GOP Debate Takeaways: Mitt Romney On Offense, Newt Gingrich Goes Zen, Paging Rick Santorum and Ron Paul
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Paul Sancya/AP Photo
ABC News’ Amy Walter and Michael Falcone report:
TAMPA, Fla. — Here’s something we haven’t seen at many debates: Mitt Romney on the offense.
“I’m not going to sit back and get attacked day in and day out without returning fire,” Romney vowed on the debate stage in Florida tonight, kicking off the closing week of what has become a pivotal fight for the Sunshine State.
“We can’t possibly retake the White House if the nominee is a person who was working with the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac,” Romney added. He put Gingrich on his heels, but fell short of scoring any knockout punches. What he did manage to do was force Gingrich to speak in Washington-ese all night. And, anytime he’s defending his record as Speaker or his official role at Freddie Mac, it makes it harder and harder for Newt to portray himself as an outsider.
However, a subdued and chastened audience was good for Romney. The NBC News moderator, Brian Williams, admonished the crowd not to clap. Newt didn’t get the chance to get them on his side like he has on other occasions. And, Williams never gave him the same opening that he got at last week’s CNN debate in South Carolina when the topic of Gingrich’s previous marriage came up.
As for Romney, it will be an amusing game to count how many times he will repeat the phrase “resign in disgrace” over the next week as he attempts to focus voters’ attention on Gingrich’s career in the House of Representatives. It’s clear his campaign sees this as an effective line of attack, and it’s forcing the former House Speaker to re-litigate his record in Congress during the 1990s.
Whether it works or not depends on a few factors: How much people actually care about what happened in Washington, D.C. during Gingrich’s time in office? How well will Gingrich defend his career on Capitol Hill? It remains to be seen how much Romney’s attacks will chip away at whether voters view Gingrich as a competent leader.
Another line we will hear over and over from Romney is about how his Republican opponents are picking up “the weapons of the left” and are using them “to attack free enterprise.” He means, Gingrich, of course and we’ve been hearing him say this on the stump and during his South Carolina primary night speech this past weekend.
Newt kept his cool for most of the night and even took a quick Zen-like break to re-center himself during a conversation about whether he did or did not lobby members of Congress over Medicare’s prescription drug plan. Gingrich stuttered and grew silent for five seconds after Romney pointed out that a number of congressmen claimed the former speaker lobbied them on Medicare part D, calling Gingrich’s role “influence peddling.”
Rick Santorum had a clever line about the unpredictability of the 2012 race – “any type of prediction is going to be wrong” — but this debate has only reinforced the notion that, at least as far as Florida is concerned, this is a two-person race between Newt and Mitt. Santorum and Ron Paul appeared marginalized all night long.
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
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WHAT A JOKE!!! Your blackout isn’t working, we intensify and grow stronger, and we won’t forget.
Posted by: HGGG | January 24, 2012, 12:51 am 12:51 am
These debates kind of remind me of husband-wife arguments…when one person gets “hot” the other one gets very calm and tries to appear reasonable…I bet THEY are as sick of these spectacles as the rest of US are.
Posted by: sheila | January 24, 2012, 1:02 am 1:02 am
What media was all over when Rick Perry paused, and Newt was so tore up he went blank and paused for along time in mid speech, lol and Romney and Newt cat fighting between each other was embarrassing, I’ve made up my mind I am Voting for this Ron Paul guy he seems to be the only honest one there!
Posted by: Bryan | January 24, 2012, 1:30 am 1:30 am
Ron Paul 2012 !!!
Posted by: OldWiseAlien | January 24, 2012, 1:31 am 1:31 am
I want to know when you people in the media are going to stop selecting a nominee for the highest office in the country and let the people make up their minds as to who they would like as President! I watched the entire debate and I just knew that the media was going to blow it out of proportion. Is it really impossible to report truths anymore? Your entire report as well as NBC’s is all about Rominey and Gingrich with very little said concerning Rick Santorum. This debate was definitely won by Romney leaving Gingrich speechless at one time having to get his bearings to tell another falsehood. Thats the true analysis!!!!!
Posted by: C.Saporito | January 24, 2012, 3:11 am 3:11 am
Newt Gingrich is a “black sheep” of the GOP, while Mitt Romney is a reject of the GOP. It couldn’t get any better and entertaining than this. They both want to be president of the United States. LOL!
