Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a meeting with employees at Nationwide Insurance, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a meeting with employees at Nationwide Insurance, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a meeting with employees at Nationwide Insurance, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leaves after speaking with employees at Nationwide Insurance, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? The scope of the nation's problems requires citizens to take more responsibility for the country's direction, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said Thursday, adding the alternative would be the nation's demise.
"Whether you are a parent or grandparent or an aunt or an uncle you have responsibilities to your community, your neighborhood," Gingrich told about 500 Nationwide Insurance employees at the company's headquarters. "And we're all going to have to roll up our sleeves and be a little bit more responsible in the next 30 years."
Gingrich is riding a late wave of support in his bid for the 2012 GOP nomination, having lost all his campaign staff in June. He's now a leader in some national polls as well as in early voting Iowa.
His long history as a Washington insider with nuanced positions on issues has prompted rivals to begin attacking him in the conservative state where voters demand clarity.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul released a blistering Internet video Wednesday, raking Gingrich in part for receiving more than $1.5 million from the embattled federally backed mortgage company Freddie Mac for consulting work after he left Congress.
Gingrich's scholarly style ? he's a former college history professor ? and blunt candor have produced standout debate performances that have boosted his fundraising in recent months.
Gingrich regularly refers to how citizens rallied during World War II as an example of the effort it will take to shrink the national debt and grow the economy.
He routinely asks audiences to be "with him" rather than "for him," telling them a vote alone will not redirect a country he argues is perilously off-course.
Although he stopped short of chiding the audience at the downtown office, he noted examples of what he says are excessive judicial and governmental power allowed to grow unchecked over the past 50 years.
Becoming better citizens at all levels would turn the nation's fortunes, he said.
"I think it's central to our survival as a country. If we give up where our rights come from, if we give up American history, we cease to be American in the historic tradition," Gingrich said.
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