selling pics, but Santorum has sold his soul. I’d pay $50 for a picture with Newt, before I would wipe my bottom line with a picture of that ______________.
Well at least we can hold our heads up high knowing we voted for Rick last week :)
Don’t tell me what I think or who I support, because you don’t know. Where I truly stand is Newt will be the next President and there are too many really stupid closed-minded people,blinded by religious zeal and self-righteousness to see or understand that. Your ego is only surpassed by your self-indulgent ignorance.
I didn’t say one negative word to you, beyond what you said to me, and posted an informative article had you taken the time to read, could have helped you realize some real problems with your candidate, but it is just so much easier to snark one’s way through life. please go away.
I never knew that Taxachusan. Sad indeed and sold for a lot less than it was worth. Always our veterans that are shafted. This isnt the first time Santorum pulled one over on the veterans.
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