Gingrich says "big ideas" led to staff defections, all campaigns "go up and down"
Embattled presidential contender Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that his "big ideas" and unconventional strategies were responsible for the recent departure of several high-level staff members.
"Philosophically, I am very different from normal politicians, and normal consultants found that very hard to deal with," Gingrich said in remarks to the Atlanta Press Club.
"We have big ideas," he added, of his team. "I just think that's part of how you campaign. You talk to the American people about big things."
Gingrich's campaign has, to date, been plagued by a series of gaffes and high-level departures: On Tuesday, less than two weeks after several top aides stepped down en masse, two of his top fundraising aides resigned.
Despite the implicit suggestion of struggle - not to mention rumors of financial hardship - amid his campaign, Gingrich has vowed to go on.
Still, drawing examples from the 2008 presidential candidacies of John McCain and Hillary Clinton, Gingrich appeared to tacitly acknowledge that his own campaign was going through a rough patch.
"In July of 2007 Hillary Clinton was going to be the Democratic nominee and Rudy Giuliani the Republican [nominee]. John McCain was out of money and written off by the press," Gingrich said. "The fact is campaigns go up and down."
He also suggested that the departure of his staff members was a product of him putting the American people first.
"If I had to choose Reaganomics or 13 staffers quitting, I think for the average working American, Reaganomics was a much better deal," Gingrich said.
