GOP's Newt Gingrich relishes role of antagonist

THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Newt Gingrich grinned as he pledged to dog President Barack Obama at every turn and from coast to coast next year if he's the Republican nominee.

"The White House will be my scheduler, and wherever the president goes, I will show up four hours later to respond to his speech," the GOP presidential candidate said wryly on a recent visit to Iowa.

Seemingly in unison, the 500 Iowa Republicans crowded into the banquet hall rose from their seats applauding, for there he was — the tested antagonist that Republicans here have been craving to go toe to toe with the Democratic incumbent.

"We're looking for Ulysses S. Grant. And Newt Gingrich is the only one who has said we need to attack," said Craig Bergman, a Des Moines Republican who had been leaning toward Gingrich recently — and was hooked after last week's speech.

If there's any one reason that may explain Gingrich's sharp rise in Iowa, where he now leads in polls, it's this: Republicans, in Iowa at least, are aching for an attack dog candidate in the effort to beat Obama.

Indeed, prospective Republican caucusgoers, who are looking for a fighter prepared to go up against the well-funded, politically deft and oratorically gifted Obama, have gravitated to other GOP candidates not shy about lobbing verbal bombs at Obama — Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain among them. But those candidates have either faded or dropped out. In Donald Trump's case, he never ran but his no-holds-barred criticism of the president helped him briefly rise to the top of national polls.

Enter Gingrich.

His pitched battles with Democratic President Bill Clinton while he was House speaker serve as an important reminder to GOP voters that he's challenged the opposition at its highest level. But, should he win the GOP nomination, he will have to do more than rally a frustrated GOP base; he will have to convince swing voters he can lead a worried nation.

As Jim Dyke, a former Republican National Committee communication director now based in South Carolina, put it: "He's been a chief antagonist in the past, so that certainly gives him credibility. ... But we're not voting for chief antagonist. We're voting for president."

First, however, the candidate must get through the GOP nomination race.

And, less than a month until the leadoff Iowa caucuses, Gingrich's reputation as a bulldog is setting up a key stylistic contrast to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is focusing largely on Obama's handling of the economy in his second bid for the GOP nomination.

Compared with Romney, Gingrich seems more at home in the role of adversary. And he doesn't simply note his disagreements with Obama. He casts himself as the Democrat's philosophical opposite.

"He is an Alinsky radical," Gingrich told The Associated Press last week, calling Obama a disciple of Saul Alinsky, the late left-wing activist from Chicago. "And I am an American exceptionalist. He believes in fundamentally undermining the America we inherited. I believe in fundamentally rebuilding the America we inherited."

A look at the past illustrates Gingrich's knack for confrontation.

He was the engineer of the Republicans' 1994 House takeover. By 1995 and 1996, he was engaging in an epic battle with Clinton; the federal government shut down twice after the Democratic president and Republican-led Congress could not agree on a budget deal.

Today, the 68-year-old Gingrich has not mellowed in his tendency for inviting sweeping confrontation, recently telling an audience of Texas conservatives, "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time (my grandchildren) are my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."

He also is working to turn his own perceived weaknesses into points of contrast with Obama. The Republican, for example, is facing criticism for supporting legal status for longtime, law-abiding illegal immigrants with community ties. But he didn't hesitate to assail the Obama administration for suing South Carolina over an immigration law.

"Here's a simple way to think of it: President Obama sided with Mexico. I would side with South Carolina," he said last week in Charleston, S.C.

Perhaps mindful that he can sometimes take his attacks too far, Gingrich is seeking to emphasize his softer side in his campaign advertisements. In his first TV commercial in Iowa, he promotes "working together" and "respecting one another" while making an upbeat call for unity.

Even so, his provocation of Obama thrills partisan audiences — at least the one last week at the Polk County Republicans' annual fundraiser in Johnston.

If he's the nominee, Gingrich said, he will invite Obama to debate seven times in the three-hour Lincoln-Douglas style and added, "How does a Columbia, Harvard law graduate, editor of the law review, greatest orator in the Democratic Party, look in the mirror and say he's afraid to stand on the same platform with a West Georgia College professor?"

And with that playful taunt, Gingrich had his audience.

More like this story

Sequoia 1 year, 5 months ago

...and now the Tea Party migrates to the ultimate Washington insider. Rather than elevate conservative principles, the Republican base just wants someone who speaks to their hatred of Obama. And this is what they'll get: not a smart person, but rather "a dumb person's idea of a smart person." This is Gingrich's political gift: convincing dumb people that he is smart.

