Jim DeMint To Newt Gingrich: Get Back To The Positives

What a difference a month makes.

Back on Dec. 9, 2011, Newt Gingrich was sitting pretty. Polls showed the former House Speaker as the Republican favorite, holding a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney in some surveys.

Fresh off a Jan. 10, 2012 fourth-place finish in New Hampshire, Gingrich received some advice from a major Republican voice on Wednesday. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) suggested on the Laura Ingraham Show that Gingrich shift away from negative campaigning. DeMint does not plan to endorse a candidate in the 2012 Republican race.

"He's got great ideas and I think we need to credit him with a lot of the changes that took place," DeMint said. "I would say, Newt, you'e a great American, and get back on your positive focus, talk about your big ideas."

"That's the only way I think to turn things at this point," he continued. "So again, I would encourage all the candidates, now let's just be as positive as we can."

A new Gingrich campaign ad fails to line up with that perspective. The Daily Caller's Matt Lewis posted a video on YouTube Wednesday, showing a series of Mitt Romney's most damaging gaffes. While the ad has not been officially released yet, it is paid for by Newt 2012.

Ads aside, DeMint noted that it is not out of the question for Gingrich to make a comeback in his home state. In an interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin, the Tea Party favorite said he believes Mitt Romney will win in South Carolin, but mentioned both Gingrich and Rick Santorum as possible darkhorses for the primary held a week from Saturday.

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Comments

[WomanforPaul]

12:12 AM on 01/13/2012

Ron Paul, a patriot, who has honorably served his country, defends both the constitution and civil liberties, and is for peace and prosperity. Dr. Paul has the wisdom, foresight, honesty and integrity to be president.

Dr. Paul believes spending and deficits are destroying this country. Dr. Paul's budget plan would save $1 trillion in the first year. Besides the spending cuts, there are other issues of importance to voters. For conservatives, Dr. Paul scores an A+ on all of them: Second Amendment protection, pro-life record, right-to-work, pro-business, anti-tax, states' rights, you name it.

Dr. Paul also believes America should have the strongest national defense on earth — which he believes begins with not trying to constantly police the earth. Right now, our government puts our best and bravest in harm's way on a regular basis for questionable reasons and with no discernible notion of victory. This is not supporting the troops. It's abusing them. Dr. Paul wants an end to this absurd, costly policy.

The voters have declared Dr. Paul the alternative to the liberal, flip flopping Mitt Romney. The other candidates are simply irrelevant. In the New Hampshire Primary, Dr. Paul received more votes than all the supposed Anti-Romney (Santorum, Gingrich, and Perry) candidates combined.

The question for Republican voters is not whether they can afford to vote for Dr. Paul - it's whether they can afford not to.

America Needs Ron Paul.

[Paisano]

01:43 PM on 01/12/2012

There are no positives! Jimmy boy!

[IreneNH]

08:18 AM on 01/12/2012

DeMint not making an endorsement but he obviously does not support Mitt.

[mdmccormick]

07:44 AM on 01/12/2012

Sen. Jim DeMint to the republican clown show performers – Stop Telling The Truth About Each Other It is Un-republican!

[94613]

07:10 AM on 01/12/2012

And park your bigotry at the Door. There's no room for uncivility in retail politics in Our Fair State. TeaPot, CrockPot, ChambrePot. Bring all your Pots to our Fest. Jim DeMint is so refreshing as an Honourable Civil Servant.

[vicla1942]

05:58 AM on 01/12/2012

Jim DeMint is a living tribute to the ignorance of South Carolina voters.
His state has high unemployment, poor education low income and many
illiterates in poverty. He wants no collective bargaining , no unions , less spending on education
no national healthcare. That would be great if you represented the wealthy.
The man is a walking disgrace, just like the teaparty with no national platform.

[94613]

07:35 AM on 01/12/2012

They Do Have Savannah River Site, Plutonium for Mixed Oxide Fuels(MOX) Complex. Better Livin thru Nuclear Reaction.

[1differentdrummer]

04:58 AM on 01/12/2012

Ol' demented Jim speaks again.

[msgirlintn]

02:46 AM on 01/12/2012

DeMint is usually wrong in everything he says. Remember he said healthcare reform would be "Obama's waterloo".

[catboycolo]

01:31 AM on 01/12/2012

Stewart destroyed DeMint in their interview on TDS. DeMint sounded like every other obfuscating Repub, talking in such general terms it is like he could have his own " talking to the dead" show....which is sort of like C-Span....

[Barbarian At The Gate]

12:55 AM on 01/12/2012

"DeMint does not plan to endorse a candidate in the 2012 Republican race."

It just goes to show he has no faith in his Party's frontrunners:

Mittens: Venture Capitalist who is an elitist, will outsource jobs, and is too moderate.

Ron Paul: a Libertarian who will have a non-interventionist foreign policy.

Jon Huntsman: Is the best candidate to run the country but is not far right enough for the Tea Party.

Newt Gingrich: a political insider.

[TheHighForester]

11:54 PM on 01/11/2012

Senator Jim DeMint says, "Do as I say, not as I do." DeMint's entire electoral career has been built upon negative campaigns.

[ThankGodhesgone]

11:38 PM on 01/11/2012

Wow. Demint's worried? Things must be reallllly bad.

[Carl Caroli]

11:31 PM on 01/11/2012

Yeah, and leave the negatives to mittens PACS.

[Party-of-many]

09:45 PM on 01/11/2012

When Mitt was carpet-bombing Newt in Iowa, why didn't this useless hack say to Mitt, get back to the positives? No; he said nothing and watched and now he wants Newt to act nice? Give me a break. This guy is repugnant to say the least.

[demisfine]

10:36 PM on 01/11/2012

Saving the party and throwing Newt under the bus.
Party before country.

[kimbanyc]

08:25 PM on 01/11/2012

rolling over are we jimmy?