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 24, 2012, 3:35 am 3:35 am
The two girly men—Newt and Mitt—were busy pulling each other’s hair during the debate, while Rick Santorum and Ron Paul were just spectators of the whole saga. LOL
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 24, 2012, 3:40 am 3:40 am
What is so childish and ridiculous about this debate is that neither candidate, Newt or Mitt, could look straight at the American people and state unequivocally what he intends to do as president. They were busy slinging mud at each other. Do they really think Americans will vote for a candidate who assails or accuses the most the other candidate?
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 24, 2012, 3:46 am 3:46 am
“We can’t possibly retake the White House if the nominee is a person who was working with the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac,” +++++ I despise Gingrich, but that’s one of those big lies U.S. politicians of all stripes are using more and more and one reason virtually all politicians are in such low esteem in the polls. They are in the company of Lenin and Joseph Goebbels in terms of character.
Posted by: The_Mick | January 24, 2012, 7:22 am 7:22 am
I totally agree, NOFLYZONE2. I’m trying to get past the bickering and figure out what these two have planned if they become POTUS (which is seeming less likely by the day) but neither seem to have a plan…unless you count mud-slinging as a plan.
Posted by: mijoje1 | January 24, 2012, 7:28 am 7:28 am
The GOP Clown Car has 4 passengers…
Posted by: RalphF | January 24, 2012, 7:32 am 7:32 am
Mitt is angry. Why? Newt blew past him in SC. Newt is clearly pandering to the angry Tea Party and the anti-establishment GOP wing. Mitt thought he had it wrapped up and was inevitable as the establishment (ho hum) candidate. The truth for this party is that the choice is now between a rich man who is clearly in the 1% and pays less taxes than most Americans and Newt who is the populist candidate who has lots of baggage and was jettisoned by the GOP in the 90s. Newt wants to shake up the establishment wing of the party. He is the voice of the Tea Party and those who want the anti-Romney to go up against Obama. Both men are really hated by the GOP. In the end, it will probably be Romney only because Romney does the least damage to the party. I do not envy the GOP voters. They have two lousy choices.
Posted by: Bob | January 24, 2012, 9:22 am 9:22 am
Thankfully, come November Obama will have to actually start seeking a real job, for the very first time in his whole life — or, more likely, he can just continue being a parasite on society by returning to being a community organizer.
Posted by: Ricky | January 24, 2012, 9:37 am 9:37 am
“The GOP Clown Car has 4 passengers…”
POSTED BY: RALPHF
LOL. And the dimdem clown car has but one, the absolute blowhard failure known as Obama.
Posted by: JerseyBabe | January 24, 2012, 9:39 am 9:39 am
Well, either way, as a solitary and older gay man who receives a government check, I will definitely be voting for Obama no matter what.
Posted by: noflyzone2 | January 24, 2012, 9:42 am 9:42 am
It would be funny if the consequences weren’t so severe when asked about oil production off the coast of florida versus tourism. With such disdain for the environment, I guess I shall send them all a glass of water courtesy of Transocean and BP. Yum!!. Mitt even stated that if the oil were on public land that “Obama and environmentalists would be up in arms”, hmm, Public Land, MItt have you never heard of National Parks?, boy that is my dream to take my kids to Roosevelt National Park and show them that beauty of oil crickets. Public lands were set aside (started by the way with Teddy Roosevelt) to ensure that future generations could enjoy the majesty of the natural wonders that this continent have to offer. Sure we need petroleumn, but we should also provide it with the most environmentally sound principles. I want my grandkids to enjoy Old Faithful (the geyser that blows off steam) and not one that spews black gunk everywhere.
Posted by: Mike T | January 24, 2012, 9:43 am 9:43 am
If by zen you mean he couldn’t answer the question to defend himself. Why when anyone else tip toes around an answer they are dodging, but when the obvious favorite does it, it’s him being zen? Why does he just get to tell everyone they are liars when confronted with questions and still be considered the ‘winner’?
It’s plainly obvious he’s just a fathead. He doesn’t care about this country or ‘the people’. He wants power, and he’ll say or do whatever he has to to get it. The best thing Reagan did for him was give him acting lessons.
Posted by: karrie | January 24, 2012, 9:46 am 9:46 am
Did someone say the GOP voters have two lousy choices ? Having a choice is better than having no choice at all. Having some records is better than having no records at all. The left wing but jobs have no records to run on 2012 President platform except Solyndra’s fake green jobs and more food-stamps for the entitled population.
Yes, we can in 2008. Food stamps for votes in 2012. LOL.
