Gingrich for President?
Stanley Kurtz, Guest Contributor ·
Mar 4, 2011 at 6:40am
Newt Gingrich is preparing to announce a run for the presidency. He’s got plenty of personal baggage and a reputation for rhetorical fireworks. He’s also an inspiring speaker with deep political experience and a big-picture outlook on the problems of our nation and the world. You could argue that Gingrich’s time is past, and that his liabilities would only distract from the head-on substantive battle over big government the Republicans need to defeat Obama. But you can’t say that Gingrich couldn’t take the nomination and be formidable in debate with Obama. Here’s an assessment of a Gingrich candidacy from a conservative, and here’s one from the mainstream press. So what do you think? Newt Gingrich for president?
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Jun '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
I like Newt, but I don't trust Newt. He's always passionate, but sometimes passionately stupid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upphPTRr_PE
Oct '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
There are those who enter politics to execute their plans. There are others who execute plans so they may enter politics. Newt is amongst the latter.
Dec '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Intelligence does not equate to common sense, and this is born out in Newt as well as Obama. On top of that, Newt is unelectable - the left and much of the independent community view him as a buffoon. I definitely lean to the right, and even I have difficulty getting past the buffoon colored lenses.
Dec '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
I would love to see Gingrich debate Obama.
One of Gingrich's greatest strengths is his ability to speak extemporaneously, clearly articulate and defend conservative positions, and put the left on the defensive. Unfortunately, I think his time has passed. He has accumulated too much baggage and he is probably unelectable. I also think he has lost his way a bit in the last few years.
I would also love to see Giuliani debate Obama for the same reasons. That's not likely to happen either.
At the moment I do not see any other candidates with the rhetorical skills Gingrich and Giuliani have.
Re: Gingrich for President?
Newt is a progressive of sorts -- perfectly happy to form an alliance with Nancy Pelosi to combat the bugbear of all enlightened Americans: global warming. He is intelligent, and one can cherry-pick some of his ideas. But I regret his entry into the race, and I hope that he gets shot down right away.
We need to sort through the serious contenders -- Governor Daniels, Governor Pawlenty, and the like. We may even need to look at Governor Christie, Governor Jindal, Governor Walker, Congressman Ryan, and Senator Rubio.
Spare us progressives like Gingrich, Romney, and Huckabee.
Dec '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
I don't have much confidence in Newt not to do stuff strictly for the benefit of Newt. And I think this lack of trust is ubiquitous.
Having said that, he does pass my own test: he's more qualified than Daffy Duck, and he isn't Obama. If he gains the nomination, he'll have my vote.
Sep '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
No to Newt. I think you hit it on the head, his time has past. I will support Newt if he wins the nomination. I am not sitting this one out.
Jan '11
Re: Gingrich for President?
I am overly pessimistic. I think Obama will get his second term, so it's just a matter of determining who will go forward to lose 2012. 2016 - either Christie, West, or Daniels - maybe even Scott Walker. Lots of depth emerging now - but it's almost too late to make a difference. But I'm often wrong.
Aug '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
I don't think Newt is conservative. Newt's positions on Cap and trade, Ethanol, Anthropogenic Global warming make him a non-conservative. I especially take issue to his claim to an 'all of the above' energy policy. Work I did recently on looking at Ethanol, plus the apparent failure of the Picken's plan show that one who is embracing 'All of the Above' is doing more pandering than not. Newt is absolutely not for me.
Jun '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
In a strange way, I hope you're right. That means that a year and a half from now, in spite of Obama, the American economy will NOT be in a permanent death spiral. Whoopee!
Oct '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Newt for President is a bridge too far. His ego exceeds his integrity. I do not trust him and I doubt a majority of the electorate do.
Mar '11
Re: Gingrich for President?
Last time I remember we had an ex Speaker run for president, it was 1848 and JK Polk ran (for the Democrats) and won. I was against him at the time--once a Whig, always a Whig, I guess. But now I see that if we can get someone who lays out a four-point program to accomplish in four years, accomplishes it and then retires, it doesn't matter if he's a Whig or not.
Part of Polk's program lasted 80 years: He balanced the budget, established the financial system that led America through the industrial revo and that lasted until Wilson destroyed it with the income tax and the Fed in 1913. Part of it will last forever: He ate the British's lunch and got us Oregon and Washington, besides famously making military history by getting Winfield Scott to follow Cortez's route to Mexico City and blackmailing the Mexicans out of half their territory.
Not bad for a Democrat, non Whig, backwoods hick.
So I guess I'll vote for Newt, even if he's not a Whig. I have to reach across the aisle --with civility, of course!--to get anywhere these days.
Mar '11
Re: Gingrich for President?
Famous last words. I'll be around to remind you when you're explaining why President Gingrich is headed in the right direction.
Re: Gingrich for President?
Well, obviously, I can't help but notice the relative (although by no means total) lack of enthusiasm, at least so far.
Nov '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Paul A. Rahe:
Spare us progressives like Gingrich, Romney, and Huckabee. · Mar 4 at 7:57am
Right on, brother! I going to buy another one of your books.
Nov '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Roque Nuevo
Famous last words. I'll be around to remind you when you're explaining why President Gingrich is headed in the right direction. · Mar 4 at 9:51am
Sorry, Roque. If Gingrich were by some hell-freezing-over phenomenon actually get the Republican nomination you’ll be around to welcome Obama to another four years.
Nov '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Gingrich committed the unpardonable sin in the eyes of conservatives. A while back he went around saying “the age of Ronald Reagan is over.” You can’t say that about the only Republican president since Calvin Coolidge to stand for conservative principles and still think conservatives are going to support you in any large numbers. Renauldus Magnus is loved and revered by conservatives, who once thought Gingrich was one of them. No more. Gingrich jumped the shark on that one. He may not know it but he’s been toast ever since.
Here is a little basic psychology that helps explains conservatives' disenchantment with Gingrich. Who do we despise the most? It is those who we once loved after we think they have betrayed us. That explains why divorces are nasty and why politics turns friends into enemies.
Nov '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
In this week's NR cover story (about Pawlenty) Ramesh Ponnuru describes Newt as having "enough baggage to open a Louis Vuitton store." LOL
Sep '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
Socially conservative, fiscally liberal: Nein!
Jun '10
Re: Gingrich for President?
I share the majority view. One other aspect: Great athletes need to know when it's time to go (e.g, Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens, and on and on). Great politicians know when to go--it's OK if they become wise elder statesmen. Newt propably has much to add, but not as a presidential candidate.
And I find his nose-in-the-rear position on ethanol to be nothing but political opportunism: we've already got one opportunist in the White House; we don't need another.