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:
The reason Newt finds it so disorienting is that he is only in it for the money - to sell more books and consulting. Not even Newt expected so many Republicans to be so stupid.
Got news for ya Newt: They really are that stupid!
I guess Newt has been a front runner for over 20 years because he's been disoriented for at LEAST that long.
I wonder which "Activist Judges" he's referring to as a problem. Scalia, Alito, Thomas or Roberts?
sorry..."Radical" judges.
I am waiting to hear Newt's explanation for the BJ he got while sitting in his car in his own driveway. You know the time that his neighbor said thank god Newt's kids were not old enough to see what was going on in the car with a woman other than his wife.
Some say they will give up integrity for competence. Well enough for the family value BS. My question is how can one that has no integrity lead this country out of the hole we are in
The devil made him do it, I am sure, but now that he is Catholic and the church has absolved him of all his sins he is fine. Ain't religion wonderful and ain't he just the smartest little ole carpetbagger you ever did see? Doncha wish the blowee would come forth and sell her story to some sleezebag magazine...haha? That would be something. I remember that story, it was hilarious. I think he was teaching at some college in North Georgia at the time, wasn't he? Oh well, maybe he was helping a student with a class, you know with *tootering*..haahaha....
"Newt Gingrich told hundreds of Iowans in the state’s largest county that his new front-runner status is “disorienting.”"
God forbid he ever becomes President.
When is it going to be Santorum's turn? That's going to be the best show to watch!
You gotta hand it to Newt for his forward thinking. We haven't had real child labor since Victorian times. And then children (and women) were frequently employed in coal mines. Going back to those days would achieve two cherished Republican goals.
This buffoon was run out of Congress last century for embezzling from his own campaign funds. Why isn't this redneck in prison?
It makes for an uncomfortable feeling that so many right-wingers support a known criminal. It makes me even more uncomfortable to know those supporters prefer owning a gun to having affordable health care, an education and a clean, livable environment.
.
Newt won't have to worry about being the front runner if he keeps saying stupid stuff like "poor people don't know how to work" and that all the unemployed have to do is "take a bath and get a job". This guy is such a creep. He has no empathy and beccause he has made millions just flapping his jaw, he assumes that anyone else can do so too. I can't believe that the memories of our citizens ae so short that they don't remember that this guy was run out of Washington. He was also one of the authors of the "Contract with America" of which their first point was to "require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress". Yeah, that worked out. Health Care? Insider trading? Yeesh. I wish he would pack up his tent and go home, get a BJ from his NEXT wife (of which there will be one) and leave the rest of us alone.
He's disoriented alright, but it's not from being the frontrunner.
Headlines November 6, 2012 : Gingrich Wins by Landslide. Obama and Socialist Party Lose Big. You libs are such IDIOTS. I truly find it hard to believe that people can be that STUPID. Get ready Bamy and his Mammy are on their way out of the pad on Pennsylvania Ave. LOL I (and billions of others around the world) cannot wait.
Ahh... The entertainment is here.
Splendid !!!
A bit racist aren't you vince? God must be speaking to you as I fail to see how you could be the spokesmen for most of the people on the earth. Please get off the computer and go play with the rest of the little boys.
Racist? And then you tell him to abuse little boys? (If you can make ridiculous assertions from the written word then so can I.)
Besides I bet VInce had a white mammy as well so he can't be racist for what he says about Obama.
No not really, I just meant to imply that Vince acts as though he is a child and not very smart at that.
What are you smokin'?
I am amazed that any decent person would vote for newt...he has the moral compass of a gerbil with his multiple affairs, past financial shenanigans and of course now he wants to indenture poor kids to pay the bills...what is wrong with you people?
Maybe they can read and think for themselves - and not infer the garbage you are spouting here. Did youu even read what he said about the kids? Maybe you could have someone read and explain ot to you - anuy fourth grader should do.
I think Rich546746 need to apologize to gerbils everywhere. They are much more honorable than The Lizard *Newt* any day. Shame shame. I am sure their moral compass is true.
You would think he'd be used to "being on top"!
Clinton has a dyke wife so one can blame him for sedducing a 21-year old intern. Newt should be held to a higher standard. He, after all, is not a liberal and is expected to have moral values.
