Gingrich: ‘You Cannot Debate Somebody Who Is Dishonest’
Email
(Matt Rourke/AP Photo)
Newt Gingrich said today that Mitt Romney was the reason for his poor performance in the most recent Republican presidential debate — but not the former Massachusetts governor’s rhetorical skills or command of the issues.
“You cannot debate somebody who is dishonest. You just can’t,” he said. “The people say I’m a good debater. I can’t debate somebody who won’t tell the truth.”
Gingrich said he admittedly backed down at Thursday’s debate. He went back and watched the last two debates and was not happy with either one of them.
“A couple scenes you can go back and replay, I’m staring in amazement. I know what he’s saying is untrue. And I also know that in that particular audience it would not have worked to take him head on,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich said there was “no practical way” to deal with somebody who is willing to say something “totally dishonest.” Gingrich used the example of Romney denying he voted for Democrat Paul Tsongas in a Democratic primary.
The Romney campaign has rejected Gingrich’s claims that Romney was lying.
On Tuesday, Gingrich scored record crowds in Sarasota and Naples, with thousands turning out to his events, but since the debate Thursday, Gingrich’s crowds have dwindled in some parts of the state.
Today in Orlando, Gingrich held a Latino town hall meeting where a crowd of about 50 to 75 people was in attendance. Later in the evening, Gingrich attended a conservative forum at a church in Winter Park, with a large enthusiastic crowd and received several standing ovations in a crowd that also included Rick Santorum supporters.
Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond told ABC News the small crowd size at the Latino forum was what they were expecting. While Gingrich was shaking hands with the few who attended, he told one attendee the “crowd was big enough.”
Three days before the Florida primary, Gingrich said he believes he will win the nomination.
“I will go all the way to the convention,” the former House speaker said. “I expect to win the nomination.”
Gingrich was asked if he will continue on in the primary election regardless of what happens in Florida.
“You just had two national polls that showed me ahead,” Gingrich said. “Why don’t you ask Gov. [Mitt] Romney what he will do if he loses, since he is behind in both national polls.”
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
Seriously? The guy who cheated on two wives and lied through his teeth is calling the nice guy who has never cheated a liar? Whoa! Gingrich is a piece of work. If he gets the Republican nod, even I’d vote for Obama.
Posted by: traciegee | January 28, 2012, 8:58 pm 8:58 pm
Another amazing similarity with Obama…..it’s somebody elses fault.
Posted by: newcountryman | January 28, 2012, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
AH HAHAHAHA Such a fine example of that personal responsibility at play on this one.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | January 28, 2012, 9:13 pm 9:13 pm
Newt’s blank gaze into outer space, stammering senselessly after Romney danced circles around him landing accurate blows through the fog – that was just priceless.
The best part was when Newt admitted that he is a little mouse and Romney is an elephant.
Posted by: Romney Supporter | January 28, 2012, 9:27 pm 9:27 pm
I thought two neuts make a right
Posted by: vissionquest | January 28, 2012, 9:29 pm 9:29 pm
I love the neuter! He makes me laugh every day!
Posted by: AlmostYuman | January 28, 2012, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
Newt, nobody likes a sore loser. Stop with the name calling and stick with the issues concerning this country.
You sir, are the most dishonest person running for President.
Posted by: pokey5735 | January 28, 2012, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm
—Gingrich: ‘You Cannot Debate Somebody Who Is Dishonest’” Wow. The hypocrisy is just astounding—actually mind blowing! I guess I’ll just sit back and watch the GOP’s run-for-the-presidency just implode.
Posted by: LifeisGOOD007 | January 28, 2012, 9:40 pm 9:40 pm
so he now admits he can’t debate PinOBAMio…guess he should leave that for real men
Posted by: dpete | January 28, 2012, 9:44 pm 9:44 pm
“You cannot debate somebody who is dishonest. You just can’t,” – straight from the horse’s mouth, ladies and gentlemen! ya gotta love the newtster!
Posted by: justsane | January 28, 2012, 9:58 pm 9:58 pm
Romney = Dishonest
Posted by: S | January 28, 2012, 10:08 pm 10:08 pm
A few months ago i read somewhere that a ham sandwich could beat Obama. Nobody said anything about the ‘Pillsbury Dough-boy’ or ‘Richie Rich’.
