Allen West: Gingrich Is Carrying 200 Pounds Of Political Baggage
2012 Elections, Breaking News, Headlines Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011By: Sam Stein, HuffingtonPost.com
It’s not exactly clear what segment of the Republican electorate is behind Newt Gingrich’s surge in recent presidential primary polls, save that they aren’t fans of Mitt Romney.
Gingrich isn’t well regarded among established Republican types, who are fully aware of his propensity for bombast and verbal and political gaffes. Nor does it seem like he would do well with the Tea Party crowd, which is skeptical of both long service in Washington and careers in influence peddling.
Those, at least, were the criticisms Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of the Tea Party’s more vocal elected members, had of Gingrich when he appeared on the Laura Ingraham radio show Tuesday.
“Well, he’s a fighter, but he’s also a fighter that’s carrying a 200-pound rucksack on his back with all the baggage trying to fight,” West said. “I think the problem with the Republican Party, Laura, and you’ve been around this more than I have, is that we continue to believe in leadership by entitlement. We don’t come up with new faces, new visionary leaders. You look at everyone on this stage — they’ve been in this game for quite some time.”
At that point, West was cut off, with Ingraham noting that the new blood in the GOP had decided against making a presidential bid.
The Huffington Post emailed the congressman’s office to follow up on his Gingrich remarks. The staff sent back a link showing Army backpack usually weighs between 60 and 100 pounds.
To read more, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/allen-west-gingrich_n_1107918.html
Short URL: https://reteaparty.com/?p=4557
I agree, There are some better choices.
The president needs to be someone who has been around the block a few times and a record that shows he/she knows the ropes. We are currently seeing what happens when the President doesn’t know his butt from a hole in the ground. Gingich may have baggage but he also has experience and a dedication to take our country back to its roots. Oh bring back my country to me. And, IMHO, he can beat O’bama which,in the long run, is the single most important factor of all. His comparison to other GOP contenders is beside the point. . . BEAT O’BAMA!
Allen is right. Most Tea Baggers what new blood. Not someone in the game so long. We see the mess they have created. I personally like Ron Paul but most Tea partiers don’t put him at the top of their list. It is definitely getting to be an interesting game.
Ron Paul for me as well and I am tea party
Tea Baggers???? I think most Tea Party hard working members would recent that. Allen is right about the trash Gingrich is carrying. Most people were not paying that close of attention to what was happening in government when Newt was there. He got away with alot. Integrity – I don’t think so especially the way he treated both of his ex-wives. People need to wake up and by the way – Ron Paul is not new blood – he has been around for a long time but he does have character.
“Tea Baggers” ? I thought only Libtards used that phrase ??
RON PAUL 2012
I am a big Gingrich fan and a big Tea Pary supporter. We’ll see how “real” this baggage is as time goes along. So far, it all seems very unsubstantial.
My experience with the Tea Party members who are most vocal about not liking Gingrich is that they are ardent Ron Paul fans, which is their perogative, but many have an attitude that if you’re not for “their guy” Ron Paul then you are a RINO sell out. They are the loudest but I don’t know how many of them there are.
In every day life I have a lot of conservative/Republican friends and it seems they are all very excited about Gingrich.
Well see…
He was for the bailouts. The bailouts are the reason the tea party
even exists. Newt, Cain, Perry and Romney were all for the bailouts
and not for We The People. They are worse than RINOS. Remember
this.
Dan…ya are wrong about Perry being for the bailouts…that letter used against him is only the letter from the Governors saying to get to work and quit squabbling…try to figure things out…then the bubble burst and the talk of bailouts..Governor’s next letter…No to bail outs! These two letters are posted on the Texas Governor’s website…and Perry wrote about his stance against bailouts in FED Up.
How can Anybody be a Gingrich fan? A poster-child for infidelity who takes over $1.6million to lobby from one of the “NGO”s that he now says should go. He is responsible for the Contract with America being sabotaged in the 90s and Gingrich is simply pure EVIL. See the take of two people whom I have no respect for, but speak correctly of the self-grandizing Socialist, Newt: Martin Bashir and Homosexual prostitute Barney Frank.
I too would vote for Gingrich. He’s smart, knows the facts and history, has some good common sense ideas and he would be a great debater against
Obama!! I like his no nonsense style. Tired of RINOS and those that just sit
back and do nothing!! Or worse, go along with the Dems! Time to clean the house and the senate!
