Rock Hill, South Carolina (CNN) – Newt Gingrich assailed the bipartisan establishment Wednesday in a fiery speech 10 days before the South Carolina primary, a contest critical for the lagging presidential candidate.
After finishing a disappointing fourth in the first two nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, Gingrich questioned Mitt Romney's credentials and whether the frontrunner can beat President Barack Obama.
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"You're not going to beat a billion dollar machine with dishonesty, with somebody who is inarticulate or confused or doesn't quite know where they stand," Gingrich said.
He said the state's January 21 primary will likely determine the Republican Party's nominee.
"I believe that South Carolinians are either going to center in and pick one conservative, or by default, we're going to send a moderate on to the nomination," he said.
The former House speaker disputed charges that he is against capitalism by questioning Romney's career at Bain.
"Criticizing specific actions ... is not being anti-free enterprise. And crony capitalism where people pay each other off at the expense of the people of this country is not free enterprise and raising questions about that is not wrong."
Gingrich opened up his remarks at the Laurel Creek Country Club by inviting children up to the stage. He launched into being "fed up" with the tone of American politics.
"You have a bipartisan establishment that has been running this country, that has created a gigantic mess. You have bureaucracies that are out of control, judges who think they can be dictators. You have systems around this country. You have laws that don't work. So, we have got to change not just Obama, we have got to change the entire direction of the United States of America to get it back on track and that is our obligation to these young people."
He said he will continue to speak the truth even if it draws Republican foes.
"If you speak out every effort is made to distort, confuse what you're saying because what you're saying may be so frightening to the establishment," said Gingrich. "And I'll let you decide whether this is where you want America to go and whether you're willing to help in the next 10 days to get there."
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Newt... enough. Now you're starting to alienate the people that support you. A fourth place finisher has no business questioning the electability of the first place finisher!
Get dirty Newt! Time to take the gloves off and call out that Massachusetts moderate Willard.
Nothing excites the conservative south more than a speech from a crazy person.
"And then "wall Street Reform" that totally ignored the actual CAUSE of the problems, FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC! Those have been the ONLY indictments Obama could scrap up in 3 years, yet NO action has been taken there, except to pour hundreds of billions of our tax dollars to prop them up."
Here's a free clue: As an obviously rabid Faux Noise, right wing talk radio, Limbaugh-Beck, tinfoil hat wearing, card carrying member of the GOP/Teatroll dittohead brigade, you should probably avoid bringing up the subject of who Obama should have indicted during this first term of his presidency, because the first people on the list are the last GOP POTUS-muppet and his master.
I am undecided in this race but Gingrich is the only canidate I CANNOT support and have a clear conscience.
Go Newt! Bring him down
For once, i love you Gingrich, say it as you see it? let know one intimidate you. There is a difference betwen crony Capitalism and Capitalism.
Simply put, Newt Gingrich is trying to destroy Mit Romney and really does not care if President Obama wins in 2012. All of the threats that the Republican establishment are making towards Newt that he will become a pariah in the Republican Party means nothing to him because it was not only Mitt Romney who was using negative ads agains Newt but it was also many members of the old guard of the Republican party who were joining forces with Mit to take Newt down. Newt is hurt and bewildered because he thought that he had more respect in the Republican Party and that some of the old guard were hie friends and alies. Now he does not care if he takes the Republican Party along with Mit. In other words, "Hell has no fury than when Newt Ginrich feels scorned"
Really thought we were never going to have to see that nasty, porcine, hateful face of his again.
Where is the conscience of the mainstream Republican nationwide, whose 65% are currently on the sideline? A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for his continuing unconscious looting in the Republican primaries.
Newt is so full of it. Can Newt beat Obama ??? Of course he can't. He can't even compete in the GOP race. Go away Grinch (like my 9 yr old nephew likes to say).
I bet he fires them up. The citizens of sc seem to like their politicians crazy, unwelcome anywhere else in the US and cheating on their wives. Newt anyone?
.........Desperate Republicans....by Mitt Romney...
.........Corporations are also people, My Friend.....By Mitten Romney.
.........I will go to Iran and Fight War.....Ruin USA. Ruin Middle-Class, ship jobs overseas. I did in Bain Capital as a private-equity-capitalist. Watch me....
We already have someone in the White House who has to be the smartest person in the room, has a big ego, is a great debater and blames other people for his position in the polls. This doesn't seem to be working for our country. We don't need more of the same from Newt.
"If you speak out every effort is made to distort, confuse what you're saying because what you're saying may be so frightening to the establishment," said Gingrich. "And I'll let you decide whether this is where you want America to go and whether you're willing to help in the next 10 days to get there.": This coming from the man who caved within 48 hours after accurately describing Paul Ryan's plan as conservative sical engineering? Great sentiment, Newt, but, once again, you're not the guy to do it.
Its over, Mittens, the lap dancer to billionaires, has all the money. Go home Newt.
Don't waste you vote on this guy. He's toast.
Nasty Newt is a big loser who, throughout this process, has become an embarrassment to himself and a liability to his own political career. Newt will never become our nominee because of his anti-capitalism and anti-free enterprise stance – he needs to step off the stage and go home. Sadly he will go down in history as a nasty Newt angry at his party for his pathetic fate.
Gingrich rails against bipartisan politics. Demonstrates how ineffective he would be as president who will refuse compromise.
Lord, Newt "Kebbler Elf" Ginrich in the words of the Great Herman "you Need a Leader not a Reader" Cain. This country needs a Leader not a Great Debater. For the life of me, you think you can debate your way to the Presidency. A lot of your debate crap is just that double talking crab. It's over now!
Well I guess the whole "positive campaign" thing has gone down the tubes.
We've already seen 45 th ! Don't worry about Mitt's electability!
dirty, dirty Newt! I guess Romney is lucky that Newt is taking the high road with no negative campaigning. I hope the DNCC has at least sent the Gingrich's a nice muffin basket!
Romney's going to lose in SC. And I'm not even a supporter of either Romney or the other GOP candidates. I'm just a resident of SC. On the ground here – people are getting fired up to vote for Newt and Ron Paul in a big way. Haven't seen anything like this here in a very long time – not even when Bush, Jr. was running the first time.
Fat and Ugly will win the day in crazy South Carolina