E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSFrom NBC's Alex Moe
JOHNSTON, Iowa -- Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told hundreds of Iowans in the state’s largest county that his new front-runner status is “disorienting.”
A crowd of more than 400 Republicans listened as the former House speaker laid out his vision for the country at the Polk County GOP Victory Dinner.
“This is such a rapid change that we’re having to rethink our own internal operation right now and where we are,” he told more than two-dozen journalists following his speech.
“We’re in a mess. We’re in a mess in Washington, we’re in a mess economically, we’re in a mess with radical judges. Just go down the list,” he told the sold-out crowd.
It was a notably different speech than Gingrich typically gives on the trail -- something he acknowledged afterwards.
“I would not have given this speech 2 weeks ago because it wouldn’t have seemed to make sense for this guy who was the underdog to be up here talking about the totality of the future,” Gingrich told reporters.
The former speaker dedicated a larger portion of his speech Thursday to attacks on President Barack Obama, calling him a “Saul Alinsky radical.”
“He believes in a world in which the classic America has disappeared. He believes in a world where the United Nations is more important than the United States Congress. He believes in a world of internationally law rather than of the U.S. Constitution,” Gingrich noted.
But the spotlight was also on Gingrich’s position on a controversial issue – child labor laws. During an earlier stop Thursday, he suggested children in poor neighborhoods should start working. Pressed following the dinner, Gingrich didn’t say what age he thought might be appropriate to get a job.
“I think the country has to decide. Different states may do it differently, different cities might do it differently,” Gingrich said. “I am trying to create a mindset that says the best way to get poor children to have a chance to rise is in fact to help them early on, learn the work ethic.”
During his roughly 45-minute speech, the speaker was interrupted frequently by applause.
“Newt Gingrich is always well organized. He is focused. And his message resonated with this crowd,” Polk Co. GOP Chairman Kevin McLaughlin told NBC News. “Social conservatives and social moderates are coming to Newt. And I think that’s a sign we have a uniter that will go the distance.”
But, the speaker still has a long road ahead. Before getting to Obama, he would have to take on Mitt Romney, whom he didn’t mention during his speech. Gingrich did not take the bait when reporters asked him to distinguish himself from the former Massachusetts governor.
“I am happy to be who I am. I think that distinguishes me from Romney,” Gingrich said. He also stated he would “probably” not attack Romney during the two upcoming debates in the first-in-the-nation caucus state.
But, he added, “If he puts his hand on my shoulder, that might be different,” a reference to a heated exchange during an October debate, when Romney placed his hand on Rick Perry.
The former House speaker, who is leading in many state and national polls, has come a long way since this summer.
“As many of you know, I was supposedly in June and July dead. So it is great to be back,” Gingrich joked during the dinner.
He received three standing ovations as 15 TV cameras rolled.
“I have to confess that while I was hoping for a wave, we’ve had sort of a tsunami,” he said.
Slideshow: Images from Newt Gingrich's career
(NBC's Jamie Novogrod contributed to this report.)
Leave a Comment:
Newt is disoriented as a general rule. He thinks that he did historical research for Freddie Mac, guess he was disoriented when he told wife #1 he wanted to be married to someone else & on & on & on...blah, blah, blah
This Georgia BOAR is so disoriented that he doesn't know he moved to LAST place; now that CAIN's gone.
Of course it's disorienting for him. He's no longer being ignored. Now he has a big spotlight shining down on him. Question is, will he melt under the pressure like his predecessors?
What's disorienting is that this supposedly brilliant, intellectual Ph.D. historian knows so little about the complexities of social and economic class and inequality that he comes up with statements like the OWS protesters need to get a job and take a bath, and that poor people have no values or standards (much less jobs - which most do have) so we should teach these to their 9 year olds by putting the kids to work.
I have teenage grandchildren with a better grasp of the issues and social dynamics at work in this country than this one does. No matter how many times he tells you he is smart, please do not believe him. He is a political hack with a slightly larger than routine vocabulary.
anita --- right on. old "king rat" newt can't believe his good fortune. after a life of dirty dealing and cheating the gods have smiled on him. the repugnant/tea party love this kind of scumbag.