I hope religion doesn't factor into the GOP race. It'll have to come out that Newt worships himself.
Ha!! I imagine that bloated gasbag would think that. He probably is thinking "what the f— — K, even I didn't think that so many people were so stupid as to overlook all my sordid baggage!"
Baggage like Reverend Wright and that radical Ayers? Baggage like having no experience other than community organizer? Hell we loved that pervert Clinton and sent the woman who outed him to jail. You really have too high an opinion of the American voter.
Liberals who laugh at Newt have never heard him speak in person. He is intelligent, knowledgeable and articulate. Once he gets to present himself to America he will roll over the incompetent presently in the White House. Newt doesn't need a teleprompter and will crush Obama in debate. Look for the media to now crucify him at every turn of course, just as they did the other front-runners. If we had an unbiased media in this counrty Obama would never have been elected. So anything is still possible. For the sake of our country I have to pull for Newt. We cannot survive four more years of this Marxist anti-business incompetent.
To a 5th. grader, he probably would sound intelligent, knowledgeable and articulate.
Gingrich is the ultimate prototypical corrupt crooked facist Republican politician...
Like Reid and Pelosi, but not so obvious? You obvioulsy know nothing about the man. Or more likely, any politician who does not steal from the productive to keep incompetent indolents like yourself fed and clothed is crooked and facist.
This whole thing is beginning to remind me of a Shakespearian Tragedy ...
Macbeth (parody)
https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&cid=94d80c9e000fce18#cid=94D80C9E000FCE18&id=94D80C9E000FCE18%21190&sc=photos
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told hundreds of Iowans in the state’s largest county that his new front-runner status is “disorienting.”
Gingrich has been disoriented since day 1 when he started this.
Is Newt now the choice of the fundamentalist Christians??!!?? If so, that tells you something about any kind of serious commitment to Christianity these people hold. I have long held that they live in a philosophical dualism---Christianity on Sunday and forget it on Monday. Somehow, Christianity and the Republican mind don't mix. Don't you just love to hear these people tell you why they love Jesus and Newt??!??? hahahaha
Don't worry Newt said BO can use a teleprompter for his debate.
Common Man: Why do you suppose Plantation Newt would say that? No one brought up the teleprompter when Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush used it. Now, all of a sudden it becomes important when this president uses it. I've often wondered why the "teleprompter" has become so important to the Republicans when it wasn't important to them that every causation president has used it for more than 40 years. Suddenly, it becomes important when a black president uses it.
You do understand, don't you, that historically blacks were and still are considered biologically inferior to whites. It was proven by 19th century science. Then, along comes this president who is a very, very, bright fellow. So, how can that be, if he is biologically inferior to white? There must be some explanation since he is, in their eyes, biologically inferior to whites. Of course! It's the teleprompter! The teleprompter explains it all. It explains exactly why this fellow can appear bright. He isn't at all! He's only good at reading what some white fellow wrote for him.
Gingrich will continue to paint Obama as a "socialist progressive" pandering himself to the Tea Party and far right. There will be brilliant speech's with new spin on same old policies like the "Contract with America." Some people did not understand what Newt was saying about the Poor, he meant that the poor (mostly minorities) children should begin to work because the have no pattern to work because their parents do not work. Scratch the skin of a Republican and you won't like what you find underneath.
Bill- like most marxists, you are ashamed of your ideology instead of embracing it as you should. You and the incompetent marxist community organizer should just be open and celebrate your love of collectivism over individual liberty
It's certainly disorienting to me to know it.
Give a Hoot Don't Vote Newt.
And for you cretinous dweebs out there who use the word Liberal as an insult, pull out a dictionary and look up the Word.
I'm happy to be called a Lib.
Lets start the neuter Newt campaign.
So am I. Way glad!
Why is Ron Paul never ever mentioned on this website? He must be scaring the rep/demo party to death. lol Fox news will not mention him either.... but he is in all international news...
You must not read much of the site.
Ron's a nice guy who has SOME good ideas and he doesn't scare anybody.
This man wants to reverse CHILD labor laws and still he is the front runner, God help us. Should this man manage to win we can look forward to the return of the work houses and debtors prisons.
ANY parent that would vote for this man should get help and fast. Ladies, how you even think of voting for this bunch of people that would take our rights and freedoms back at LEAST one hundred years???