Arianna Discusses Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney On 'This Week' With Christiane Amanpour

Arianna appeared on ABC's 'This Week' with Christiane Amanpour to discuss Newt Gingrich's recent surge in the GOP primary and the challenges he faces going forward.

"Newt Gingrich's main adversary at the moment is Newt Gingrich," she said. "I think Newt Gingrich is likely to defeat Romney simply because Romney addresses the nation as an accountant and conversations with your accountant are never ones you are looking forward to."

She also discussed how his past positions might hurt his current campaign.

"If you go the Newt Gingrich of the 90s...he talked about poverty, he talked about a moral responsibility. Now that Gingrich is not at all the Newt Gingrich running now," she said.

WATCH (via ABC):

 

Comments

[PARepublican]

09:27 AM on 12/05/2011

Newt was responsible, along with Bill Clinton, for Welfare reform.....This was huge for the country.

[DemocraticVoter]

09:58 AM on 12/05/2011

Yes, it was huge. And we are now living with the ramifications of that policy change -- large numbers of homeless people without even a modest source of income during the most dire economic period since The Great Depression.

[Lesperado]

08:59 AM on 12/05/2011

Speaker of the House Gingrich shut down the government 1995 and 1996. And stepped down/quit while facing 84 ethics charges.

And let's not forget how moral this man is. After all, he did his dying wife a favor and had an affair and divorced her for his current wife.

[BewilderingBeing]

08:52 AM on 12/05/2011

LOL its hilarious how bad the republican landscape is that they are actually entertaining Rick Santorum. A man who was already humiliated publicly before the campaign even started.

Note to self: Do not drink cappuccino while discussing Santorum

[99er2049er]

08:13 AM on 12/05/2011

Either Newt or Romney means millions of more Americans will lose their jobs and the wealthy will get more tax breaks. I think America is tired of giving to the wealthy, enough with welfare for the rich $$$$

[Deborah H]

03:34 AM on 12/05/2011

WHAT ON EARTH HAS HAPPENED TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY? IT APPEARS TO BE COMPRISED OF MEAN HATEFUL PEOPLE,THEY SEEM TO BE AFRAID OF SHOWING INTELLIGENCE, OR COMPASSION! IT SEEMS THE LESS THEY KNOW NOW SO WHAT, THEY WEAR THEIR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AS A BADGE OF HONOR. AND THAT COUNTRY FIRST SLOGAN WHAT A CROCK, THEY ARE WILLING TO SUPPRESS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REGULAR FOLKS TO GET BACK TO WORK, JUST TO GET BACK INTO THE WHITE HOUSE! THEY CLAIMED THEIR FOCUS IN 2010 WAS GOING TO BE JOBS, IT NEVER HAPPENED CAUSE THEY WANT THE PEOPLE MAD AT THE PRES, BUT THEIR PLAN, IT'S GOING TO BACKFIRE ON THEM WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSERS!

[Colmore]

06:57 AM on 12/05/2011

Very true. What a group of used-up, religious, self-important people are running for the WH. There is not one single one of them with the character it takes to get this country back on track. So, this is the "cream of the crop" for republicans. I have seen people with more self respect on "Survivor" Maybe this is what they should do, go to a deserted island and use their wits to select a "leader" I feel ill, imagining Gingrich in a loin-cloth!!

[99er2049er]

08:15 AM on 12/05/2011

It would be a bad thing if they only campaigned on cutting government programs and cutting programs that help the poor, middle class, seniors, etc. And at the same time, they also raised taxes. At least we could claim they had a principle of lowering the deficit in their minds. Not good, by any means, but at least they would have a principled stance.

But when they cut everything from all of us, while at the same time lowering taxes for the wealthy, deregulating corporations, polluting our environment, all to take from us and give to the wealthy, not even allowing a tax cut holiday for all of us, you have to call that for what it is, hypocrisy.

[ESerafina42]

08:37 AM on 12/05/2011

Thanks - no amount of scrubbing will erase that image from my mind. :)

[Safire]

08:19 AM on 12/05/2011

Well said!

[rosepierre]

12:33 AM on 12/05/2011

If a person could live a normal American life but be somehow isolated from Washington politics and prevented from knowing who was in the White House or which party controlled Congress, they would never know the difference. I've lived during ten different presidencies and things are always pretty much the same regardless of which party is in control. They're both the same thing regardless of the rhetoric and contemporary inbred media just reinforces the gridlock.

[99er2049er]

08:18 AM on 12/05/2011

I used to be completely unaffected by whoever was in office. If you have a job and it is paying well and you can keep up with inflation, then you probably don't care about the recession because it really doesn't affect you, it's like you see millions of people complaining about the recession, lots of stores closing, but you aren't connected...

I used to be in that group, never affected, until Bush came along. Now I am truly affected by who is president. I have seen what a republican can do to me personally, especially when I lost my job, the democrats looked out for me, the republicans went after me.

I will never vote for a republican.

[Marilyn Angelo]

08:46 AM on 12/05/2011

I I'vealso lived during ten different presidenci­es and disagree. It all changed with Bush. The way our country is viewed around the world..the way we view ourselves.. Pre emptive War as policy.. tax cuts as a means of "paying" for war. No other president disregarded our standing throughout the world with such wrecklessness.

[brt929]

12:46 PM on 12/05/2011

Hear, hear!  Well said!  I'd fan you if that function was working for me.

