While Newt’s answer taking on the Occupy Wall Street movement and challenging Maria Bartiromo has received all the attention.
I think this was the best answer of the night, taking on the academic establishment rather than accepting the premise of the question, which was an attempt to paint him into a corner on continued student loan funding:
He is the only one on stage who does not take questions at face value. One of the moderators posed a question to Mitt Romney with the premise that the Stimulus has created 2.7 million jobs, and Romney answered the question without taking on the premise.
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Agree 110%. If we took government money out of the equation, and followed that model, we would see vast changes in most of our culture, our work and career outlook, and overall economic stability.
What you got you EARNED; it was not given to you, or paid for up front on a pipe dream that your degree will produce a high-paying job – following the illogical, irrational, flawed reasoning that the degree “will pay for itself in no time.”
It’s a trap. Enslavement to debt is a trap.
In my humble opinion, of course. (the first part, that is; financial debt is a form of slavery – that is a FACT)
I noticed the 2.7 million new jobs premise to the question put to Romney and was very disappointed that he fell for it. Romney does not want to ad lib, assuming that he even noticed the not-at-all hidden assumption.
“He is the only one on stage who does not take questions at face value.”
That is the key. Newt is helping not only himself but the entire conservative cause.
Republican candidates have to learn not to answer loaded questions at face value. They need to shine a spotlight on the false premises of so many of the MSM’s questions.
His answers first disabuse the moderators of their conventional MSM/academic assumptions, and then go on to thoughtfully address the reframed question within the parameters he has set with force and wit.
At this point, I’m leaning towards Newt. Much more of this and I’ll flat out fall for him.
LukeHandCool (who can’t believe he’s rooting for Newt … but Newt has just been too good).
Newt’s channeling my favorite scene from Good Will Hunting.
http://poorrichardspiggybank.blogspot.com/2011/11/newt-on-education-bubble.html
Geeze- I wish Matt Damon would watch his own movies.
I’m no Newt fan. I think he’ll bring status quo and not truly scale back from the tax-and-spend mentality of Washington. Back to the days of simply disagreeing on WHAT to spend the money on.
What is catching my attention is that Newt is not taking crap from reporters. He’s developed an in-your-face style that is refreshing. I love that he ignores the smoke and mirrors and goes after the false narrative that the MSM throws out and expects the candidates to react to. His smackdown of Piers Morgan was great. If nothing else, Newt is showing whoever runs how to stand up to the MSM and how to take control of the conversation.
Newt is doing great. Thankfully, earlier reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
Newt has been practicing his rhetoric skills for decades. But is that what is needed now in the next president?
Newt was the bill of fare on “Center Stage” with Fox News Special Report crew. He dismissively referred to his pairing with Nancy Pelosi as a “dumb” move. Yet did he ever denounce the basis for his sitting with Nancy on the couch? No. Newt still believes in the community of scientists (better known as the scientific consensus, see Al Gore).
He also spoke of leading the world in energy innovation and the like. How different is this than Solyndra and the other cockamamie green investments of the current administration?
Newt is a big idea, big government technocrat who enjoys hearing the sounds of his words. He is smart enough to say anything to get himself the nomination, similar to Romney in many respects.
The worst possible outcome in 2012 is the reelection of Obama. The second worst possibility is electing a GOP nominee who likes the sound of his own voice over those who elected him.
yeah, he seemed more neutral though, and stated that science is popular opinion, or consensus (or however he put it). and at least he admitted it was dumb.
I can accept a more neutral stance, one not ready to sell us out to paying gore indulgences. And for a presidential run this year, blasting global warming may not be necessary or wise.
Right now I can’t see anyone but Newt rising to the top. Perry is still stumbling, Cain still confused but adamant, too late for anyone else to suddenly display competence and versatility under fire … as I see it.
“science is NOT popular opinion”, I meant, above
The next question he should answer concerns America’s welfare policies. Their role in sabotaging development, distorting the market, and perpetuating the need for welfare.
Then there’s the matter of extraordinary regulations, illegal aliens (and incentives), obstacles to domestic resource recovery and energy generation, policies which denigrate individual dignity and devalue human life, etc.
I like the way Newt thinks. He demonstrates an impressive effort to distinguish between cause and effect.
“Question the Premise!” ….Yes!
Newt has been fielding loaded questions from the press his entire political life.
He can smell them coming…
Newt understands 3 things:
1) The MSM has turned entirely left, and by speaking with one voice, shape the national debate and elections.
2) Calling out the MSM for their bias never gets to a national audience, because….well, the MSM won’t air it–so no better way than to do than during a national Presidential debate.
3)……….um…….(53 sec.)..oops.