https://redstate.com/erick/2011/05/15/newt-gingrichs-rapidly-self-limiting-campaign-defends-the-individual-mandate/feed/Conservative News & Politicsen-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 01:27:28 -0400<![CDATA[Newt Gingrich appeared on Meet the Press this morning and said two things that won&#8217;t exactly endear him to the Tea Party crowd or the reform minded movement sweeping the GOP.First, he endorsed the individual mandate and said he would not bash Mitt Romney over the individual mandate.Second, he went after Paul Ryan&#8217;s proposal to reform Medicare. Your mileage may vary on Ryan&#8217;s plan, but he is both offering up one and using the free market, individual choice approach favored by conservatives.Newt was not happy with the approach.Gingrich is already going to have to overcome the apprehensiveness of evangelicals and women in the primary. To also have to overcome the free marketers&#8217; concerns may prove problematic.I&#8217;m still struggling to figure out what Newt&#8217;s natural constituency is. He seems to want to be the ideas guy, but that really amounts to being a conservative technocrat. If Daniels enters and Mitt is there too, it is a crowded field for the technocrats to fight over.Time will tell. The transcript of the related remarks is below the fold.Endorsing individual mandate:]]>Sun, 15 May 2011 13:10:11 -0400<![CDATA[Erick Erickson]]>https://redstate.com/erick/2011/05/15/newt-gingrichs-rapidly-self-limiting-campaign-defends-the-individual-mandate-n39023