Sequoia 1 year, 5 months ago

In general, I believe in free markets, low taxes, reasonable regulation and limited government as described in the Constitution. I believe in reason, practicality, skepticism, and caution. I believe institutions can preserve human advancement, but that institutional power should be balanced and that change should be gradual and careful. I don't want a "conservative movement," I want "responsible leadership." These buffoons in the GOP primary should be an insult to any conservative's intelligence and pride.

Sequoia 1 year, 5 months ago

"Movement" conservatives have lost their skepticism and embraced certain policy ideas with a near-religious ferver, which is the nature of people who tell themselves they are on a grand crusade for good. This religious-style belief in the inherent goodness and rightness of their political policy, the idea that certain policies are "good" in and of themselves, encourages extremism. Extremism advocates radical change. Radical change is not stable or conservative.

Newt is no different. I HAVE heard him speak, Mr. Big Bro. I listen to everytime he uses grand, sweeping turns of phrase sound interesting but crumble as soon as you think about it for a few minutes. Not to say that he doesn't have a kernel of a good idea now and then, but I hear how many times he talks about the "fundamental transformation" of this or that, and I shudder.

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

Sequoia, very well said. I would add, that the true conservative is a reasoned advocate of personal responsibility, well and tightly managed government, an adequate affordable defense-oriented military, and constantly examined regulation for protection and fairness in competition. The neo-conservative is arrogant, greedy and globally aggressive. The religious conservative is controlling and moralistic and tends to the fundamentalist extreme. The faux conservative is afraid, dispossesed, and distrustful of others. All come at us in waves and right now all three waves have crested as one looney fight for the soul of the GOP, leaving the true conservative wanting and waiting. I imagine the true conservative is willing to have a centerist Obama re-elected, just to give the GOP a chance to catch its breath and put forward a sane sound candidate in 2016.

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

Considering how actually moderate he has been, I think it's actually a hatred for Obama himself that has given the neo and faux conservatives like yourself so much difficulty in being willing or even able to work for reason rather than fuming obstructionism. The far right you represent would rather drown in a sinking boat than cooperate on fixing it with somebody who would do so differently than you.

Sequoia 1 year, 5 months ago

How does Obama's alleged socialist plot fit with the current reality of record-high corporate profits, half a million jobs lost in the public sector, and the lowest tax rates since the Truman administration?

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

National health care is only extreme in America, it's universal everywhere else. Homophobia is extreme, acceptance is moderate. The deficit comes mostly from massive corporate greed, unregulated financial thieving, tax cuts which may have had some utility (I doubt it) in a strong economy but have killed our revenue during the present downturn. Yes, I'm left of centerist Obama, but unlike the far right at the helm of congress, I won't demonize him for trying to compromise to get things sound.

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

When comparing a nation's health care to its wealth, the US comes in way down the chart. We're the largest economy and except for the wealthiest nations with social medicine, we are only good when money is thrown in. That the American people are slaves to the government and that Obama is a Marxist are two of the Swift Boat lies you've fallen for. Actual policy puts Obama in the middle, and we're far more slaves to consumption and Madison Avenue than the we are to the government.

xhepera 1 year, 5 months ago

And that, asb, is part of the dirty little secret his haters will not admit. If they had actually had anything of substance they'd not have spent those years on birth certificates, socialism and denying his Christianity.

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

The Birther media blitz was FOX based blather, and I missed the part where all who disagree with Obama are Birthers, but hey. Obama has accepted Christ as his Savior, and that's as good as Tebow for me. Growing up in Indonesia and Hawaii prevents Christianity . . . and what about Utah Grace?

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

My point about Utah is that some on the right suggest Mormonism is a cult, and while you've often said you considered Mormons Christians, there's doubt on the not-so-far right. Your doubt about Indonesian and Hawaiian Christians isn't a very far reach in silliness. Nobody can judge another person's stated faith.

xhepera 1 year, 5 months ago

Bearing false witness is a sin, Graceful. Check yourself.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 5 months ago

Apparantly Sequoia, you have never heard Newt speak...or read the entire article.

tonto_goldberg 1 year, 5 months ago

Actually, it's Newt's history that dooms him. It's long and well documented, and runs contrary to almost everything the self-identified GOP voters CLAIM to stand for. What Newt does really well, and what seems particularly attractive to movement conservatives, is say mean and rude things about Obama. Newt has lots of ideas and the ability to speak rapidly about them. Watch for Newt to crash and burn AFTER winning a couple of early caucuses and maybe a primary somewhere.