Mitt is as RINO as RINO gets ! He’s the most liberal of the bunch…
How is it that Romney was the Conservative choice in 2008 but now he’s a RINO? Are you sure you’re not a seminar commenter?
Just give us a candidate that will turn Obama out of office, Allen West is my kind of leader I know his story well, he is an American hero, Ron Paul is a politician, Newt Gingrich is a politician, Mitt Romney is a Politician etc etc.
I,m sick of Politicians both current and ex..They got us in this mess we need Congress cleaned up and a President that will spank them all.
Gerald, Ron Pual is the least responsible person for this mess. His message is 30 years old, never changed never will. Pay attention and look into his budget proposal. Isn’t it time to get some of our liberties back. No one else is offering freedom, just more of the same. You may be surprised to find out just how many democrats who are disenfranchised with Obama’ performance but would only switch if Paul was the republican nominee. They are Blue democrats and there a lots of them. They will never , however vote for any other republican candidate.
I am an Allen West fan and sent him a letter asking him to run. He did send me a letter back stating he felt he was not ready to hold that office and he wanted to honor his constituents, all this even though I live on the opposite end of the country from him, most elected officials will not do that.
I agree. Newt has a lot of baggage. He has some great answers but I do not think he can beat Obama. Too many stupid people who don’t get it, but they are government people and don’t care. I like Cain and think the claims are bogus. You notice they waited till he was a threat and then pounced. Check out her character, a lot to be desired. Sorry, just not buying it but too many people are letting it influence them.
Allen West is the man who can get the job done and we do not have another 4 years to experiment with someone else. I think Allen West is our next George Washington.
Newt was for the bailouts as was Perry, Cain and Romney.
They do not belong in the Republican party, much less the so
called Tea party. Remember this.
Seems to me the more baggage a Democrat candidate has the higher up they go in the party.
Gringrich might have a colorful background yet did produce some mighty good
results as a party leader. He is smart, not afraid to speak the truth, an excellent debater, would surround himself with the best minds that have common sense (not just theories) and certainly would challenge Obama.
He also knows foreign policy and basic economics (which Democrats don’t seem to understand).
Ron Paul just seems to timid and tired after fighting the politicians year after year and has not had much success in getting his points across or executed, I agree with much of what he says and he was my hero for years, but his arguments on the military has me very concerned.
Mitt is Mitt, either you like him or you don’t. Many are afraid he will not stand up to the Democrat regime, we just don’t know what he will do. He certainly looks like a statesman and speaks well.
Rick Santorum is brilliant and steadfast on his beliefs and common sense is his middle name. I like him.
Rick Perry could be a winner, he has a good record on most things and certainly would be better than Obams. He is very likable and intelligent.
Michele Bachman would be a perfect speaker of the house. Nothing would get by her. I do like what she has to say (mostly) and her common sense is awesome to observe,
Herman Cain would have been a great candidate. HE is very articulate and has excellent real economic experience as well as military background.
Any of these candidate would do a better job than Obama .
OF all the candidates Gingrich is the most impressive. People are starting to take a second look at him…regardless of baggage.
Personally, I am still looking closely at all candidates
Yes, Ron Paul is worth the look. He is interested in protecting our loss of Freedoms. Yes we have lost some freedoms, and it’s time we got them back. Please watch some video interviews of Dr.Paul, he really knows the constitution. We need to protect ourselves from this overbearing government. Time is wasting away, freedoms and rights are hard to get back after their gone.
Newt will kow from day one how to get things done in WA. He does not need a learning curve. Be nice if he had an Rep Senate to help him out/
Mitt Romney is the only Republican who can beat Obama! Remember,if Obama wins, our children have NO future!
I am so damned sick of Ron Paul and his online PaulBots. I was sick of them in 2008, and I’m even sicker of them today.
Ron Paul is an isolationist nut; his views on foreign policy are nutty. I’m a strong supporter of Israel; Paul the Nutter would throw Israel under the bus.
What’s more, Paul isn’t even a Republican! He’s a certified Libertarian. He left the Republican party, but was allowed to return unconditionally. He has about the same chances as Ralph Nader has to win the presidency.
Just quit the ‘botting, Paultards. It’s not helping one bit.
Moderation, eh? Tell you what: you publish that comment, or you stop sending me your newsletters, m’kay?
That is all.