Posted by: acd2012 | January 24, 2012, 9:48 am 9:48 am
If by zen you mean he couldn’t answer the question to defend himself. Why when anyone else tip toes around an answer they are dodging, but when the obvious favorite does it, it’s him being zen? Why does he just get to tell everyone they are liars when confronted with questions and still be considered the ‘winner’?
It’s plainly obvious he’s just a fathead. He doesn’t care about this country or ‘the people’. He wants power, and he’ll say or do whatever he has to to get it. The best thing Reagan did for his career was give him acting lessons.
Posted by: karrie | January 24, 2012, 9:52 am 9:52 am
Isn’t Ron Paul still in the race. Why doesn’t anyone ask him questions. I think all the four candidates should be given equal chances to defend and present themselves.
Posted by: Annie | January 24, 2012, 10:55 am 10:55 am
Be fair you media people. Give Ron Paul and Rick Santorum equal opportunity. These two candidates are way honest than Mitt and Newt. Ron Paul gets my vote.
Posted by: Sam | January 24, 2012, 11:03 am 11:03 am
Well, either way, as a solitary and older gay man who receives a government check, I will definitely be voting for Obama no matter what.
POSTED BY: NOFLYZONE2
Funny, whether intentionally or not. Well then, as a younger man who has a real life and a real private-sector job (non-union, non government), I will be voting to remove Obama as in about ten months.
Posted by: James D | January 24, 2012, 11:11 am 11:11 am
Wow…Using Ron Paul’s name in the title in order to create traffic; that’s low. You mentioned him in the last sentence and flipped him off. The media stinks.
Posted by: Cam | January 24, 2012, 11:40 am 11:40 am
The audience did participate. They applauded one candidate on most of his few chances to speak. That candidate is Ron Paul. Case closed – Ron Paul should be president.
Posted by: Ed Ward II | January 24, 2012, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
By blacking out Ron Paul you have identified yourselves as tools for the statist propaganda media. Your names have been engraved to the annals of yellow journalism.
Posted by: Jose Mora | January 24, 2012, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” – Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: rob | January 24, 2012, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
Disgraceful that Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were basically ignored by NBC because they wanted more bickering between Newt & Romney. The media are the ones making these debates a joke. I could care less about them trying to re-write their sketchy histories, I want to hear them (and by them I mean ALL of them) answer honestly about today’s issues. Period.
Posted by: rob | January 24, 2012, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
How exactly is Newt going to win the nomination?
Gingrich & Santorum are not even on the ballots in upcoming states which means the only hope they have is a brokered convention since they can’t possibly obtain the required delegates needed to win the nomination. Romney and Paul are the only two candidates with a realistic shot at the nomination. You’d expect these news “reporters” to inform the public of this, rather than carry on about Newt and his glorified book tour.
Posted by: rob | January 25, 2012, 10:22 am 10:22 am
I can not see why anyone would waste there time with Robme and Getrich. They can not win the general election without the Ron Paul supporters. People I sure hope you do not put four more years of Obama on me. My BP is already off the scale. I live in a small town and today the place was covered up with People caring Ron Paul signs. I can say one thing for the guy he has some very loyal supporters. I can’t see them voting for Robme or Getrich.
Posted by: Jack Green | January 27, 2012, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
I know people wonder when they see that Newt and Santorum are out 546 delegates and how that can be. It is just not VA. Newt and Santorum have no ground game. I mean they could win a state and then three quarters of their delegates could really be Ron Paul delegates. Then they just may not have enough people to sign up and do the process of becoming a delegate for them. Really be bad if you won 40 delegates in a state and only about 8 show up at the national convention because you had absolutely no ground game in that state. Then you end up with a brokered convention and all delegates become free delegates and they vote Ron Paul. I know these RP supporters have been training for this from the start of 2008 and they are good at it.
Posted by: Roy Webb | January 27, 2012, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
Well I have finally made my decision to go with Ron Paul. I just can not stand any more of Romney and Newt and just forget about Santorum. They are just making fools of them selves. I can’t take it any more. Anyway I believe now that Ron Paul is way smarter than people give him credit for. I am not so sure he is even close to be wrong on his foreign affairs. Now I find out that he is all for a strong nation defense. Why have we not heard this before?
Posted by: Lee Treadaway | January 27, 2012, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
I am with you Lee. I have had enough of this kid stuff.
Posted by: Claudia Sands | January 27, 2012, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm