How would Barack Obama fare against Newt Gingrich?

[boxman15]

I don't know how to feel about Newt's sudden rise. I used to think that anyone except Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman would be blown out by President Obama, but Newt is different. Sure, his ideas are batshit insane just like Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann, but Newt is a fantastic speaker. When you listen to Cain, Bachmann, or Perry, anyone with a brain should be able to tell that these guys are full of shit. But, to quote Paul Krugman, Newt Gingrich is a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like.

He is a student of history and throws in historical references whenever he can in debates and speeches. While the left sees him as a pompous, arrogant asshole, the right and plenty in the center see Newt as an intelligent, passionate conservative. And this scares me. Sure, he has lots of baggage (like his disastrous Speaker term and being with his third wife), but America has a very short memory. No one will remember or care about what he did in the 1990s.

I really feel like Newt would give the President a run for his money, unfortunately. Even though his ideas are batshit insane, he would sound like he's hanging with Obama in a debate. I don't know, I could see this as being a very close race.

What do you all think? Am I right, or am I just over-thinking this?

[MineralMan]

1. I think President Obama will win handily over any of the current

crop of candidates. Watch for a third party from the right to pop up. It will happen if Romney is nominated, and might well happen if Gingrich is.

[tridim]

2. Newt can win maybe one or two of the most backward states.

Obama will wipe the floor with him, it wont be close.

[TheWraith]

54. Yeah, I'm sure he'll get most of the red states...

But those are the states that would vote Republican if the Democratic ticket was FDR/Jesus. Otherwise, they'll be picking up pieces of Newt after the first debate.

[Ter]

55. Just one or two?

You have way too much faith. Any Republican starts with 10 states. Depending on things, they can stay at 10, or win more. There is no way Obama wind more than 40 states though.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

3. Barney Frank said it:

"I did not think I had lived a good enough life to be rewarded by Newt Gingrich being the Republican nominee. It still is unlikely, but I have hopes."

[teddy51]

4. Newt has so many skeletons in his closet, he can't shut the door. If

Obama starts dragging them out, Newt is done like dinner.

[Brother Buzz]

8. Newt needs to close his Tiffany's account and open up a Closets "R" Us account

[EC]

5. Newt isn't half as intelligent as he thinks he is.

His history is kinda screwed up...like most repub historical educations, it's skewed and rewritten. He is really hated by many repubs, so I'm thinking he has no chance in a general election. Besides who wants a President named after a reptile? (or are newts amphibians?)

[oldhippydude]

30. yes

i fell asleep last night watching Ed and Racheal on MSNBC.. so accidently woke up to mourning joe.. seems even a lot of the Republicans dont like him.. and dont worry if he were nominated that baggage would majically open.. even Ron Paul is running anti Newt stufff..

actually i think President Obama would wipe the floor with him.. in fact i would hope it would be a landslide with long coattails ensuring Democratic Congress..

to answer your other question, without looking it up think, Newt is definitly an anphibian... a gringrinch on the other hand is a snake, definitly a reptile..

[Cosmocat]

34. PSEUDO intelligent ...

and in a way that hits strongest with right wingers ...

the farther you get away the lunatic fringe the most he looks what he is - an ethically deficient, smarmy elitist.

[rocktivity]

6. Newt HASN'T risen

All the other GOP candidates have sunken. Three years ago, I called McCain their "least worst candidate."

What Obama has to worry about is people wanting to punish themselves by punishing him by not voting for him.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Cognitive_Resonance]

7. Newt is not a likable character. He would turn off independents and energize the Democratic base.

Also, Newt as Republican nominee would have high potential to sink the Republicans in races nationwide.

[BlueIris]

9. I think he would lose to everyone who is not Romney or Bachman.

I used to be scared of Romney, thought he was unbeatable. Now I think the Mormon thing would crush him. Bachman is too flat out insane to be viably electable, plus I have a hard time believing Republicans and swing voters would really go for a female nominee.

Everyone else will easily beat Barack Obama, even Gingrich.

[oldhippydude]

31. i thought Mitt was the chosen one

but aparently he cant even be interviewed by fokkks.. they gave him ground balls and he couldent feild them.. in a debate Obama would kill him.. still the republican party is about evenly devided between wall street and crazy.. in the end wall street has more money..

i really dont see anybody able to touch Obama, with the outside chance of Jon Huntsman (the only grown up cndidate).. but he too has the mark of Joseph Smith, and like a woman or a black will never be nominated .. the christian base wants a "real christian white guy",alas Perry is a moron,and Hucksterby is sitting this one out, on murdoch's pay role..

i am old enough to remember voting for Jimmy Carter, and saw his second term disappear, to Reagan.. at least to me this has a totally different feel.. while the informed folks seem to intuitively know that, Obama is not responsiblie for the mess, they may becoming impatiant with progress to fix it.. a lot can happen in 11 months, so i may be all wet... still betting Obama will have a second term and with any luck we will flip the house back..