WHO CARES about the baggage? Everyone has it. Look at Obama and Clinton – unethical, baggage, everything the MSM will not address, yet they go after every little foible of the Republicans. We need someone who can show up Obama in debates and take the country in the right direction. Gingrich has the experience, intelligence, historical knowledge of the Constitution and the history of the US. This election is pivotal, probably our last chance to save our Country, and Gingrich can do it. I am Tea Party from the beggining, attending Beck’s events in DC, etc. Ron Paul is great on economics but a disaster on foreign affairs – okay for Iran to have a nuke? Any of these candidates would be better than Obama, and I will support Romney if he is the candidate, but Newt has the balance of all qualities and talents needed for the job. So Newt has baggage – look at what the Libs and MSM are doing to Mormonism – AGAIN. They are going to viciously go after whoever it is, so we need someone who can stand strong. OMG (Obama Must Go!). The Left will try to get a 3rd party candidate in to assure BO’s re-election, and it could be Trump, Paul, or whoever. We cannot let this happen.
Our children already have no future and Mitt, or Newt won’t change that !
It’s time to vote for the guy that’s right for the job instead of the other side of the same coin and take up the debt where the last big spendor left off !
Gary Johnson is the man. Very effective in 8 years as New Mexico governor, even the Dems voted for him for the second term. Will balance the budget in one year and replace the IRS with the FairTax.
How can anyone who has gained financially from their post in government even be given a second look for the presidency? If we don’t stop the madness and start saying no to give-a ways and entitlements then we are already doomed. If I have to I will write-in Ron Paul in 2012 and that will be the last time I vote even if I live another 40 years. Hopefully my remaining years will be somewhere where liberty still means something.
Gingrick, or Slickgrick is interested to listen to and has some great ideas; however, he was for the Obama bail out and is riddled with Washington Insider cancer that the professional politicians and good-old boys know best.
His morality in the past SHOUD OR MUST be taken into consideration and his support for government solutions have been completely in left field on many occasions.
I think Romney is the best man for the job.
God help us to find our way. We are doomed unless we rely on God as George Washington did.
The only realistic choices at this point are Gingrich or Romney. We have an opportunity to elect a true conservative for the first time in 30 years – Gingrich is definitely the smartest of the bunch and a true conservative – Mr. flip-flop Romney is not. Newt’s the man – he will destroy Obama in the debates,
“It’s not exactly clear what segment of the Republican electorate is behind Newt Gingrich’s surge…”
It’s not us. It’s the MEDIA. Anyone but Ron Paul for them…
Their attempt to marginalize Ron Paul is enough for me to support him.
So the Tea Party is primarally concerned about reining in budgets…right? Ron Pauls’ plan CUTS over a trillion the first year, and balances the budget in the third year of his presidency. No one’s plans comes even close to this or offers any real details on how they will balance the budget, like Ron Paul. Without radical cuts and closing of non-constitutional branches of the Federal Government, and cutting back on our military expenditures, we will never balance the budget. Everyone freaks out about cutting back on the military budget when Paul suggest this, and he is only recommending we go back to the 2004 budget! Oh MY! How scary! That’s it…! we managed to survive in ’04 I’m sure we can again. I am now living on far less then I made in 2004, the government is just gonna have to tighten it’s belt too, cut some programs out completely and reduce budgets to ’04 levels…that is all there is to it. Paul is the only one with a detailed plan to do just that and road map to get us out of this economic mess we are in. Have you gone to his web site and read his plan? The link is below if you have not. Consider this…if we continue doing as we are, and making wee little cut backs here and there on proposed increases in the budget (because that is all they are suggesting) then, our credit rating in the world will go down again and I will project that the dollar will collapse, no longer be the reserve currency of the world (the only reason it has any value today at all) and we will have to bring our troops home anyway as we have no money and no credit.
So either way, Pauls,’ or the rest of the candidates way, the troops will come home…mark my words…the real question is what kind of a country will they come home to? Paul’s plan will start to restore our economy just in the nick of time, and bring our troops home to a recovering nation, not a collapsed one…
Here’s the link to his Plan to Restore America:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/ron-paul-plan-to-restore-america/
Well then, will you finally RUN, my friend? We’ve been begging a long, long time — and I agree: you are doing an incredible job where you are, and we’re proud of what you have accomplished. However, we need a real leader who speaks and knows whereof he speaks …
I should have said – we need a real leader IN THE WHITE HOUSE who speaks and knows whereof he speaks ….
Goodness. I misread. All these people talking of Gingrich and Ron Paul and I was talking about our country’s hero and outspoken Congressman Allen West.