I've never seen such a divisive, bombastic, jingoistic primary speech in my life.

[pinto]

Gingrich wins So. Carolina and all but calls Obama an anti-American socialist commie. Oh, wait.

He actually did that, in so many words.

The man is dangerous, imo. His rhetoric is inflammatory. His politics are base. I think he has little chance to go the route for the (R) nomination, but it's so disheartening to hear the vitriol.

[gateley]

1. I agree. You state it well -- inflammatory. Dare I say, Hitler-esque? nt

[K Gardner]

6. Like I said..

Unleash Hell.. and the crowd goes wild. It's a blood sport now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12513159

Hey gately ! Long time no see

[gateley]

14. Good to see YOU, K Gardner!

How have you been?

Thanks for the link - WOW.

[Orangepeel]

2. Anti-American socialist radical. I don't think he said commie

But hell, I'm glad I didn't have Saul Alinski in the Gingrich speech drinking game

[pinto]

5. ...

[K Gardner]

7. David Corn had Saul. David is taking a cab home....

I had the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Next time, I'll go with socialist.

[elleng]

3. Its AWFUL to hear the vitriol.

Was so hoping to watch Doc Martin.

[Cleita]

4. He's a bloated, egotistical, nasty, and mean man. That's for certain.

I don't believe he will get near the Presidency, but then I didn't think George Bush would either. If he does become President either through compromised elections or the supreme court, I will leave the country this time before he completes the transition of this country into a banana republic, police state. I can't take it any more.

[gateley]

15. We didn't think he'd get this far in the primaries, Cleita. Our country is in

a crisis. I think we MAY be able to stop it from plummeting off the edge, but I'm not sure. What I AM sure of is that if Gingrich (or any Republican candidate) were to get the WH, we'd be tossed off and America would die.

[Cleita]

25. You are so right. I hope this country isn't doomed. n/t

[JoePhilly]

31. Take a breath ... we'll be ok ... this is why ...

Newt is an angry, bitter, vindictive, psycho. We know that.

He didn't do well in Iowa or NH because not every Republican is insane. Although lots of them are.

Newt did win SC ... why? Because most of the Republicans THERE are "angry, bitter, vindictive, psychos", just like Newt. Most of them are also racist, and Newt is willing to throw them some civil war rhetoric.

The Republicans who vote for Mittens will NEVER vote for Newt. They are corporatist jerks, yes, but they are not nearly as crazy as the folks Newt is courting.

The folks voting for Newt do not care what happens to the US economy. Those voting for Romney do.

The DOW is up about 5000 points since the day Obama took office. Now matter how much Newt or Romney claims that Obama is "bad for business", they can't refute that simple statistic. The business community would prefer Romney over Obama, but my bet is that they would rather Obama over Newt.

Newt will be too crazy for them.

I'm not suggesting we get complacent ... we need to be ready to take on either of them, because both would suck big time. But my sense is that the entire GOP won't be able to get behind either one.

[gateley]

32. You're right -- thanks for talking me down. I remember the

very vocal GOPers saying Newt would be a disaster. They were willing to break Reagan's Eleventh Commandment of never speaking ill of other Republicans. They were pretty brutal - it was surprising.

And you make a point about not every Republican being crazy.

Thanks for making so much sense.

[JoePhilly]

34. And thanks back to you for reading what I wrote and hearing it in the way I intended.

I posted that in a hurry, because I had to go do something else, then when I came back and I read it again (it was still on my screen), and I worried that I might have come across in an "oh please spare me" tone ... which was not my intent. So thanks for not reading it that way.

I know plenty of Republicans who are not insane. Although most of them are now calling themselves independent. They would consider Mitt, they don't hate Obama (some are turning to him), but they would never vote for Newt, Perry, Santorum, Bachmann ...

My sense (hope) is that the GOP is imploding. Its collapsing in on that small, angry, crazy group, getting smaller and smaller ... while chasing everyone else out.

[gateley]

35. Stand by -- I''ll re-read it and maybe be insulted this time around.

It didn't come across that way at ALL, but I know we can't hear each other's inflections or tone and a post is always subject to interpretation.

And again, I do appreciate your message.

[JoePhilly]

37. lol!!

[jberryhill]

8. I'm so glad my dog needed a walk

Because if I wasn't outside watching my dog squat and pinch one out, I probably would have seen Newt's speech.

[unc70]

9. Classic Jesse Helms / Ronald Reagan play book

Notice all the code words. San Francisco is code for gay. Food stamps, welfare queen, the elite, people power beating big money. White victimhood, entitlement, government taking from you, populist, dependence, Saul Alinsky, ...

There you go again.

Close to the "real Americans" vs the Other.


Newt knows how to trigger all the code words.

[AlinPA]

10. He is very dangerous. IMO, he will win the republican nomination, and pick Rubio as VP.

[pinto]

12. A possibility I think. And Rubio, whether it's Romney or Newt.

[gateley]

33. Oh, God -- Rubio. nt

[JDPriestly]

11. I think that Newt has an excellent chance to win the nomination -- and to put up a strong challenge

in November.

