THE STUMP MARCH 22, 2012
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I see that Newt Gingrich took a shot at Mitt Romney today over my report on Romney's past stance on the issue of gas prices and energy efficiency, which was rather in keeping with the Obama administration approach that Romney is now attacking on the trail.
Gingrich's comment came in response to a question from National Review's Brian Bolduc during a conference call with reporters.
Asked to respond by NRO, Newt Gingrich replies, “I’m not at all surprised that the governor was for higher gas prices.” He admits that “I had not seen that particular quote,” but maintains it is evidence of “why I’m still running.”
“I just think that Governor Romney has an almost hopeless task of trying to campaign against President Obama,” Gingrich argues....
“We could be campaigning as the party of inexpensive energy,” Gingrich says. Noting that “as late as World War II, we produced 83 percent of the world’s oil,” Gingrich predicts that “with all new the drilling technologies,” the U.S. has the potential to improve its energy situation. As for his opponent, Gingrich concludes, “Governor Romney is ill positioned to take advantage of it and to explain it.”
Yes, Newt, Governor Romney is ill positioned on this issue. Then why haven't you been saying so the past few weeks as you, Romney and Santorum have all tried to make an issue of high gas prices? Why was it left to a reporter working on a hunch to execute the simple Nexis search necessary to find the incriminating quotes by Romney from one of Massachusetts' larger newspapers, from just six years ago? I realize that Gingrich and Santorum are short of cash. But really, we're not talking about a major investment here. Not to give my bosses any ideas, but a campaign intern could've done this. And this is by no means a first. Buzzfeed dynamo Andrew Kaczynski has made a name for himself by uncovering all sorts of nuggets from Romney's past that any competent oppo research team ought've found. (Today, he unearthed another green-ish line of Romney's on gas prices, from 2005.) It's just another reminder of how weak the opposition is that Romney is struggling to put away in the primaries, and what a different world Romney is going to find himself in against his general election opponent. "Reset," indeed.
follow me on Twitter @AlecMacGillis
7 comments
Well spoken. And as has been said by so many others, the criticism you make of Romney's opponents is also a massive criticism of Romney: It's not just that Romney hasn't locked it up by now. It's not just that he hasn't locked it up by now despite outspending his opponents by 20-1 or more. It's that he hasn't locked it up even though he's outspending them 20-1 or more AND HIS OPPONENTS ARE FOR PETE'S SAKE SANTORUM, GINGRICH AND PAUL. It's like rooting for what's supposed to be a top competing football team grind their way to bloody, hard-fought 4th quarter wins against, say, the Dogpatch Tennessee Junior Teacher's College, the L'Il Muffin Day Care Center Pop-Warner team, and the guys from down the street that play flag football on the weekends. Sure they're winning, but.... man, how embarrassing. And meanwhile the Superbowl Champions are gearing up in the locker room, and getting ready to take the field.
- Tristan
March 22, 2012 at 4:44pm
This is my favorite short YouTube video from Kaczynski's channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn1ETksE9qc We should be reminded of that quite a lot this October/November. And maybe during the Biden 2016 campaign as well.
- Konstantin
March 22, 2012 at 5:21pm
Konstantin: Interesting.
- Nusholtz
March 22, 2012 at 5:58pm
"“We could be campaigning as the party of inexpensive energy,” Gingrich says. Noting that “as late as World War II, we produced 83 percent of the world’s oil,” Gingrich predicts that “with all new the drilling technologies,” the U.S. has the potential to improve its energy situation." Is that new technology Gingrich is referring to the new moonbase drilling platforms he will be implementing in 2050 as he ships moon-oil to America? Or is it that new technology called "drilling" that he's referring to? I think if Gingrich is going to fantasize he should at least don his cape and wand when talking about making gas magically $2/gallon.
- singlspeed
March 22, 2012 at 6:41pm
Great post, Alec. And I even think that in some respects you underestate the ineptitude of Santorum and Gingrich. Still, come the fall, Romney will be playing to a centrist audience he's much more suited to wooing than the Republican nomination crowd. So even though he does have glaring flaws as a candidate - starting with the fact that the guy just isn't very likable - let's not overestimate Obama's chances. It could well be a close race, and Romney could yet win it, his flaws and flubs notwithstanding.
- Thunderroad
March 22, 2012 at 6:59pm
Not that I disagree, Thurderroad. But it seems to me that McCain tried this same approach in 2008 at look where it got him. The problem for Mittens is that Obama actually owns the middle ground; so he can tac right and alienate swing voters who don't want to hear about Medicare vouchers, or tac left and alienate core voters who can't stand the thought of a poor person subsisting on their tax dollars.
- GSpinks
March 22, 2012 at 7:22pm
Yep, the Etch-a-Sketch is in for a world of hurt when he confronts the well financed Obama machine. For example, Mittens was petulantly whining that it was actually George Bush who saved the economy with TARP. Well, aside from the fact that it was Republican policies that led us to the precipice, the President could note that the first TARP vote failed because of Republican opposition, and it was only through Speaker Pelosi's efforts that it was ultimately passed. Then there's stimulus package and the loans that rescued the auto industry - all taken under Obama, with predictable GOP opposition.
- dubyadoubte
March 23, 2012 at 12:49pm