It is called "pandering" to the right wing of the party.
!
e!
er
wh
me
so
n
ve
ea
H
in
d
go
a
e
b
t
us
m
re
he
t
ve
ie
el
b
ly
re
su
l
il
w
I
t,
ew
N
e
at
in
om
n
ns
ca
li
ub
ep
R
e
th
f
i
t,
ra
oc
em
D
a
as
t
bu
,
od
G
n
i
ed
ev
li
be
h
uc
m
er
ev
n
I
z
Where do we get these worms to run for office. Newt thinks if you are poor you don't work and you don't have role models. We were poor and my dad was one of the hardest workers you ever saw. And all of my brothers and sisters succeeded and I would put any of my grandchildren and niece and nephews up against any of Newts and see who has the most intelligence and the best work ethic. I am confident we would win. He has no clue what he is talking about and does not know how to keep his mouth closed. And that is worth $60,000 a speech. What for laughs? This man will not be president. America is not that stupid!. We do not need a failed comedian for anything not even dogcatcher. Where do we get these people?
Brute Gingrich is the perfect repugnicrite candidate:
Super white, Super white hair(I mention those two things first because they are most important to the GOP, Givers Of Poverty), a liar, adulterer, lobbyist...liar again as he denies this, has zero empathy, uses his 'candidacy' to market his products, speaks down to and vilifies anyone who does not agree with him and despises and lies about The President.
Print up the bumper stickers!!!!
Does ole newty have time to get in one more wife before the republican convention??
I'm thinking yes.... He's a mover !!!!
"disorienting" eh, Newt ??? NO ONE TO STAB IN THE BACK, YOU MEAN !!!
Apparently, ole newty is a bit "disorientated"
He's got all this stuff,.. twirling around in his head... LOL!!!
I think most us Democrats would MORE than welcome Newt's selection as the Republican candidate for 2012 ... please! This guy has the same status as a fake Rolex ... I mean seriously. Definitely an elitist, fat cat, corrupted by money. Its ALL about money for Newt. Only candidate ever to be on the campaign trail attending "book signings" ... its all about money ... all of it.
I happen to catch Newt being interviewed by Sean Hannity a couple days ago ... Newt openly brags about working with President Reagan to implement "supply-side" ... trickle-down, voodoo economics. Republicans still think "trickle-down" is the ticket to getting the economy & jobs going again, even though EVERY statistic shows its created a division and decay of the middle-class dating back to, you guessed it, 1980 ... hummmm!
So Republicans, please, please select the morally corrupt, womanizer Newt Gingrich ... please!
I like his smartness but not the way he made his money - ie consultent for Freediemay and mac. Afraid he would just jump in bed with the lobbyist. Can we ever get the lobyist out of DC?
The Eye of Newt, disoriented? Nah, ya don't say.
His attitude toward the poor is pure Dickens, straight out of the 19th century. Let's bring back workhouses! He epitomises the worst characteristics of some of the rich, especially the nouveau riche, of this country. He got his money is ways not always ethical and now dumps on the poor.
Man, is this guy (Gingrich) a class act. He can spend hundreds of thousands for his wife's jewelry but wants the kids of the poor to go to work and earn money so his taxes can be reduced. He would set this country back a hundred years or more.
Newt G. is a joke. This guy won't win a presidential election. He should just quit right now and give up any pres. aspirations.
When Newt gets "disoriented", his "love of country" comes to the front.
Somebody is going to get screwed.
Newt calls Obama "a Saul Alinsky radical." William F. Buckley said Alinsky was "very close to be an organizational genius." What Alinsky did (I just looked him up) was organize poor people to help them improve their living conditions. No wonder Gingrich hates him.
the funny thing is that its a sign of newt's personality that he would use that to describe obama...given that I doubt more than 5% of gop voters (if that many) would have any idea of who he was. he just figured (perhaps correctly) that "saul alinsky radical" would sound both foreign and threatening to the average GOP voter. :)
There was a time, quite recently, when "French Fries" sounded both foreign, and threatening to the average GOP voter.
