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GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- If elected to the White House, former speaker of the House and history professor Newt Gingrich wants to teach Americans a lesson -- that is, for free on the Internet about his policy views. The self-proclaimed "ideas man" said on Monday his course would be distributed on the Web in a format similar to the University of Phoenix or Kaplan.
"I think I will probably teach a course when I'm president," Gingrich told students and supporters after a campaign speech on entitlement reform at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
"I will probably try to do something that outlines for the whole country what we're going to try to accomplish," he said. "It will be free."
The former West Georgia College professor who holds a Ph.D. in modern European history from Tulane University rarely misses an opportunity to remind voters and journalists of his academic credentials. On the campaign trail, Gingrich often employs historical anecdotes involving the Wright Brothers, horse-drawn stagecoaches and Abraham Lincoln to illustrate his policy positions.
Gingrich said an online course would be one element of a major social media strategy that would allow him to communicate with more citizens directly, if elected president.
"The idea would be, why wouldn't you want a president in the age of social media to methodically in an organized way share with you what they're going to accomplish so that those people who really won't understand it can understand it," Gingrich said.
Touting himself as a social media savvy candidate, Gingrich promised to tweet more as president but speak less.
How exactly? The former speaker vowed to deliver few speeches to his constituents, and only when absolutely necessary.
"As president, they would like you to only bother them when it really matters," Gingrich said to an amused audience.
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What is he going to "teach"? How to Succeed by means of Moral Hypocrisy and Political Flip-Floppery????
Paul-977599
NEWS FLASH: First of all, Newt ain't gonna be the 45th President
However, Newt is a historian and does have a PHd in history. But, he teaches that daft history like the wild-eyed the Michele Batwoman and Sarah Palin.
Besides, that history lesson Newt gave on Freddie Mac was neither rational nor accurate.
Of course Newt didn't mention what the tuition would be. He tries to make money wherever and whenever he can.
The POP & DOUGH BOY teaching class from the white house ???? Just who does he think will mind the store while he teaches ???? If this guy had a half a brain he would be dangerous , if he had two they would rattle . Doesn't he know presidents don't get paid to teach while in office ?? Bet he tytles his coares how to screw the american people and win.
How much is he going to charge for this propaganda? He calls himself a teacher, but writes "what if" books about things that didn't happen like the south winning at Gettysburg. Next year I would love him to start writing a book about something else that never happened, namely him winning the presidency.
Adultery 101
Gingrich never does anything for free! This candidacy is all about book sales.
Louie Bee, the title states the online classes would be FREE!! Perhaps you need to go back to school to learn how to read!
Newt Gingrich would make a MUCH BETTER President than Obama. If fact, it is a disgrace to even compare O to Newt because Newt is far more educated, experienced, and pro-American!! Newt in 2012!!!
Hey JDP, check your facts. Newt Gingrich thinks child-labor laws are a joke, wants to send us back to early 20th century, CUT SPENDING EVERYWHERE, AND wants to keep the Bush tax cuts in place EVEN THOUGH all they do is add to our debt and deficit? And since when has experience been the only thing to determine whether a leader is good or not. The guy was not a governor but a speaker, which isn't very executive, and the only experience he has is banging chicks and conservative principles, which he breaks from time to time. And how the hell is Obama anti-American? Just because he's a liberal? Or is it because you snot-faced conservatives don't have a THING to go against him and just want to brand him as a traitor to hide the fact that this economic recession and this debt crisis was YOUR fault. Thanks to you, we lost our $5 trillion surplus from 2000 to 2010, any hope of eliminating the debt in the next 10 years, AND embroiled us in two expensive wars and DESTROYED America's image around the world. It is YOU who are un-American and YOU ought to be arrested and tried for treason for betraying this country. All you right-wing conservatives and your damned Tea Party/GOP can go TO HELL.
GOP/TEA PARTY EXTINCT 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!
OBAMA BIDEN 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMERICA 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gingrich hasn't even gotten to the White House and already moonlighting?
I don't see him putting his all into being President. Even had to take so much personal time to sign books and Greek vacation with the lovely Callista..
This guy is a hypocritical turd and wife #3 struts around like she is already Queen of the Land.
I think the Teapublicans would run a corpse to challenge President Obama. I'm sure there will be those deadheads who will cast a vote for anyone who isn't President Obama, but I do believe there are enough of us without the chip in our necks to vote our conscience for who is the best person to be President.