Posted by: bob | January 28, 2012, 10:12 pm 10:12 pm
Newt has lied repeatedly. Most pointedly he was indeed found guilty of ethics charges, had to pay a hefty penalty and was thrown out as Speaker by Dems and his fellow GOP comrades. Yet he has said he was found guilty of nothing and faced no penalty. But this is the Gingrich way. When up against his own dishonesty, he counter charges dishonesty. This is what’s worked for him in the past. But not this time.
Posted by: hopesprings52 | January 28, 2012, 10:26 pm 10:26 pm
Then by gingrich’s own definition he cannot debate obama.
Posted by: GrandInquisitor | January 28, 2012, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
“the nice guy who never cheated” – whoa. That’s a bit too far – Gingrich did have an affair.
But claiming that the people who haven’t talked about it – never had an affair – is going too far.
All we can really say is they didn’t have an affair that ended their marriage – that’s about it.
It is important not to assume. If we are judging candidates by whether they had an affair or not – you really have to pose that question to the other candidates. This has never been done.
Posted by: RoboBobo | January 28, 2012, 10:57 pm 10:57 pm
WOW! How could Newt possibly take on Obama?—He might as well back out of the race now!!! Romney has proven he’s able to debate dishonest people every single time he debates Newt!
Posted by: 4Truenews | January 28, 2012, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm
Another amazing similarity with Obama…..it’s somebody elses fault.
POSTED BY: NEWCOUNTRYMAN *******Obama learnt that scapegoat
tactic from his predecessor.
Posted by: michael | January 28, 2012, 11:20 pm 11:20 pm
Really Newt? That has never stopped you before, This from a man who has cheated for years on not one but two wives? He must suck the very life out of them, he divorced his first wife in the hospital when she was fighting for her life with breast cancer, then his second comes down with MS and he divorces her. Nice, this is the person we want to represent us to other countries? wow
Posted by: LO | January 28, 2012, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
UNBELIEVABLE! From the guy who took millions form Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who went after Clinton for his infidelity all the while he was cheating on his wife and wanted an open marriage, and was investigated and disgraced in Congress, and he has the audacity to say Romney is dishonest? WHAT A HYPOCRITE.
Posted by: Stanley | January 28, 2012, 11:38 pm 11:38 pm
Are any honest republicans?
Posted by: dan | January 28, 2012, 11:40 pm 11:40 pm
Wow! We have a tough crowd tonight! I’ll pile on the Newt also. He has the ethics of an ally cat and has so much bad baggage that he needs a garbage truck to haul it around. These Super Pac ads have become a sort of kamikaze attack by the GOP candidates.
Posted by: Aarky | January 28, 2012, 11:52 pm 11:52 pm
“Medicare fraud conspiracy committed by a company Romney helped run in the 1990s.”
What is going to be next with this guy!.. I just saw the Blood Money piece and I just do not see how this guy can get elected.. Romney appears to be a greedy cut-throat money grubber who does not seem to care who he hurts as long as he gets his money. Obama will take him apart.
Posted by: erick_z | January 29, 2012, 12:32 am 12:32 am
Oh, Newt go home. We have had enough of you already. What an idiot. And McCain actually endorsed Newt but then again he is the one who originally afflicted us with Palin on a national scale so no taste there…..
Posted by: Lynn Phillips | January 29, 2012, 12:40 am 12:40 am
Herman Cain is a great American and I believe that he made the right choice. As President Newt will shake things up in Washington.. Just like he did before as Speaker of the House with the first balanced budget and government surpluses in our life time, welfare reform, and millions of new jobs.
I hope that Michele Bachmann also endorses Newt very soon.
Posted by: Erick_z | January 29, 2012, 12:43 am 12:43 am
Newt Gingrich complaining about someone else being dishonest? Now THAT’S a campaign KEEPER!
The Newtster is continually punctuating the very simple fact that he is WHOLLY unfit for being in the public eye, in any role!
Posted by: saftgek | January 29, 2012, 12:44 am 12:44 am
Oh my, is this a joke? More like the pot calling the kettle black.
Posted by: john locke | January 29, 2012, 12:44 am 12:44 am
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Crybaby.
Posted by: Jim Bob jr. | January 29, 2012, 12:49 am 12:49 am
Nancy Pelosi and Ann Coulter appear to be working together to stop Newt. This looks like the establishment/business as usual defenders at their best. I believe that the people have had enough of business as usual from Washington..
