Gingrich: Romney needs to present a "clear alternative"

(CBS News) Former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says GOP nominee Mitt Romney has to accomplish two tasks at the first presidential debate set to take place Wednesday: Convince the public that the incumbent president should not be reelected, and also that he would do a better job.

"At the end of the debate Wednesday night, Romney has to be a clear alternative," Gingrich said on "Face the Nation" Sunday.

He added, "Romney, he doesn't have to hit a home run. But Romney has to be, at the end of the debate Wednesday night, a clear alternative who is considered as a potential president by a majority of the American people in order for his campaign to have a chance to live."

The former House Speaker said debates "matter psychologically to the country. They're the most viewed single event in the campaign, and I think it's always a burden on the challengers.

"I think Mitt Romney has to move to clarity in drawing the contrast between the two," he added. "There has to be a contrast between a Romney recovery and Obama stagnation."

"You first have to make sure people say, 'Yeah, Obama's stagnation is unacceptable,' but then you have to say, 'by the way, the better guy will be Romney,'" Gingrich said.

"Romney should be focusing on that kind of big choice - it's not really right or left so much as it is common sense versus fuzzy ideas," Gingrich said.

Gingrich has been quick to offer Romney advice since he clinched the Republican nomination, recently saying the political landscape is "too sophisticated" for Romney's "overly methodical" message. and that he needs to "disarm" Mr. Obama in the debate.

Christie: Debate will turn race "upside-down"

"No challenger can become president if they don't stand up against the incumbent," Gingrich said.

Gingrich also weighed in on attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. The Obama administration has altered its accounting of the attacks, first calling them a spontaneous demonstration, then a terrorist attack.

"I don't know whether I feel more comfortable knowing the administration was incompetent and lied to us or I feel more comfortable knowing that the intelligence community was totally out of touch," Gingrich said. "My hunch is the intelligence community was not out of touch."

[inbethlehem]

Gingrich, you lost to the guy who lost to John McCain. Why should I or anybody else for thst matter give a rats patoot what your opinion about anything is.

Take your Mao Mao garbage somewhere else.

[zenia5]

Who cares what this scumbag of wind has to say. Gingrich is such a fanatical extremist he should be on America's Most Dangerous list. All he wants to do is fuel the fire of hatred and contempt for anyone he disagrees with. He would do us all a favor if he would just shut up and go away.

[Indyswim66]

Well there you go... Newt has spoken... such sterling character, honest to a fault...NOT!

[bluejacket2-2009]

Gingrich is a defeated man clinging on to news headlines... go away Gingrich, you are a failure..

[PatrickThomas311]

Romney has some good ideas but he does a poor job of explaining them. So far, other people have been able to help - such as Steve Forbes who decoded Romney's economic policy in a recent interview (http://*****/ZxuwXE). But Forbes won't be there to help Romney Wednesday. He is going to be going head to head against one of the all time greatest political orators. If Romney can't have Forbes there to answer for him - maybe he should just use Forbes's new book (freedommanifesto.us) to guide his response. the book is clear and thoughtful - the exact opposite of most of Romney's campaign statements. think it would help!

[josephp5]

Gingrich: Romney needs to start improving his poll numbers and win the elction.

Why that's pure genius, Newt! Why didn't Romney think of that?

I think we should create a new Government agency: "Department of Geniuses." Gingrich can be director. We have to harness his talent somehow---the man is a national treasure!

[cubscout09]

7s, t's called "shaking the Each-A-Sketch. And Jose, Newt has already been tapped to head the Science Fiction division of NASA.

[nirak2-2009]

Gingrich knows so much and is so smart. I guess thats why he won to be a candidate. LOL

[kawefjkasekludnasebf]

Romney doesn't even understand why airliner windows don't open. Bush was a dullard who destroyed the economy, but Romney is even dumber. How can Romney possibly make things better?

[stevehamilton858]

You're right. He's setting a new standard for dumbness. What we need is a measure that's like an IQ number, only inverted. We know that someone with an IQ of 150 is at least theoretically smarter than someone with an IQ of 110.

Here's an example of just how dumb Mr.R is: he dug an enormous hole right next to the tide line at his La Jolla mansion, so he could have an underground garage for his cars. What do you think is going to happen when the ocean level rises as forecast by oceanographers, because of global warming, which The GOP doesn't think is happening? Mitt will find out that his Maserati doesn't float.

Who would dig a big hole to put cars in right next to the tideline? Somebody really stupid, that's who.

[tmittelstaed]

So, Gingrich is bitter about his loss to Romney and isn't afraid of throwing Romney under the bus even at this late date.

If Romney was any kind of real Presidental material, he would have called Newt a month ago and told him "you don't say anything to anybody about me until after the election, or by God I'll spend my fortune making sure that you will spend the rest of your life living under a bridge"

[stevehamilton858]

Doesn't he already live under a bridge, with the rest of the trolls?

[OceViewan]

He already represents a clear alternative:

Here it is

He represents the republicans, who would like to hand over social security to Wall Street and medicare to the insurance companies. They won't come out and just say it during an election, but we know it is true as they have put it out there before ( Bush II )to see how the electorate responds. To top it they want to cut capital gains tax to 0%, part Paul Ryan's plan.
That is the clear alternative they represent