[azureblue]

11:08 PM on 12/04/2011

Newt's history shows he is not qualified to be President. And his former wives will tell you about his "morality".

[k4329]

11:37 PM on 12/04/2011

CNN or MSNBC should have interview with Newt's ex wifies.

[truthseeker3]

01:49 AM on 12/05/2011

be patient

[Indie5000]

01:07 AM on 12/05/2011

obama isn't qualified to be president. He has never ran anything is his entire life.

[Deborah H]

03:19 AM on 12/05/2011

THAT'S WHY PEOPLE LIKE YOU COULD PICK CAIN OR NEWT AS OPTION FOR PRES, OH BOY!

[lindaj3884]

03:59 AM on 12/05/2011

Who got Bin Laden? Obama 2012. The only intelligent choice.

[chazmann49]

10:47 PM on 12/04/2011

She treats the Bible like she treats the Constition. She picks parts that she likes and then makes her own in terpretation, Free speech is good as long as it is what she wants to say, the Bible is good for condeming gay marriage but its ok to let people starve and make people who have no money pay taxes. She rewrites history and changes the geography of the world. Is this a serious candidate?

[lindaj3884]

04:01 AM on 12/05/2011

Of course you mean Bachmann. I agree. It is the mindset of the right.

[99er2049er]

08:20 AM on 12/05/2011

Republicans are very good at cherry picking and misinterpreting the bible. Like you said, I wonder how Jesus would feel about the modern republican party going after the poor, women, children, seniors, minorities, victims of natural disasters...

[westronandnan]

09:56 PM on 12/04/2011

The key issue in this election cycle is not philosophy, ideology or party; but intelligence. And, that, my friends, is in short supply on the GOTP side. Those who offer intelligent positions are rejected out of pocket. Sad.

And, Gingrich is about as much of a historian as Cain is a mathematician --- only in the remotest sense.

[99er2049er]

08:21 AM on 12/05/2011

Republican history is different from real history, just like republican math is different from real math, and republican economics is different from actual economics, and of course republican ethics is in conflict with the human race.

[Maximo Ugmo]

09:44 PM on 12/04/2011

I feel the need to re-submit:

Thinking as a function of reality seems to be lost on partisansh­ip. I think people should question their bias and intransige­nce based on a party affiliatio­n. Independen­t thoughts and actions are the best representa­tive of a truly free society...

[jjsardo]

09:31 PM on 12/04/2011

Newt Gingrich's biggest challenge has always been Newt Gingrich.

[Maximo Ugmo]

09:31 PM on 12/04/2011

Ignorance is bliss certainly applies to ANYbody that thinks the nEwt could be presidential...

[kjg25171]

01:58 AM on 12/05/2011

No one said ignorance is bliss. The quote is "IF ignorance is bliss,tis folly to be wise."

[Maximo Ugmo]

02:04 AM on 12/05/2011

I said it. Should I quote it?

[RitaS]

09:27 PM on 12/04/2011

I prefer actual, factual info regarding a candidate's past... Based on that, Newt has more of a RAP sheet advocating for himself vs political sheet advocating for Americans.

It's all a matter of public record if one would only take the time to get informed....

[Maximo Ugmo]

09:38 PM on 12/04/2011

Facts are dismissed when a political bias is in question...

[Phil Stanley]

09:05 PM on 12/04/2011

Ron Paul is the only one who can beat Oabam.
One of three things is going to happen:

1. Ron Paul doesn't get the nomination and runs as a third party candidate: The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll suggests Ron Paul would win 18 percent as a third-party candidate running against Obama and Romney. Obama wins.

2. Ron Paul drops out: fervent and stubborn Ron Paul supporters stay home or write him in. Obama wins.

3. Ron Paul gets the GOP nomination: Ron Paul gets the following voters:

(A) 2008 Obama voters who thought they were going to get 'Change'
(B) 2008 Obama voters who voted to end the wars.
(C) The VAST majority of the Independent vote,
(D) The entire GOP voting block who dislikes Obama enough to vote for Ron Paul instead.
(E) Ron Paul supporters coming out to vote in DROVES.
(F) Same-sex couples who want to be set free.
(G) Democratic, disillusioned Anti-Drug war voters.
(H) Libertarians.

Ron Paul and America wins!

[Wallysmom]

09:32 PM on 12/04/2011

I agree that independents will vote for Paul, along with Libertarians. As for the rest of your list, ain't going to happen.

[still hopeful at 55]

10:10 PM on 12/04/2011

that is just going to vote split and you will be not picking a candidate, rather you will be settling for who you get.

[stirkle2]

08:11 PM on 12/04/2011

Talking heads said Newt's campaign was dead back in October. If you live your life by other people's thoughts, good for you.

[Maximo Ugmo]

08:46 PM on 12/04/2011

Clue in stircle2, the nEwt's campaign was in fact dead in 1997...ethics violations are for life.

[StevenWells]

09:01 PM on 12/04/2011

Newt - if he makes it to the nomination - will have to face the fact that elections are won and lost on "other people's thoughts."

[Maximo Ugmo]

09:17 PM on 12/04/2011

Zing...

Thinking as a function of reality seems to be lost on partisanship. I think people should question their bias and intransigence based on a party affiliation. Independent thoughts and actions are the best representative of a truly free society...