I believe that Newt Gingrich is the one person who will stop business as usual and I think they (The establishment defenders or Romney supporters) do as well..
Posted by: Erick_z | January 29, 2012, 1:04 am 1:04 am
Dude, Backman won’t endorse Newt. She’s 10X the woman that dope Palin is.
Gingrich is a pathetic, 3x cheatin’ (that we know of), morally bankrupt, selfish, disgraced, undisciplined, embarrassment to the Republican party.
Posted by: Kyle | January 29, 2012, 1:07 am 1:07 am
today bill maher remarked that newt gingrich suffers from a mental illness. strangely enough i had just commented the day before to my close friend that in fact he is a sociopath given the the classic descriptions of self grandeur, ability to manipulate the average person, believes his own lies, makes crazy statements, uneven tempered. this guy is very likened to Adolf Hitler.
Posted by: keesme | January 29, 2012, 1:53 am 1:53 am
“Gingrich said there was ‘no practical way’ to deal with somebody who is willing to say something ‘totally dishonest.’ ” Sure there is. You call them on it by presenting the facts and how people can verify them. Unless you have no facts.
Posted by: MyTake | January 29, 2012, 1:58 am 1:58 am
The way these debates go, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney will start cursing each other’s mama
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 29, 2012, 2:17 am 2:17 am
Glad he admits it.
Posted by: The Prisoner | January 29, 2012, 2:19 am 2:19 am
I guess Newt is talking about HIMSELF. And if he is not he should be. That is like calling the kettle black. Hypocrisy runs DEEP IN NEWT.
ps: I don’t want a HO in the White House. Calista is nothing but a HO.
Posted by: aVA | January 29, 2012, 2:22 am 2:22 am
Love thy neighbor, don’t get caught. Some people cheat, but never get caught. People need to know Newt is not the only one who has cheated
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 29, 2012, 2:26 am 2:26 am
Hi Pot, this is the Kettle.
Posted by: johnnyr | January 29, 2012, 2:30 am 2:30 am
Why are the Republican leaders meddling with the primary elections. They should allow the candidates to debate each other and let the voters decide whom they want to vote for. The whole thing is getting ridiculous.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | January 29, 2012, 2:46 am 2:46 am
Poster before made good point. Gingrich does appear to be a sociopath. The criteria 1. unrelenting pathological lying 2. no conscience 3. no remorse 4. no empathy 5, delusions of grandeur 6, seeks out gullible targets to manipulate 7. when caught in obvious lies will fabricate new lies 8, blames others for all problems 9, sees himself as superior to others 10. great acting skills including the ability to shed tears on command 11. has learned to feign emotions to appear normal 12. conning others is life’s major goal and on and on….
Typical of Newt about when asked about sitting on the couch with Pelosi on Global Warming “oh well that was dumb” , and about 1.6 million from Freddie (actually 25 million plus from Pharmas etc) “that was paid to my company” LOL- he owns the company 100%, so what – he has some ovehead
The “new” grandfather Newt is a total charade, He hasn’t changed one bit. Surprised more people don’t get the game with him. Sean Hannity has made a total fool out of himself going on the limb for Newt, so bad Sean recently even tried to get Michelle Malkin to support Newt, and to her credit – she wouldn’t budge.
Posted by: JET99999 | January 29, 2012, 3:00 am 3:00 am
classick sociopath
Posted by: JET99999 | January 29, 2012, 3:02 am 3:02 am
One other trait of sociopaths : they love to play the victim card, that others are out to get them, and everybody picks on them, Newt is a master of this, generating sympathy (look at the fools in here defending him) Clinton another maniupulative socio was also a master at this, Remember socios understand what they are, and they know playing the victim card is a charade. As for believing their own lies? Incorrect, they know they are lying but can pass lie deterctor tests only because they can play the role so well. By their late teens most understand they’re different and will often enter professions where they know lack of a conscience can give them advantage over others.
Consider Newt’s promise about creating a moon colony. Newt is not stupid, He knows that other govt programs are soon going to have to be cut very severely unless he wants only one term, and he knows that would be inconsistent with his moon venture. so he knew he was addressing an audience of fools if anyone there believed he truly intended that. Socios enjoy making fools of their targets, its how they get satisfaction in life.
Posted by: JET99999 | January 29, 2012, 3:23 am 3:23 am
Then do not ever debate yourself Newt.
