Another quote by Tony Lee of Human Events about Newt

Lee put out an article previewing Wednesday's GOP debate at the Reagan Library. He had this to say about Newt:

His summer was turbulent, but he is not that much worse off than he was when it started. Gingrich won the last debate and he performed the best out of all the candidates at the Palmetto Freedom Forum in South Carolina. He’s proposing ideas on getting rid of regulations such as Dodd-Frank and using social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Google+, effectively. He speaks of American exceptionalism in a way that resonates. Gingrich has a chance to keep the momentum going at a debate held at the library of a President (Reagan) he not only worked with, but whose life and ideas he has so richly chronicled.

Human Events' Tony Lee on Newt at Palmetto Freedom Forum

The Chase 2012 reporter for the conservative weekly:

There is not a more exceptional person in the 2012 GOP presidential field than Herman Cain in terms of life experiences and private sector success. And there is not a person who is capable of explaining American exceptionalism better than Newt Gingrich.

...

To put it simply, American exceptionalism matters in Republican primaries. It is why immigration issues will matter in 2012 because it is a way for Republicans to speak about and discuss Americanism.

At the Forum, Gingrich stole the show by proposing ideas to eliminate the regulations such as Dodd-Frank that are screwing up the economy, reign in the federal judiciary and activist judges and even comparing himself to the University of South Carolina football team by saying that, like South Carolina did in their first game of the season last Saturday, his campaign has had some early fumbles but that he would prevail in the end.

But it was his discussion of "melting pot" Americanism that reverberated. Here's Gingrich's words:

When you have a country which is proud of its history, which is proud of its language, which is comfortable saying to people, come to America to be Americans, you can absorb more people than if you have a country whose elites are totally confused and are prepared to give up on being an American.

...if we're not going to be a melting pot, we can't afford to have very many people come here. When you realize that there are over 200 languages spoken in the Chicago school system, there are over 180 languages spoken at Miami-Dade Junior College, it's why I favor English as the official language of government.

We need a unifying system which says, yes, we are eager to have people come to America, as they always have, but we want you to come here to be American. We don't want you to come here to be confused about how this country operates.

It is hard to find a Republican who does not see the 2012 election as a pivotal election that will determine whether the country remains exceptional or begins an even more rapid descent to becoming an unexceptional version of Europe that is plagued by fiscal problems and multiculturalism.

Caffeinated Thoughts Blog on Newt's performance Monday in SC

Another positive review:

I thought that former Speaker Newt Gingrich would do well in this type of venue, and he didn’t disappoint. He gave, in my opinion, the best answer related to the separation of powers and the proper role of the judiciary. He welcomed a challenge by Congress on Roe v. Wade utilizing the authority given to them by section 5 of the 14th Amendment which reads that “The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” Which includes section 1 of the amendment which says that “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Gingrich said that Thomas Jefferson warned that the Supreme Court left unchecked could become an oligarchy. Speaker Gingrich noted that the “Supreme Court is supreme in the judicial branch which is the third branch mentioned in the Constitution.” He pointed out that Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers said that the judicial branch was the weakest branch. He said that Congress can limit jurisdiction of federal courts, and this topic needs to be part of the national debate.

He laid out several steps to what his job plan would be: Repeal Dodd-Frank, restructure the EPA, repeal Sarbanes-Oxley, restructure the FDA so it helps get products to market, no tax increase in 2013, zero out capital gains tax, lower corporate taxes to 12.5%, 100% expensing, abolish the death tax, and bolster domestic energy development. He gave specific points to his immigration plan, and regarding placing a limit on legal immigration he said it would depend on the economy and the ability for people to assimilate. Gingrich said, “if we are not a melting pot we can’t afford to have many people come here.”

Peter Hamby of CNN on Palmetto Freedom Forum

Hamby, who is covering the 2012 Presidential race for CNN, wrote:

And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won high marks from conservatives, weighing in on Twitter with a policy-fluent speech laced with references to American history and sharp attacks against the federal judiciary.

After the forum, Gingrich had kind words for his GOP rivals and said the tea partiers have been unfairly vilified by the media and Democrats.

He made reference to recent reports that Vice President Joe Biden called tea party activists "terrorists" in a closed-door meeting during the debt ceiling debate.

"It strikes me that despite every effort of the news media and every effort of the Democrats to isolate the tea party and treat them more hostilely than we treat terrorists who are trying to kill us," Gingrich said. "Here you have a Democratic Party where it's OK to call American citizens 'terrorists' but it's not OK to call terrorists 'terrorists'? There is something really bizarre about that."

Hamby also talked about an uneasy moment for Michelle Bachmann:

"I believe it is also unconstitutional for states to mandate as a condition of citizenship, that an individual would have to purchase a product or service even at the state government's behest," Bachmann said.

Pressed by conservative Princeton legal scholar Robert George to back up her assertion by naming a provision in the Constitution, she could not.

Jim DeMint thinks 2012 GOP front-runner "will change several times"

Robert Costa of National Review quotes U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), who helped organize today's Palmetto Freedom Forum:

"Some that don’t appear to be in the running right now were pretty good on stage today," he said. "I don't think this race is over. I think we’re going to see that front horse change several times, I think, over the last couple months."

Costa titled his post: "Newt? Cain? Paul?"

Watch Newt's complete performance from the Palmetto Freedom Forum

Link (thanks to a great Newt supporter, Gardner).

(CNN did cut out to commercial through the entire forum, so there is a little missing.)

Here is the response to Newt's performance from today on Twitter

Matthew Hurtt:

@NewtGingrich does an excellent job relating to the audience early on. #DeMintForum

CharlestonPats (Charleston Tea Party):

Nobody does American exceptionalism better than @newtgingrich opening remarks #scpol #palmettoff

CharlestonPats:

@newtgingrich points out super committee doesn't represent all the people #palmettoff #scpol

Rich Lowry, editor of National Review:

newt absolutely nails it on dec of ind

Yvonne Wenger, reporter for The Post and Courier

Gingrich gets first response applause when he is talking about judicial encroachments

Chris Oviatt, South Carolina GOP Executive Committee Member:

Newt has gotten more applause in his first 10 mins than the previous candidates combined! #palmettoff #sctweets

Amanda Carpenter, communications adviser for Senator Jim DeMint:

GINGRICH: "Bad government has destroyed the city of Detroit."

Tony Lee, 2012 reporter for Human Events:

Newt on Melting Pot. Out of park! will be the color blind litmus test for GOP going forward this decade. Just watch. #CA1990s

David M. Reed:

@newtgingrich laid out THE BEST plan for a New America. The DeMint Forum has been incredible. #GOP #GOPDebate

Mark Eidel:

@newtgingrich did VERY well at @JimDeMint's Palmetto Freedom Forum.

Bill Bruner:

Newt best candidate tonight: on life issues, role of Creator in public life, jobs & energy policy, borders & judicial overreach! #palmettoff

The State, a paper in Columbia, South Carolina:

Gingrich is done. He got the most laughs/applause so far. #palmettoff

That was just a sample. For more that the campaign sent out here, click here.