[Jennicut]

37. Cain or Perry too?

Actually, in poll after poll, Romney always matches up the best because he is believed to be less conservative then the rest of the Repub field and appeals more to the middle. It is the conservative Repubs that have a problem with Romney on the health care issue and his being a former Gov. of a New England state.

[Arkana]

44. Wrong. Anyone not named Romney gets curbstomped by Obama.

Romney just gets beaten.

And if you honestly think Cain, Perry, or Paul would beat Obama then you are blinded by hatred of him.

[Hippo_Tron]

48. Despite the DC punditry's consensus opinion, I agree that Romney is not a strong candidate

Aside for the mormon thing, the guy is just a god awful politician. The more people learn about him the less they like him. They can portray him as an out of touch elitist and as a flip-flopper. That strategy got George W. Bush barely re-elected and it can probably get Obama barely re-elected too.

[66 dmhlt]

51. ???? Obama would MUCH rather face Gingrich than Mittens!

[SidDithers]

10. I think he could take him...nt

Sid

[FrenchieCat]

11. "He is a student of History...."

:rofl:

Who have you been listening to? The Pundits? :rofl:

[Whisp]

14. I know what kind of history Gingie Poo has insite to...

all his mistresses and girlfriends and wives...


hey babe, you're history!
next!.....

[boxman15]

16. I don't think that necessarily. Should have been clearer.

What I meant to say was that he likes to reference history when he speaks, which gives him a lot of credibility to mask his bullshit on the right.

[Whisp]

12. he is not a fantastic speaker.

that's something GOP friendly people say.

he's full of it and it shows in neon.

[karynnj]

13. He may seem intelligent to them becasue of the condesending, smug way he states fiction as fact

[jaxx]

15. Watch this ad from Ron Paul about Newt....he skewers him.

Newt Gingrich: Serial Hypocrisy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKTOCP45zY&feature=youtu.be

I think President Obama would do just fine against Newt. Remember too that Newt has been out of the loop for 15 years and things have changed in all areas. He lives in 1995.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. Just seeing Gingrich standing next to Obama at a debate even before they open their mouths

would be like seeing Aragorn standing next to the Orc General (to whom Newt bears an uncanny resemblance) in LOTR.

[applegrove]

18. I get the impression the democrats want Obama to run against the GOP nominee is is as

far to the right as possible. Newt is further to the right than Romney. So I think it is good Newt is surging.

[ellisonz]

26. Correct

They'd vote for a ham sandwich if it'd sign a no-tax pledge and opposed abortion. The more rotten the ham the better.

[JoePhilly]

19. Newt has more baggage than the Kardashian sisters would have on a trip to the moon.

Newt's baggage spans every category ... personal infidelity (check), ethics failures (check), Lobbyist whore (check), partisan hack (check), flip-flopper (check), blow-hard (check) ...

Independents will NEVER embrace this clown.

[joshcryer]

28. Haha, cute. :)

:hi:

[blkmusclmachine]

20. Whoever "wins," WE lose.

[davidpdx]

21. I agree, Newt would give Obama a run for his money

In the long run I think it would be a closer race then if Mittens were the nominee (let's hope he is). The baggage with the marriages and his "consulting" is going to hurt him.

[flamingdem]

22. newt would be great

but it's bound to be Romney

let's just hope Newt can make romney look even more uptight

[MNBrewer]

23. Quite well

[opihimoimoi]

24. He noes he not gonna win shit....he is reaping whatever he can while the gettings good

Over Blown History Buff who failed at comprehension and application....

never learned the Lessons found in such books.....

Some student....grade D- in my book

[Skip Intro]

25. I think Romney would be the stronger opponent. Lots depends on running mates, tho. nt

[ellisonz]

27. Wipe the floor with any of them in debate.

It's going to be GOP hatred of Obama vs. the usual slow to come together Democrats at the ballot box.

[DCBob]

29. Rasmussen actually has Newt winning at the moment. 45-43.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_presidential_election/2012_presidential_matchups

Of course you have to apply the RazzyRule: -5 to GOP candidate, +5 to Dem candidate.

That results in Obama 48 Newter 40. Which sounds about right.

[Jennicut]

38. Quinnipiac has it as 49% Obama, 40% Newt.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1676

But Romney and Obama is much closer at 45% Obama and 44% Newtie. The Repubs might pick Newt as their nominee but I still think Romney would match up better for them against Obama. Hey, I don't mind if the shoot themselves in the foot. I also think Scott Rasmussen detests Romney. He has Obama beating Romney by 6% points but Newt beating Obama by 3 points. Hmmm...