wcywing 1 year, 5 months ago

Newt is a dinosaur, if this is the last best hope, we are doomed. political insider, lobbyist, and he is bigger flip flopper than Romney. Apparently some people do not look at Newt's record. Obama or Newt...none of the above.

gofish 1 year, 5 months ago

Newt is the ultimate hipocrit. The whole time he scowled at Bill Clinton for Monica, he was having his own affair and later got caught. I think Obama is inept and has never had a plan. He doesn't really even tread water well. But I'd rather have him than someone as blatantly evil as Newt.

xhepera 1 year, 5 months ago

Are you implying that Republicans are better Christians than Democrats? Of course, you did say that the "other side" (meaning the Dems) revel in "morality." Freudian slip?

In any case, Christian virtue is not the province of any particular political party, nor is morality the exclusive province of any one religion.

asb 1 year, 5 months ago

" . . . republicans want to impose Christianity on the nation. . . " pretty well sums it up Grace, that would be an un-American and amoral goal. Yes, a higher percentage of Republicans are Christian than are Democrats, but they are not morally superior, unless you believe that only Christians are moral. Morality existed long before the birth of Christ.

xhepera 1 year, 5 months ago

Shame on you. Your misinformation and characterizations strike me as similar to those of the radical islamists who say that the mainstream Muslims are not true Muslims. Of course, so many in our country who claim to be Christian are actually christianist. There is a difference.

evenkeel 1 year, 5 months ago

Sure, I would have preferred Bob McDonnell or Bobby Jindal or even the boring and very competent, diminutive Mitch Daniels. Unfortunately, those are not the choices. (Nor is a clean and competent Cain, he may or may not be clean, he is not competent.)

Gingrich has more baggage than Ginger of Gilligan's Island, but like Grant, the man will fight.

To take a quote of Lincolns' about Grant and change it to suit the present situation: "If Gingrich only does this thing right down there — I don't care how, so long as he does it right — why, Gingrich is my man and I am his the rest of the election!"
What is it Gingrich needs to do right? Defeat Obama.

Gingrich will be a colossal upgrade to what we have now.

Gabrielle 1 year, 5 months ago

This is not an accurate representation of what actually happened, hkchas. Many people repeated this - thinking it was the truth. imagine what that was like for NGingrich.

tonto_goldberg 1 year, 5 months ago

That's not the issue here. You have dragged Clinton's impeachment into the conversation in a failed effort to divert attention from just one of Newt's many failures. The issue is still the fact that Newt confessed to hypocrisy while claiming not to be a hypocryte. Neither George Will nor William F. Buckley could explain that away on their best days.

tonto_goldberg 1 year, 5 months ago

I suggest reading George Will's column about Newt. It's hilarious, and includes a lot of jabs at Newt's Hindenberg-sized ego. It sounded a little like Will was describing the other GOP big-hair warrior, Donald Trump.

tonto_goldberg 1 year, 5 months ago

The animosity goes back a long way. Will has always suspected Newt of being a charlatan. I doubt anyone can save Rick Perry from his colossal mental lapses.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 5 months ago

So many posters here without sin! Go ahead and cast your stones! LMAO!

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 5 months ago

Ok hkchas. Go back and find one post I made about Obama! I'll wait.

And what do you mean by YOU Tea Partiers? Do you know me? I suppose by your statements that you oppose what happened in Boston many years ago? I guess you are for big government and handing over most of your hard earned money to the politicians to spend for you how they see fit? Your statements seem to make me think that you are dissatisfied with the current level of taxes being waged on the american public, so I ask, how much extra do you send into the IRS to make up for it and set an example for the rest that want to try and eek out a living and spend the money they earned themselves?

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 5 months ago

Yea, that's what I thought. "a buck or two extra wouldn't hurt YOU either..."

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 5 months ago

I was quoting you. You failing to take ownership of your statement. You want more taxes but then say "it wouldn't hurt YOU to pay more" you did not state " it wouldn't hurt ME to pay more". Typical liberal rubbish!! You want more taxes, but ONLY if it is the OTHER GUY paying them! If they take 50% of a millionaire or billionaire's money, than they should take 50% of everyone's money!! You ok with that? Yea, I doubt it. It is that liberal class envy that stews inside you, thinking that the people that earn far more than you need to give it up so you can have more. Simply put...pathetic!!!!

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