(CNN) - Newt Gingrich said Tuesday he wouldn't vote for Ron Paul if the Texas congressman won the 2012 GOP nomination.
Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Gingrich slammed Paul as out of line with mainstream Republican viewpoints, including his stance on Israel, Iran, and September 11.
"I think Ron Paul's views are totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American," Gingrich said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
Gingrich continued: "He's got to come up with some very straight answers to get somebody to take him seriously. Would I be willing to listen to him? Sure. I think the choice of Ron Paul or Barack Obama would be a very bad choice for America."
When asked if he would be able to vote for Paul if his rival won the 2012 GOP nomination, Gingrich said unequivocally "No."
"I think it's very difficult to see how you would engage in dealing with Ron Paul as a nominee," Gingrich said. "Given the newsletters, which he has not yet disowned. He would have to go a long way to explain himself and I think it would be very difficult to see today, Ron Paul as the Republican nominee."
Paul's role in writing newsletters with racist remarks came under increased scrutiny last week as polls showed the Texas rising in popularity among Iowa voters. The most recent, from the American Research Group, shows Paul, Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a dead heat for first place. Paul has indicated he did not write all of the content in his newsletters and had not read some of it before publication.
In responding to negative ads Paul's campaign has released slamming Gingrich's record as a conservative, the former House speaker said the spots were inaccurate.
"You look at Ron Paul's record of systemic avoidance of reality, his ads are about as accurate as his newsletter," Gingrich said.
Gingrich named Paul's stance on Iran as representative of Paul's extremist viewpoints.
"He's not going to get the nomination. It won't happen," Gingrich said. "The people in the United States are not going to accept somebody who thinks it's irrelevant if Iran gets a nuclear weapon."
Paul's campaign responded to Gingrich Tuesday, calling his remarks "childish."
"Frustration from his floundering campaign has Newt Gingrich showing who he really is: a divisive, big-government liberal," Paul Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton said. "Newt has a long record of standing against conservatives dating back to his support for liberal Nelson Rockefeller over Barry Goldwater, so this sort of childish outburst is nothing new."
From CNN Politics
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I acknowledge that Paul is not going to win a general election. But somehow implyng that Paul, who is 95% correct on macroecnomic matters, is "indecent" ensures that Gingrich will never get my vote.
It's a shame that Ron Paul comes off as a crackpot because his ideology is probably the best for America of any candidate on either side. We need to STOP the nanny goverment mentality and revert back to what the days when the government served the people, not the other way around.
We have a political climate where the population exists merely for no other purpose than to fund the pet projects of politicians....that's not what our government was ever intended to be nor will we survive if it continues to grow and grow and grow. Socialism ALWAYS fails...there is always the exact same end game: more and more people take more and more "benefits" while those contributing continues to shrink and shrink and shrink. It's inevitable....a foregone conclusion. The more we emulate socialist countries and societies, the further we get from our own security and birthright. For crying out loud, just look at the EU...after only a few years, it's already about to collapse.
He's done, washed up. He's lost people like me, who supported him a couple years ago – but after his remarks about Iran – no way. He's mentally unstable, stupid or both.
memine writes: "Ron Paul has repeatedly disavowed the newsletters."
You mean the ones with his name on them? If the newsletters had Ron Paul's name on him, that implies he approved of their content. Disavowing controversial content written under his name (which implies his consent) in the heat of a presidential race is, in fact, lying.
Ron Paul has done so much to expose the pseudo two party system as well as the corporate media agenda that it is almost sickening to behold it's depth.
Is Newt really at the position to quip about "decent Americans"? I think not.
Probably fair enough. It's doubtful Ron Paul would vote for Gingrich either. Guess that cancels out two votes.
I sincerely hope Iowans recognize this old-school smear-job for what it is and revolt against the attempt to manipulate their vote.
Newt has flip-floped more times then an IHOP pancake, least Ron Paul keeps his message true to his beliefs.
Gingrich is an establishment hack like Bush, Obama, Bush II, Reagan, Clinton and the other presidential candidates. Ron Paul isn't. The alternative to Ron Paul is: martial law, FEMA Camps, US Dollar collapse. WAKE UP PEOPLE.
Newt's mouth has overtaken his brain. Poor man. Such a loser.
world view of newt vis-a-vis iran is exactly same as the wolrd view of w. bush on iraq.
actually, both are such devout christians that they need evil to give meaning to their lives, and hence must find one. so, it is iran now. how many thousands americans must die again for newt's idea of evil? and how many hundreds of billions we must blow away to accomodate evil seeing newt?
no thanks newt. we need you like we need a dagger in our back. we need ron paul to protect our real interests; you take care of your theological hellucinations in your privacy.
"Outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American....".
Newt– do you personally know any decent Americans?
Gingrich says that Paul's foreign policy stance is wrong. Why, then, does Ron Paul get more support from our military than any other candidate, including Obama? Once you answer that question, you will see that once again Ron Paul is right and the neocons (Romney, Gingrich, Perry, even Obama) are wrong.
As for the economy, Obama is once again asking for a 1.2T increase in the debt ceiling. Paul, on the other hand, has never voted for a budget that wasn't balanced. Which direction do you want to go, America, to fiscal responsibility or away from it. Only Ron Paul will lead us to it, and with it will come decreases in the debt ceiling, not increases.
Both of these guys are awful choices.
Any of these tea-party conservative candidates would be a terrible choice, no matter what. The Lord Saves us!
So much for that POSITIVE campain o'l Newwty boy promised. Only goes to show that Newt will lie, cheat, and steal to be president.
mainstream america is who got us in this mess!
Ron Paul couldn't PAY for this kind of publicity. I'm a decent American and I love my country and I FEAR people like Newt Gingrich. He is part of the problem, not the solution. Ron Paul 2012!
Beside we all know politicians are born pathological liars ! Obama is the top of the list !
And Newt thinks he is a "decent" American? HA! Ron Paul is respected because he is NOT mainstream GOP!
I don't care who the GOP nominee is, Obama is getting my vote.
How would voting for Gingrinch allow any contradiction to Barrack Obama's viewpoint, he flavor flips just as much as the President does. The mainstream media always wants to ask Paul if he planned on running in a third party; citing that Paul would essential give the race to Barrack Obama amongst independant voters. If you vote for Romeny or Gringrich you are essential giving your vote to Barrack Obama, anyway. Look at these puppets and their voting histories, their concrete value dilutes away everytime it comes down to key issues that interest the needs of average Americans.
Just another " pathological liar " as it is .
I like to take advice from Newt on "in"decency....