Americans are frustrated and angry. Newt is speaking to that.

Obama feels he has to be the grown-up, the responsible person who quietly urges people to remain calm.

Will Americans vote their anger or will they decide to vote for the more rational of the two candidates. That is the emotional level on which a Gingrich/Obama campaign would be fought.

Mitt isn't angry. He does not understand the frustrations of middle class Republicans and never will.

Both Mitt and Obama suffer from the fact that, at this moment, their calm and rationality is perceived by the voters as being cold, impersonal even cruel.

Newt's lashing out at the question about his asking his second wife, Marianne for an "open" marriage really won the S.C. primary. Not that the voters are pro-open-marriages, but that they wanted to see that flash of temper, that anger. This is not a good sign, guys. Not good.

Let's hope that Obama comes on strong without losing his cool between now and November. Don't take anything for granted.

[pinto]

13. I don't hear perceptions of Obama as "cold, impersonal even cruel".

He's not the liberal firebrand many thought they were electing, but he remains warm, personal and engaging. And, yes, politically calculating. Don't think he'll lose his cool between now and November.

[JDPriestly]

28. OK. Let's describe Obama as "cool."

That was great in 2008. But people became angry after the economic crash. Obama is beginning to show some outrage, but he will need to get a lot more "fired up" if he is to inspire independent voters. I think he can do it, but it will take a little effort on his part.

Obama's self-assured coolness contrasted very well with McCain's insecure flustering, but how would it compare to the blustering of a Gingrich.

[pinto]

29. Yeah. Seems he's getting a bit more "fired up" of late. Pressuring Congress, as well.

Gingrich, imo, won't make it through the primaries. He'll manage to alienate much of his own party, save the teabagger contingent, along the way. Or just simply implode under the weight of his own ego and vitriol. Cool might well work, though, given a Gingrich candidacy. He's a loose cannon.

Target in the general is likely to be Romney. And, I agree, a more fired up Democratic response to that candidacy would be a good move.

All conjecture on my part, of course. And, fwiw, I think Obama will do well personally against either Republican candidate.

[JDPriestly]

36. I agree that Obama will do well against any of the Republicans, but we should not be complacent.

A lot of it is up to Democrats, and part of our job is giving feedback.

I don't think that anyone in D.C. understands how bad Americans feel, especially the people who owned small businesses that went belly-up during the recent downturn. They are now losing their homes. It's pretty embittering for many of them.

[frazzled]

16. That "temper, that anger" is sure useful in a president with his finger on the nuclear button.

You sound as if this is a quality you admire, and you want Newt-level "temper" and "anger" from this president as well: as if getting red in the face and mad is the silver bullet that will cure all ills. As if righteous indignation is an end in itself. Your post really scares me.

I have known this all along: the left's anger at Obama is the same as the right's anger at anyone who is halfway sane on their side. Both want great gnashing of teeth and red-hot rhetoric, and that's about it. God help America if this is where we're headed.

[JDPriestly]

27. I can't stand Gingrich or anything about him.

But I don't think Democrats should be so sure that he cannot be elected.

We see through him. But put yourself behind the eyes of the average Fox viewer. And that includes a lot of independents.

[gateley]

17. When people are fearful and scared, as they are now, it's difficult to remain objective and logical.

Emotions would win, I think.

You nailed it - Newt is speaking to the frustration and anger and whipping it up into an even bigger frenzy by portending it will become WORSE if Obama is allowed to remain POTUS.

I don't discount Newt at all. I don't discount any of them.

[alphafemale]

19. Nah...it just happened too late.

And in a state that would still have a philandering governor if he hadn't hiked the Appalachian trail all the way to Argentina.

Candidates declare war on the press at their peril.

[Drunken Irishman]

20. Disagree...

I don't think you get how many people HATE Newt Gingrich and think he would be a disaster of a president. I am in Utah and am hearing people who despise Obama saying they will vote Obama in 2012 if it's Gingrich. This from people who've never voted Republicans in their lives.

Gingrich lacks the money and organization to battle Obama. He'd be their McGovern.

[provis99]

18. he reminds me of the old Catholic bigot, Father Coughlin.

Coughlin said the same sort of things about FDR and his supporters.

[eppur_se_muova]

21. Hey, just wait for the FL primary !

If Newt wins that, he'll be so puffed up they won't be able to fit anyone else on stage !

[DCBob]

22. Yes he is.. he inflames the worst in Republicans.

He knows their hot buttons and knows how to push them... not unlike a little man with a mustache many decades ago.

[Kath1]

23. The more I hear from him and the rest of them...

...the more committed I am to doing everything I can to support Obama. The last thing we need in this country is another "Bush-esque" administration.

[Grateful for Hope]

24. Excellent choice of words

I hope you right about his chances. He is a very dangerous man. Although, I think they are all dangerous.

[GeorgeGist]

26. Anti-social isn't he?

Kinda explains his anti-socialism.

[tallahasseedem]

30. We're going to need to be prepared for it to get...

a lot worse between now and the election.