Getting rid of the deranged Teapublicans and giving President Obama a fair chance to enact his policies as we elected him to do. It is extremely foolish to blame the President for not meeting all his goals in his first term. God knows he tried but was stifled at every turn. Next year we will have the opportunity to undo the utter foolishness of the 2010 election. None of them have a clue what the people want and expected.
How to sell influence and be a whore for the one percenters.
That would be right up his alley.
This guy is a immoral wack job !
What a frickin total nightmare... Are Americans really this dumb?
They aren't actually stupid. They are woefully and willfully IGNORANT. They've been conditioned to be PROUD of their ignorance.
A few years ago I would say no way but the American people have voted for real dimwits lately. Look at the debates. Not a winner in the bunch except Huntsman who told the TP to shove it before it started to become popular among moderates in the GOP.
I agree Guy. Huntsman is the only "Republican" without sh@@ for brains.
I sincerely hope he runs for President in 2016. I'll put as much energy into his election as I am for President Obama's re-election. Hopefully by then our society will be out of the fog and again vote on beliefs rather than being told.
Yes Lyn, I am afraid they are.
Newt doesn't blow his nose for free. He's by far the most phony, commercial candidate out there, which is really saying something with Perry and Cain in the race.
I guess he do! Just like he said OCCUPY really stinks and a bunch of low life beggars. I guess he would be shouting this from that West Window of the White House. Quote: NEWT GINGRICH: All the Occupy movements starts with the premise that we all owe them everything. Now, that is a pretty good symptom of how much the left has collapsed as a moral system in this country and why you need to reassert something as simple as saying to them, go get a job right after you take a bath. Unquote
Newt the hoot. He sells influence to the highest bidder.
We do OWE them something invaluable. An EXPLANATION for how the power elite of the Greatest Nation on Earth managed to screw it all up for everyone but themselves the last 30 years, and still expect to be left in control!
Stick a sock in it, Newt. The last thing this country needs is more of your bloviating. You may think you're important and that people want to hear what you have to say, but the vast majority of America wants nothing to do with you and your pontificating. You were a failure in Congress and run out of town. You're all over the map on policy issues depending on who pays you the most. You'll say and do anything to promote the Gingrich brand, including abandoning your spouse while she was hospitalized. You are, indeed, completely shameless. Dictionary definition of "hypocrisy"? Newt Gingrich.
Maybe Newt should get a job after he takes a bath.
I actually like the "tweet more as president but speak less" idea; the world moves far too quickly to formalize everything (especially for that tired, old, now-over-politicized SOTU address--scrap it and let the media and forums disseminate more frequent status-update tweets or blogposts to the non-net-users, I say).
Otherwise, agree with the consensus here so far: Gingrich is nowhere near suitable for President, let alone to teach a damn thing from the office.
Hey Newt, the White House is for the President of the United States. It is not a school house for a third rate, third grade teacher.
Why doth mine ears detect the sound professors and teachers groaning at this news?
My precious brain cells...NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just remember Beck U (NO! Beck you!). I would expect a slightly better (if still completely inane) execution. Does Gingrich plan on charging $69/credit hr or would the courses be underwritten by his lobby group?
Damn good question.
He also seems to forget that this administration has already adopted that concept......greater transparency through the web. Have any of you spent any time on the www.whitehouse.gov site or the other sites of the White House? Have you been to the We the People section and posted your petition for others to read and support (or laugh over, since some of the petitions there are really laughable)?
It is far past time for people to stop complaining and get involved in a meaningful way. Go to www.faircampaignreform.us and join the Popular Amendment Movement. Help pass the proposed Election/Campaign Finance Reform and Term Limits constitutional amendments. Take back the control of our election system an least, and then maybe we can take back control of the country from the power elite.
Oops, sorry, I made a typo that I didn't catch and I am usually pretty good at doing that...."election system AT least", not election system AN least." Of course, spellcheck doesn't catch those errors. I wish they had grammar check too, hehe.
Proud to say I've been there and done that.
Louie Be maybe 999
What's stopping him from teaching right now? Other than that no one wants to pay him to learn how to be a hypocrite?
If he teaches his course after he's 'elected' than he can charge the cost of his 'free' course to taxpayers.
Gingrich is the only Speaker of the House to have been disciplined for ethics violations.
