To their credit, the Occupiers have been quite effective in gaining media attention as their movement spread to various cities across the country. Although I don't agree with their message, I love that these types of demonstrations are permitted in America. People have the right to free speech and assembly and it is at the heart of our democratic institution.
The Occupiers have been praised for vocalizing their frustrations and yet, they have also been heavily criticized for not having a clear message, goal or leader. From the beginning, it has been unclear what will determine a successful outcome to their movement. No one knows. No one person has come forward to articulate what they want. Articulate what will determine a successful end to their protest. Articulate what an Occupy victory looks like.
I have some good news for the Occupiers. Over the past few days, a clear leader has emerged. His name is Newt Gingrich.
Days before the Iowa caucus, Gingrich saw his poll numbers plummet. His support was evaporating right before his eyes. But rather than regroup and keep Americans inspired to his vision for a Gingrich presidency, he has gone on the attack and is now criticizing Mitt Romney for the successes he experienced in his business, success Romney had in entrepreneurship. He is attacking Mitt Romney for supporting capitalism.
His desperate attacks on Mitt Romney seem to be taken right out of the Occupy chants. And his most recent interviews are starting to sound very familiar.
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| Click here to see a video of the interview. |
This morning he was interviewed by Fox & Friends. He said, "Those of us who believe in free markets and those of us who believe in fact the whole goal of investment is entrepreneurship and job creation, we find it pretty hard to justify rich people figuring our clever legal ways to loot a company, leaving behind 1,700 families without a job."
Continuing his interview with Fox & Friends, Gingrich argued that Bain Capital made too much money. Their investments should not have been so high. He went on to say, " Look at one example from The Wall Street Journal, to put in $30 million and get back $60 million would have been a fabulous return. To put in $30 million and get back $90 million would have been a fabulous return. Did they really need to take out $180 million, if leaving $30 or $40 million, if the company could have survived and the people would've been employed, the jobs would've been there? These are places where they made money while the company went broke."
Many in the media are questioning his attacks and asking whether or not he is actually helping the left. In response he went on to tell Fox & Friends, "I don't think I'm using the language of the left. I'm using the language of classic American populism. Main Street has always been suspicious of Wall Street. Small businesses have always worried about big businesses. I'm very uncomfortable when I see seven or eight banks take 80 percent of their market share and crowd out small independent banks, and I think people have a natural concern when they see financiers come in from out of town, take over a company, take all the profit and then leave people unemployed behind."
Wow, I feel like I have heard this message before, but the last time I heard these types of arguments against capitalism was from scruffy, angry college students holding signs in lower Manhattan.
Mr. Gingrich, you are spiraling and your anger has overcome your senses. You are attacking Mitt Romney's credible successes that he has had because of free enterprise and capitalism--the very heart of what makes America a unique and prosperous nation. Romney is the most viable candidate to defeat President Obama. Your message is hurting the party as a whole. Your efforts are weakening the strongest candidate.
It is a tent in downtown Charleston.
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