The Wal-Mart conservative crowd has the intellectual depth of your average kiddie pool...
I honestly think all these loser, Republican candidates are mere decoys for who the RNC eventually choose to run for 2012 ... the person they will run isn't even in the picture yet. What Republicans want to do is keep their primary candidate out of the line of media-fire. Wouldn't surprise me if a new face comes into the picture ONCE all the Republican debates are over ...that's gotta be the Repub ploy right now. Surely to GOD what they're offering up as OPTIONS isn't serious. Watch for an "end-run" by the Repubs in April or even May with a new face.
republicans loved cain because he "wasn't a washington insider". Now they love newt because "he's from washington and he knows how to get things done". lol.
I don't like him personally, and I'd have to go through his policies more, but I think its funny how the gop can completely differently justify each of their front runners. Bachmann was going to win due to her "unwavering fortitude and high moral values"...then they realized what an idiot she was...then it was Perry and his "excellent record as governor" (which apparently wasn't important for bachmann before him, nor for newt or cain after him)...then they realized what an idiot he was....then it was "cain the outsider" until they realized all of his problems...lol
How is this different from his usual state of disorientation?
I can see that ..... having a hard time deciding what shiny thing to buy for wife at Tiffany's, or how to spend the millions he made being a historian.
Does anyone seriously think this guy is not the epitome of everything wrong in our political system???
Right off the bat he is lying about his so called 4 year balanced budget.
1) He didn't do it.
2) It was only 2 years at best and even that was with some accounting trickery.
The thing with Newt is that he would have no problems dealing with Washington politics because he is already so firmly entrenched in them that there would no expection that he would ever want to change Washington.
Let's face it Newt can't be pulled down by scandal like the other Republican candidates either. His dirty laundry has been out there for years. By now people just smile and say oh that darn Newt and carry on as normal.
not so sure that his "consulting" for housing giants implicated in the housing bust would be so easy to brush aside..yes his personal morality in terms of affairs has been out there "for years", but more recent "discoveries" (since he temporarily retired from politics when he was busted for ethics) are still potential landmines.
Kent from Iowa ... maybe in the past people would shrug & shake their heads at Newt, but in the past the country hasn't been going through another Great Depression. People are very tired and frustrated with government now (both sides), and 2012 is going to be an election different from anything seen in 30-40 years. Candidates like Newt are going to be tossed out because they have their own best interests in mind, not the country ... way too many people suffering right now. Corporate profits (as a % of total economy) are the highest since 1929, while wages (as a % of total economy) are the lowest since 1929) ... that's from the Commerce Dept ... and why the 99ers are raising hell on Wall Street and across the USA. Since the implementation of Supply Side Economics in 1980 CEO pay has gone from 30X average worker pay to over 300X average worker pay in 2010.
Capitalism doesn't work when it only benefits the top 1 or 2% ... and that's been the case. In 2012 ... GAME OVER for the GREEDY. The likes of people like Newt Gingrich will be OVER.
My God would not do this to his children!!!! We will be DAMNED if we do!!!
What in Gods Name!!! Newt!!! This country use to care about each other, help each other.
By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise.
Adolf Hitler Newt why not try this!!
Tea-publicans "What in Gods Name are you thinking" Putting children to work!!!Doing away with child labor laws!!!!!!!!!!
Republicans have gone nuts, they don't need any help from the Tea Party!!!
Newt Gingrich Quote: “I am trying to create a mindset that says the best way to get poor children to have a chance to rise is in fact to help them early on, learn the work ethic.”
Newts comment: President Barack Obama, calling him a “Saul Alinsky radical.”
“Saul Alinsky radical.” You children don't know who this man was. His organizing skills were focused on improving the living conditions of poor communities across North America. In the 1950s, he began turning his attention to improving conditions of the African American ghettos, beginning with Chicago's and later traveling to other ghettos in California, Michigan, New York City, and a dozen other "trouble spots". "Whenever anyone asks me my religion, I always say—and always will say— Jewish."
As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.
Adolf Hitler Newt and Romney don't live in the America I know!!!!!