If there was any doubt about whether Newt Gingrich was calling it quits after Tuesday's losses, those doubt were dispelled Friday. In a rousing speech at CPAC, Gingrich rallied the GOP faithful while serving notice to the DC Establishment of both parties that he didn't care about their assessment of things. Instead, Gingrich talked about America the possible. Here's the transcript of the opening riff of Gingrich's opening:
GINGRICH: When Ronald Reagan campaigned in 1980, you could see the gap between the Establishment and the conservative movement. Reagan campaigned on supply side economics, lower taxes, less regulations, more American energy, praise for people who created jobs. The Establishment called it "VooDoo Economics."
The GOP Establishment has a single word they use with contempt for conservative ideas. They say they're 'unrealistic'. So creating 16,000,000 new jobs under Reagan? Unrealistic. Ending the Soviet Union? Unrealistic. The 1994 Contract With America? Unrealistic. The 1994 House majority, which, by the way, was elected with the biggest single party increase in American history, 9,000,000 new voters? Unrealistic. Reforming welfare so that 2 out of 3 people either went back to work of went back to school? Unrealistic. Cutting taxes, including the biggest Capital Gains tax cut in American history and the first tax cut in 16 years? Unemployment drops to 4.2%, 11,000,000 new jobs? Unrealistic.
Not only was that list of things not unrealistic, they were accomplished because the ideas made too much sense to the American people. Reagan understood that the American people thirsted for inspiration. He supplied it in large doses.
The GOP Establishment doesn't understand the American people. They can't comprehend the power, enthusiasm, grit and determination of the TEA Party movement because it's something happening beyond Washington's Beltway. The DC Establishment of both parties doesn't understand the identity of America throughout history.
The America that they don't understand is the America President Reagan and Speaker Gingrich understand because they came from humble beginnings. That's the America that Mitt Romney can't tap into, not because he's evil but because it's totally foreign to him.
Rick Santorum is a fine man who understands America, just like John Kasich and Paul Ryan do. Of that group, only Congressman Ryan understands the greatness and genius of America like Newt Gingrich knows it.
It's that greatness that intellectually seperates Newt Gingrich from the rest of the GOP presidential field. That Newt's been MIA recently.
After Friday's speech at CPAC, it's safe to say that the special Newt is back.
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