Gingrich: Romney won't get GOP nomination

By: Sarah Huisenga
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich shakes hands at campaign town meeting in Salem, N.H., Jan. 6, 2012.

(Credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

SALEM, N.H. -- Newt Gingrich on Friday continued his offensive against Mitt Romney by saying his rival "ought to run a campaign worthy of his grandchildren" and predicting that Romney won't receive the GOP nomination.

Appearing on MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews," Gingrich repeated his complaint about negative ads run by supporters of Romney's that saw the former House speaker's lead atop Iowa polls vanish by the time of this week's caucuses there.

"He has grandchildren," Gingrich said. "He ought to run a campaign worthy of his grandchildren. He ought to take those ads home and show them to his grandchildren ... `Grandpa did this, what do you think of this kind of trash on television -- someone being beaten up like this on television?' We should run campaigns worthy of our best, not campaigns that demean us to our worst."

Gingrich also said of Romney, "He's not going to be the nominee," citing the former Massachusetts governor's moderate political record. "Name one conservative accomplishment or public policy of Romney's," he said.

At the same time, Gingrich sought to clarify some of his earlier criticism of Rick Santorum, whom he had dismissed as "a junior partner" in the Republican congressional battles of the 1990s.

"I wasn't trying to knock [Santorum]. He's a good guy ... He did some very significant things," Gingrich said. "He was key to passing welfare reform."

At a subsequent rally on Friday in Salem, Gingrich sought to draw a sharp distinction between New Hampshire and neighboring Massachusetts, pointing to differences between the two that he said worked to the Granite State's advantage.

"On one side, more taxes and bigger government. On the other side, lower taxes and less bureaucracy," he said. "But they're really different psychological mind sets."

He then asked the crowd of more than 300 people how many of them had moved to the state; dozens of hands shot up. "The only reason I raise that is I think there's a remarkable difference between a Reagan conservative and a Massachusetts moderate," he said.

But he also acknowledged that he lacks Romney's overwhelming financial advantages and said he would refrain from the kind of vituperative behavior that he was accused of earlier.

"I don't have the money and I will not engage in the kind of vicious negativity that, frankly, drove me down in Iowa," he said. "I am prepared to stand and fight. I'm going to fight honestly on the facts and draw the contrasts ... I think in four days, we can shock everybody."

Sarah Huisenga
Sarah Huisenga is covering the Mitt Romney campaign for CBS News and National Journal.
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by CNH January 9, 2012 1:14 AM EST: Why bother confronting reality when you can simply redefine it instead?; Reply to this comment


by hillplus January 8, 2012 12:18 PM EST: Gingrich comes across as a bitter angry old man. Green is not your color, Newt!!; Reply to this comment


by norcalruss January 7, 2012 1:43 PM EST: Grandpa did this, what do you think of this kind of trash on television -- someone being beaten up like this on television?
++++++++++++++++++++
The Toad is a hypocrite, all he does is talk trash on TV.; Reply to this comment

by boatdocster January 7, 2012 10:43 AM EST

"He has grandchildren," Gingrich said. "He ought to run a campaign worthy of his grandchildren. He ought to take those ads home and show them to his grandchildren".

Romney to his grandchildren -

"Kids, please look at these ads", Romney said, "I'd really appreciate if you never become a cheater, a liar, a hypocrite, or a backstabber, and most importantly, a pompous arrogant ******* like this guy. Doing so will make you a bitter, perpetual loser that no one will ever trust or believe in".

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by HuntinFishin January 8, 2012 2:48 AM EST: +1


by msimamaji January 7, 2012 10:40 AM EST: The "House of Lies" is supposed to premier tomorrow. But that doesn't stop the entire GOP from jump-starting this TV show.

Let's look at the latest installments.

I wonder how many GOP voters in New Hampshire depend upon subsidies from LiHEAP to heat their homes. When the GOP talks about cutting the budget, they will definitely eliminate LiHEAP, leaving low-income citizens literally out in the cold.

Bear in mind, that more affluent GOP voters might not care about their low income neighbors, but they'd better think twice. The GOP wants to abolish all the banking regulations that Obama has instituted. That means that all the SuperPAC that are funding the GOp will find all sorts of ways to plunder your 401K, leaving you penniless and out in the cold as well.

The GOP has promised to eliminate so-called Obama-care, but they don't tell senior citizens, how much more they will have to pay for their medications - especially if these senior citizens are near the infamous doughnut hole.

In a similar manner, the GOP tells gullible senior citizens that they will shut down Medicare and give them a voucher to buy health insurance. I've noticed a lot of folks in New Hampshire tend to be over-weight. How many for-profit health insurance companies will welcome overweight senior citizens with a lot of pre-existing conditions?

You really don't need to watch House Of LIES, you're seeing it every day in New Hampshire - and then this sorry show moves to South Carolina.

As the slogan for House of Lies says, "Survivl for the slickest". The slickest candidate will get to buy the GOP nomination and the presidency. The 1 % wins, the 99 % loses.; Reply to this comment


by unclebernies January 7, 2012 10:15 AM EST: Newt's prediction record has been at 100 percent. Wrong everytime.; Reply to this comment


by unclebernies January 7, 2012 10:10 AM EST: What a angry old man.; Reply to this comment


by magnumdr January 7, 2012 10:07 AM EST: Neither one of these crooks and liars will get into any office!; Reply to this comment


by JRC_903 January 7, 2012 9:46 AM EST: New Hampshire is conservative in the true sense of the original meaning of the term. Even at this late hour, things could change very quickly--especially if someone screws up tonight, in that debate. Unlike other parts of the country- NH people are not into listening to people when they detect them as telling them what they want to hear. This means that the top tier could be in for a wake up call if they don't play their cards right. My guess is that Newt could claim just about anything, and he would only suffer at the hands of NH voters. But frankly, I don't understand the support Romney gets-- except.. like our democratic system, "he is the worst candidate--except for all the others" I presume they don't even count huntsman in that--otherwise they he would be on top instead of the bottom.; Reply to this comment