During his term as Speaker, eighty-four ethics charges were filed against him; eighty-three of them were dropped. The remaining charge concerned a 20-hour college course called "Renewing American Civilization" that Gingrich had taught through a tax-deductible foundation, Kennesaw State College Foundation. Allegations of tax improprieties led to two counts "of failure to seek legal advice" and one count of "providing the committee with information which he knew or should have known was inaccurate" concerning the use of a tax exempt college course for political purposes. To avoid a full hearing, Gingrich and the House Ethics Subcommittee negotiated a sanctions agreement. Democrats accused Gingrich of violating the agreement, but it was forwarded to the House for approval. On January 21, 1997, the House voted 395 to 28 to reprimand Gingrich, including a $300,000 "cost assessment" to recoup money spent on the investigation.
In a 2011 interview with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network Gingrich addressed his past infidelities by saying, "There's no question at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate
I guess if he actually became president, he would have to kinda strike a balance between working too hard and not working hard enough. Otherwise, he'll start boinking some White House staffer and his current wife will become just a distant memory. Then it's on to wifey #4.
I hope to God Almighty that he wins the republikan nomination. A candidate to be proud of. Obama would have him for breakfast
Mr. Gingrich just doesn't look healthy enough to be President at least not for long. He has a very pasty greasey look that comes from eating a lot of meat, probably PORK. I don't think this guy can handle the rigors the office will place on him. As my mother always warned "Beware of those with an enormous ego and a little d--K!"
Your mother was talking to you about men with little dicks?!? Weird.....
She was joking. But there is always a great deal of wisdom in humor!
Newt's 'course' (aka brainwashing) would not be free. It would be paid for by the taxpayers unless he's going to charge all the costs to his Tiffany account.
So tired of all these yahoo politicians droning on about the same old overly rehearsed bs. There is no one who will ride into the White House and make it all better.
They all seem to think they know what is good for the American people/country -- we've heard all these same old ideas before. They can dress it up and give it a new name but do they really think the voters are that stupid?
So he is going to be an Adjunct President!? Does this mean we get to pay him less than the full-time president's salary? Is he telling us that it does not take his full attention to be President of the US? give it a rest, Newt! Why not try to get a job you are equipped for?
Newt says they would be free courses. Bout what they're worth.
Lets hope he teaches CIVICS! The liberals' seem to forget how government is supposed to run as apposed to how THEY want to run it. They have dumber down the american people to a point of......its not greedy to TAKE money that someone else has earns, and greedy to keep what you earn for your family? OWS scum? They have student loans and are upset that they have to pay it back? Liberals are so...gimme, gimme, gimme...take care of ME...whats in it for ME..... Yes, I has worked so well for the poor in other countries...NOT. Socialism...Communism...the uber rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Look at Michele Obama!!! Sends her SERVANT out to buy a $5000.00 tennis bracelet? Spends over $10 mil of TAXPAYER money on vacations?
You can go back to watching FAUX "NEWS" now, PM. They're ready to do more of your thinking for you again.
"Nutty Newt" is already teaching a course on "How To Be An Ethical Violator." From his padded room at the local Mental Hospital. First. "Nutty Newt" will teach his fellow mental patients on the "Art" of lying. Second. He will teach the tactics used to cheat on your spouse, and then lie to get out of it. Third. He will dress up as President Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States Of America. He will spew about the issues of bringing back slavery, plantations, and a totally Agricultural Economy. Fourth. "Nutty Newt" will teach the parts of Constitution of the Confederate States Of America that he really likes. Now "Nutty Newt" will not tell you about Freddie Mac though. Remember he is the official historian for the Confederate States Of America. That is fact! Does America see and hear why the "Party Of NO" has got to GO??? I hope so!
Newt has made some policy mistakes, but that is to be expected from someone who has been so forthcoming with ideas and solutions, not just polled talking points. Some of those positions have been distorted and misrepresented, but some of the criticisms are fair, as Newt would acknowledge.
We never get a perfect candidate. We choose among those who are running. So don’t tell me about all Newt’s supposed heresies unless you are prepared to make the case why one of the other current candidates stacks up better. Among those who are running, no other candidate measures up to Newt, even Obama!
Bachmann is a despicable rightist who wants Pres. Obama to accept responsibility for congressional inaction so the Republicans can block all potentially-beneficial legislation and blame the President for lack of leadership. She should be tried and hanged for treason.
Obama went where he could do some good for our nation. That certainly would not include wasting time on the current US House of Representatives.