On Nov. 4 at precisely the moment Herman Cain was basking in applause at a conservative activists gathering in Washington D.C. Newt Gingrich was in a small conference room at the Marriott Hotel here discussing cognitive illness with three brain scientists.
What I am trying to do is initiate the idea that solving health problems is the best way to reduce costs Gingrich begins. Look at polio he says. What if it had not been cured? What if one took the high cost of treating polio in 1950 and simply projected it through 2011? The numbers would be enormous. Without even considering the human benefits curing polio was far far cheaper than treating it over decades.
Now Gingrich wants to approach Alzheimers and other brain disorders the same way. The scale of brain-related problems is so large and so unreported he tells the scientists that if you think of the supercommittee right now for example -- theyre trying to find $1.5 trillion (in savings) over 10 years. The projection the Alzheimers Foundation gave me was that Alzheimers alone could cost $20 trillion in public and private funds between now and 2050. Spending billions on curing Alzheimers -- sums Congress would never approve in todays political atmosphere -- could save astonishing amounts of money in the long run.
Its the kind of wide-ranging and wonkish discussion Gingrich is known for. Indeed the former speaker of the House whose mother spent the last years of her life in a long-term care facility has devoted a lot of time over the years working on Alzheimers issues. But now he is in the middle of a presidential campaign. Hes in Iowa with 60 days to go before the caucuses that could decide his future. He is hours away from a crucial speech at the Iowa Republican Partys annual Reagan dinner. And he is spending nearly two hours of his day behind closed doors with three doctors a couple of aides and one reporter talking about brain research. The topic of the approaching caucuses does not come up.
Gingrich often says he is running an unconventional campaign. Republicans here in Iowa would probably agree since they dont see him all that much at traditional stump events. But most have no idea just how unconventional the Gingrich campaign really is.
On this day Gingrichs plan is to integrate his longtime interest in health issues and in particular brain research into his appeal to voters. In an interview after the session Gingrich says he wants to reach everybody whos worried about Alzheimers -- and over 55 years of age it is a more common fear than cancer.
Here in Iowa the organization Iowa Against Alzheimers estimates there are 69000 people over the age of 65 with the disease. Take their spouses and children and relatives and friends -- along with other people so far unaffected by the disease but worried about it -- and youve got a very large group. They vote and Gingrich wants to reach them.
Gingrich has test-run the idea in a few recent public forums here and in other early voting states.
In South Carolina a tea party leader walked up and said My dad died three years ago with Alzheimers and I understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish Gingrich says. People can have a checklist in their head that says on these things Newt Gingrich understands my world and is trying to make it better. Gingrich plans to work the message into his speeches and discussions with voters more often as voting approaches.
Whatever Gingrich is doing these days its working. Thanks in part to impressive performances in several GOP debates he is moving up in the polls both nationally and in key early states. Hes raising money again after a meltdown -- a massive staff defection and damaging stories about big-spending habits at Tiffany -- that nearly killed his campaign a few months ago. And voters appear to appreciate his sticking with it. In discussions across Iowa in the last week it is striking how many voters volunteer Gingrichs name as someone theyre finding more and more appealing. If either of the current front-runners Herman Cain or Mitt Romney were to falter Gingrich is in a position to benefit greatly.
And hes doing it his own way. Which other candidate would take a large part of a critical day to talk science when the campaign trail beckons with local officials to meet and hands to shake?
Well see if it works Gingrich says with a laugh. Its a great experiment.
On Nov. 4 at precisely the moment Herman Cain was basking in applause at a conservative activists gathering in Washington D.C. Newt Gingrich was in a small conference room at the Marriott Hotel here discussing cognitive illness with three brain scientists.
What I am trying to do is initiate the idea that solving health problems is the best way to reduce costs Gingrich begins. Look at polio he says. What if it had not been cured? What if one took the high cost of treating polio in 1950 and simply projected it through 2011? The numbers would be enormous. Without even considering the human benefits curing polio was far far cheaper than treating it over decades.
Now Gingrich wants to approach Alzheimers and other brain disorders the same way. The scale of brain-related problems is so large and so unreported he tells the scientists that if you think of the supercommittee right now for example -- theyre trying to find $1.5 trillion (in savings) over 10 years. The projection the Alzheimers Foundation gave me was that Alzheimers alone could cost $20 trillion in public and private funds between now and 2050. Spending billions on curing Alzheimers -- sums Congress would never approve in todays political atmosphere -- could save astonishing amounts of money in the long run.
Its the kind of wide-ranging and wonkish discussion Gingrich is known for. Indeed the former speaker of the House whose mother spent the last years of her life in a long-term care facility has devoted a lot of time over the years working on Alzheimers issues. But now he is in the middle of a presidential campaign. Hes in Iowa with 60 days to go before the caucuses that could decide his future. He is hours away from a crucial speech at the Iowa Republican Partys annual Reagan dinner. And he is spending nearly two hours of his day behind closed doors with three doctors a couple of aides and one reporter talking about brain research. The topic of the approaching caucuses does not come up.
Gingrich often says he is running an unconventional campaign. Republicans here in Iowa would probably agree since they dont see him all that much at traditional stump events. But most have no idea just how unconventional the Gingrich campaign really is.
On this day Gingrichs plan is to integrate his longtime interest in health issues and in particular brain research into his appeal to voters. In an interview after the session Gingrich says he wants to reach everybody whos worried about Alzheimers -- and over 55 years of age it is a more common fear than cancer.
Here in Iowa the organization Iowa Against Alzheimers estimates there are 69000 people over the age of 65 with the disease. Take their spouses and children and relatives and friends -- along with other people so far unaffected by the disease but worried about it -- and youve got a very large group. They vote and Gingrich wants to reach them.
Gingrich has test-run the idea in a few recent public forums here and in other early voting states.
In South Carolina a tea party leader walked up and said My dad died three years ago with Alzheimers and I understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish Gingrich says. People can have a checklist in their head that says on these things Newt Gingrich understands my world and is trying to make it better. Gingrich plans to work the message into his speeches and discussions with voters more often as voting approaches.
Whatever Gingrich is doing these days its working. Thanks in part to impressive performances in several GOP debates he is moving up in the polls both nationally and in key early states. Hes raising money again after a meltdown -- a massive staff defection and damaging stories about big-spending habits at Tiffany -- that nearly killed his campaign a few months ago. And voters appear to appreciate his sticking with it. In discussions across Iowa in the last week it is striking how many voters volunteer Gingrichs name as someone theyre finding more and more appealing. If either of the current front-runners Herman Cain or Mitt Romney were to falter Gingrich is in a position to benefit greatly.
And hes doing it his own way. Which other candidate would take a large part of a critical day to talk science when the campaign trail beckons with local officials to meet and hands to shake?
Well see if it works Gingrich says with a laugh. Its a great experiment.