Posted by: Ron | January 29, 2012, 4:40 am 4:40 am
“Gingrich: ‘You Cannot Debate Somebody Who Is Dishonest’ – -
And whom should know dishonesty the best, but newty himself.
Posted by: Rose | January 29, 2012, 4:44 am 4:44 am
Look for Obama and Romney to talk at himself… I mean each other.
Posted by: D | January 29, 2012, 4:59 am 4:59 am
I had really, sincerely hoped the GOP would give me the choice of a reasonable alternative to Obama, who’s just dropped the ball too many times. But this is ridiculous. Is it symptomatic of the scourge the far-right is inflicting on the GOP or is it that the voters are somehow simply attracted to conceited, lying, self-serving jerks?
Posted by: The_Mick | January 29, 2012, 5:03 am 5:03 am
there is just no end to newt’s narcissism. the man has one of the world’s biggest egos. if anyone is dishonest among the remaining republican candidates, newt would be the one to take first place, newt’s picture should be displayed next to the word, dishonest, in all dictionaries. if newt is the nominee or is even selected as a running mate, obama gets my one vote and not a fan of obama.
Posted by: david | January 29, 2012, 5:16 am 5:16 am
OF COURSE you can debate somebody who is dishonest.It just won’t go well. Now when they’re BOTH dishonest…
Posted by: toosmarttovoteGOP | January 29, 2012, 5:20 am 5:20 am
Dishonest, really Newt? You and your wife wrote the book on adultery and if that is not about lying and dishonestly I don’t know the meaning of the word. The same guy run out of the speaker chair for ethics violations and is crying about being dishonest. Take your campaign and put it where the sun don’t shine.
Posted by: Indymind | January 29, 2012, 5:44 am 5:44 am
Currently the GOP gets to choose between a guy who wants to make a colony on the Moon & Mars during his “eight years as President” and a guy who believes, as all Mormons do, that he has the ability & responsibility to pray and baptize his father in law into Mormon heaven ( a man who had been dead for over a year. Wow, must be proud to be a Republican these days….
Posted by: Julie | January 29, 2012, 6:16 am 6:16 am
Liers lying about liers lying. It gets way too confusing to keep up with and pointless to boot. They will say ANYTHING they feel is necessary to win. Truth be damned. It’s why I respect and admire our current system so much. It’s so bedrock and trustworthy.
Posted by: BogusPeavy | January 29, 2012, 6:38 am 6:38 am
I would still like to watch a debate between the two liars. It would be a hoot. They could keep score. But I guess they cancel each other out.
Posted by: newcountryman | January 29, 2012, 7:23 am 7:23 am
Newt has some gall…he is the most dishonest person in this race. I might add he is also the most selfish. If he doesn’t win, he doesn’t care if he brings the whole party down, and he’s doing a right good Job of that. He is not a team player. He is delusional to believe that he and Calista will occupy the White House. Last, just what does he owe this Adelman guy?
Posted by: Jennifer NY | January 29, 2012, 8:13 am 8:13 am
Was he looking in a mirror when he said that?
Posted by: pksk531 | January 29, 2012, 8:37 am 8:37 am
Lynn Phillips – Cain endorsed Gingrich. McCain endorsed Romney. Honest error. They are both fools. Cain gave us Ubekibekibekistanstan. McCain gave us Palin.
Posted by: pksk531 | January 29, 2012, 8:41 am 8:41 am
Seems like most of the Republicans that worked with Newt did not like him. What does that say about this guy? Ron Paul may be considered strange or have a strange policy, but he seems to be the only candidate that understands that we stand at the precipice of the debt abyss and will deal with this.
Posted by: deanbob | January 29, 2012, 9:14 am 9:14 am
Economics
If Obama is reelected the Government will tank, and the creditors will demand reorganization (like chapter 11), and increase interest rates as S&P did, which would exacerbate the problem.
If a Republican is elected, he may not be able to pass legislation through Congress.
The present system is not working, and ultimately, the government has to right size with competent people, not career politicans, as corporations have done, or face the consequences.
Posted by: David | January 29, 2012, 11:07 am 11:07 am
There’s a new action game on the net based on the ever popular Where’s Waldo? It’s called, Where’s Willard? In this game the players try to find the real Willard as he pops in and out of various positions on abortion, women, gay marriage, kosher meals, taxes, etc. It certainly will keep everyone guessing.
Posted by: Ted TampaBay | January 31, 2012, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm