Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Those of us who know Newt Gingrich's rhetorical style well know that there are certain villains he can be relied on to invoke with metronomic regularity: the media, 'elites' of any stripe, and -- one of his favorite targets -- political consultants. The irony of that last one is that Newt himself may have some of the best consulting instincts of anyone in Washington. Here's how he reacted on CNN yesterday to footage from a new Romney ad:
I, frankly, was just startled by the ad you just showed a minute ago in which Romney is in a sense embracing Obama – ‘we both care about the middle class’ – I don’t know why he’s saying that. If President Obama cared about the middle class, why did the price of gasoline go to an all time high? If President Obama cared about the middle class, why do we have the largest debt in American history that the middle class is going to pay on for the rest of their life time? I mean if President Obama cared about the middle class, why have we had the longest period of unemployment since the great depression?
Now, Mitt is probably incapable of getting his hackles raised to Newt-like heights (rumor has it Gingrich can only be felled with a silver bullet). And there's some virtue in that. A little righteous rage goes a long way. People want passion -- but only up to a point. They probably don't want to vote for the Michael Douglas character in "Falling Down."
But the tone of indignation is only part of the instruction on offer here. The key insight -- and the one Romney needs to remember going into the debates -- is that it's okay -- advisable, in fact -- to dispute the premise of the question.
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Feb '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Gingrich has a seemingly rare ability to analyze and then challenge a question based upon the fundamental issue. Politicians are so ingrained with "Thou shalt not offend!" that they concede the premise, and forget the real audience of the response: the voter.
Jan '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
"We were losing 800,000 jobs a month ..."
Sep '12
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
One must be able to spot the premise of a question before one can either dispute or roll with it after correctly gauging the political consequences of the potential answers.
When Stephanopoulos asked Romney whether states had the right to ban birth control, Romney disputed the premise of the question as silly because no one was considering doing so. Instead, he should have rolled with the premise and answered, No, after the Supreme Court's ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut, states don't have the right to ban birth control. Then he should have attacked the premise as silly because no one was considering doing so.
Newt is so very good at attacking the invalid or false premises of liberal interlocutors because he has marinated in conservatism for 40 years and battled liberals nearly that long. Oh, and he's diabolically clever. I doubt Mitt is as fit, but we'll see.
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 7:02pmOct '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Here's what's weird, though. I saw Romney on Sunday night at a rally outside Denver, and your quote from Gingrich mirrors what he said there darn near word-for-word. So he'll say it to people in person (and there were reportedly 7,000 persons there that night). Wonder what's up with the reticence in the commercials?
Jan '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Absolutely 100% agree!!! I pine for the first week after Mitt got the nomination and had a surprise press conference at Solyndra and then sent Romney supporters to heckle an Obama rally! Come back moderately angry Mitt!!
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
This is a great point. He really does talk right over the heads of the press, directly to the voter. Nobody connects on that level like Newt.
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
This is a hopeful sign.
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
On today's podcast with Goldberg and Podhoretz, I suggest that one of Mitt's lines in next week's debate should be: "Mr. President, what planet are you on?"
May '10
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
I agree with the sentiments on this thread...remember though...
He needs to win those last few votes that still think Obama's a nicer guy than the mean corporate job-exporting rich guy.
That's the tough situation he finds himself in. It's aggravating as all heck.
Mar '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Exactly right, Troy. Romney the Accountant needs to find a bit of that within himself and let it loose. It's hard for the voters in the middle to connect with abstract policy proposals. They connect with principles expressed passionately.
Nov '10
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
My conservative fantasy: the night before one debate (the last one?) Romney comes down with a devastating case of stomach flu (of the 24 hour type) and word goes out that he cannot debate. The Obama side graciously offers to postpone and/or replace it with a "thoughtful" Nationally televised "conversation" in which he and some conservatives of his choice answer softball questions about plans for social safety nets.
"Not So Fast" cries Newt, riding in from the wings on a white horse! You wanted a debate? No need to change plans. I'll be happy to debate the president in Romney's place. I haven't prepared...so? The debate must go on!
Obama accepts, overconfident from his advisors' assessments: Gingrich is a well-known and not-well-liked buffoon who babbles pointlessly, is easily baited into a flaming rage and hasn't prepared so he'll be easy to take down. All of the above, of course, are standard Newt stereotypes which have proven time and again to be foolhardy assumptions. Newt proves (again) the master, easily cleaning the floor with his opponent and giving it a good waxing with the moderator, to boot.
Jul '10
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
However, there is the old saw that in Presidential contests the more "upbeat" candidate is usually the winner.
It's worth remembering that Newt lost.
Feb '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Crow's Nest
Exactly right, Troy. Romney the Accountant needs to find a bit of that within himself and let it loose. It's hard for the voters in the middle to connect with abstract policy proposals. They connect with principles expressed passionately. · 52 minutes ago
Which is why conservatives, in general, didn't want Mitt to begin with: we're not entirely sure of his principles and he doesn't seem to be able to do passion. I'm not ready for total despair, but I may get a cramp from keeping my fingers crossed for so long.
Feb '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Rob, I don't think Mitt pulls of snark very well. A line like that has a high risk of backfire.
Sep '12
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Romney's soft criticism and lack of passion or sense of urgency cast this election as a mere difference of opinion. That approach can give comfort to the ambivalent voter who is inclined to vote for Obama. It normalizes the outrageous and gives legitimacy to a radical and incompetent president.
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 10:06pmJan '11
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
I agree that Mitt doesn't do snark or quips very well, that's OK. I'd like to see him really pour on the 'CEO'. Relate how these foolish Obama policies affect businesses (jobs, prices that consumers pay, American competitiveness). He doesn't have to do 'nasty' - have him do 'grow-up'.
I listened to Karl Rove detail how the loss of those coal mines in Penn. & Ohio and how around 200 coal fired electricity generating plants are shutting down (power costs projected to rise by as much as 30%!). Tell the voters how that will further decimate jobs, profits, people relying on those dividends, making that decision to 'offshore' more likely, how that affects local tax base... How a Chevy Volt would be even more of a 'dog'.
How do the credit downgrades affect US borrowing costs, what historical borrowing costs will blow up the budget (or the last one we actually had).
He needs to do a better job of showing just how capable he is with this kind of analysis. He didn't get rich by being a rapacious SOB, but be being a tallented and capable leader and decision maker.
Jun '12
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Perfect.
Even do the Ross Perot thing and have a few visual aids ready, like a businessman with a clear plan for making a profit.
Oh, wait, profit is a bad word in some circles these days...
Sep '10
Re: Mitt, Find Your Inner Newt
Mitt needs to drop the Piano of Doom (tm and patent pending) on Obama.