[DCBob]

40. Ha! That matches almost exact my corrected Rasmussen numbers.

Romney is definitely stronger candidate.

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. if Jesus loves Barack Obama so much - that he makes Newt Gingrich the GOP nominee -

I'm sure this would be a very enjoyable election for us all.

[Douglas Carpenter]

33. Paul Krugman: Gingrich is the stupid man's idea of what a smart person sounds like

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-21/politics/30424422_1_newt-gingrich-ethanol-lobby-freddie-mac


.

[Cosmocat]

35. What I have said for 15 years now ...

only more snappy ...

[DCBob]

41. Nice!

Newt is great with the hot-button one liners. He like a stand-up comedian belting out one liners as the ignorant masses cheer.

[Jennicut]

36. He is not stupid like Cain or Perry but he has a lot of skeletons and is not likable.

Perry could barely answer a question on Afghanistan during a debate. Don't get me started on Cain. With Newt, he is not an unintelligent man. He just has crazy, insane ideas (child labor laws, anyone?). It will be his ideas on what America should be vs Obama's ideas. Honestly, I think Obama is smarter and would show that in a debate. Just let Newt come off as the arrogant man he is. He does come off as babyish and immature for a man older then my parents (who are almost 65). Anyway, it would be an insult to America for the Repubs to let Cain, Perry or Bachmann near the nomination. They make W. look smart. And that is scary.

[WI_DEM]

39. As smart as Newt thinks he is--Obama is smarter and a debate between the two of them would be

lively but ultimately Obama would win. Newt has not only personal baggage but a lot of baggage from decades in and out of office that he would have to defend.

[Cigar11]

42. Never underestimate the power of HATE! /n

[Arkana]

43. I don't want to call it a McGovern or Mondale-sized asswhooping but I think Obama wins

comfortably.

Newt is a slimy, mean little troll with a bad temper, and no matter how well he's hiding it now, it will show itself. He's a hateful little stinkwad who has never earned more than 100,000 votes for any elected office in his life.

Put him up against Obama and it's no contest, unless Obama gets caught in a Jerry Sandusky-type situation.

[Capn Sunshine]

45. It would be an Obama landslide

or as my esteemed poster upthread said, a McGovern sized mandate.

I can't believe there are people posting on this thread who don't understand that the reason the Republican field is so pathetic is precisely because with given current electoral conditions the President is unbeatable. Or the birghter lights would have taken a swing.

No one in the party wants to be the one that returns Congress to the Dems. Although Newt certainly knows how that is done.

[DCBob]

46. Yes. most likely.

I think many moderate Dems and some Indies were ready to jump to Mitt but they wont go to Newt.

[MjolnirTime]

47. Obama will kick the shit out of Gingrich.

[Safetykitten]

49. Sadly it will not be the G man.

[Old Troop]

50. I think Newt will put the President in a much more secure position

[Pirate Smile]

52. Newt is the only person I've ever heard described as "loathsome" by so many people from all

different political spectrums.

I hope he wins the GOP nomination.

[Awsi Dooger]

53. After watching Rick Scott get elected here in Florida

I'm worried about just about anyone, other than glorified frozen dinners like Bachmann and Cain.

Newt has had a high number on Intrade for months, at least above what seemed logical at the time. There's been plenty of discussion about that on betting sites. Somebody had a good idea who could emerge. And now Gingrich's contract has pulled relatively tight with Romney (47-37), which is something that never happened with Cain or Perry, even when they were at apex.

This guy can communicate, hardly a farce like Sharon Angle or Christine O'Donnell. He's mocked here and on MSNBC but I'm not convinced it would stick. As I posted a couple of months ago, he's a known quantity. I thought it would mean the right wing wouldn't get excited about him. But if he gets the nomination it translates to a surge in benefit of a doubt, with marriage issues and Tiffany's starting to fade.

In a 50/50 economy I wouldn't fret Newt. Considering where we are, and how independents voted in 2010, I'm not sure who I'm rooting for, the less repulsive and less partisan candidate in Mitt, or potentially the more vulnerable opponent in Newt.

Normally I gamble but in this case after the Scott example it's obvious a Gingrich presidency would be more devastating than anything we project right now.

[golfguru]

56. Newt will not last until the debates with Obama take place

Newt has more baggage than Imelda Marcos had shoes.
Obama's massive re-election fund will expose all that baggage before the debates even take place. Newt will be Newtered and probably will show up with tranquilizers in his system for the debates.

[spin]

57. If the economy shows ANY signs of real improvement ...

Obama will win over ANY current Republican candidate.

It's that simple.