Presidential Hopeful Promises Sweeping Changes in Charleston Visit

Charm Altman got a front row seat to presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as he met with voters in a Charleston Tea Party event Tuesday night at the North Charleston City Hall. 

"I just wanted to hear what Newt has to say. I'm trying to meet all the candidates and make an informed choice," the West Ashley resident said.

Altman was one of a few hundred who turned out to listen to Gingrich pitch his candidacy for the Oval Office in the party's Leadership in America series, which plans to bring all GOP candidates to the Charleston area in town-hall style meetings. 

The question of whether or not Newt Gingrich is a serious candidate wasn't on Mark Lutz' mind last night as he attended a Charelston Tea Party event, hosting the presidential candidate. 

"His experience makes him a serious candidate," the Mount Pleasant resident said. "We have a wide open field and there are certainly positives and negatives with all the candidates but I'm interested in hearing his perspective."

Lutz was one of a few hundred who turned out to listen to Gingrich pitch his candidacy for the Oval Office in the party's Leadership in America series, which plans to bring all GOP candidates to the Charleston area in town-hall style meetings. 

The occasional shout came from the crowd while Gingrich fielded questions. These shouts were almost always supportive — especially on key issues like jobs, abortion, the "death tax" and the debt ceiling.

Gingrich earned applause when he dubbed the current economic environment the Obama Depression and also announced how he would spend his first hours as president. 

"After the inaugural address, I will take one hour and go into a room and I will sign executive orders that reinforce the constitution and reinforce the law," Gingrich said.

"The first executive order we'll sign probably around three o'clock in the afternoon on the 20th of January is abolish all the White House czars. The second exec order will re-impose Ronald Reagan's policy that no taxpayer money funds abortions overseas. The third executive order will re-impose President George W. Bush's order enforcing the right of conscious so that no doctor, no nurse, no pharmacist, no hospital are forced to perform a procedure that's against their religious beliefs. The fourth executive order will instruct the State Department to open a United States embassy in Jerusalem because the only country in the world that we do not allow to designate their capital is Israel and it is a disgrace."

This first-day initiative is part of Gingrich's campaign, which will seek voter input for their suggested executive orders for the new president to sign. If Gingrich wins the GOP nomination, the plan is to release 50 to 200 executive orders Oct. 1, 2012.

Although Tuesday's visit was congenial, a few oppositional murmurs ran through the crowd when Gingrich announced he was against term limits. 

"I think a two-term limit guarantees the lobbyists run Washington," Gingrich responded.

Joy Sturm of Mount Pleasant wanted him to explain his position further, saying is surprised her to hear he wasn't pro-term limits, an idea held by many in the tea party movements as a way of preventing government corruption. 

"He has his reasons that I'd like him to explain further," Sturm said. 

He also rebuffed calls for a flat-tax system, saying "it's worth looking at, but I think it's far more complicated than yes or no." 

In the end, Gingrich didn't ask voters to be "for" him, but to be "with" him: the theme of his campaign. 

Gingrich will continue his brief stop in the Lowcountry today. According to the campaign, Gingrich will also be speaking at an electric cooperative event at 8:30 a.m. today at Charleston Place Hotel at 205 Meeting St.