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How Would You Feel About Newt?
Published in General
Newt already did save this party in 1994. His ego is no larger than anyone else’s. One must keep things in the perspective that counts here — politicians have healthy egos. That’s a good thing generally. Of course a person can make mistakes but we must not succumb to the MSM’s special requirements for Republicans that they have perfection as the standard to which they are always compared.
A combination of President Trump and Speaker Gingrich in DC would be glorious. The wailing and gnashing of teeth from all sides would be epic. I’d open a bottle and laugh like a madman, enjoying every minute.
It did not cause a constitutional crisis when Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency, even though he was never elected Veep (Nixon appointed him after Spiro Agnew resigned). This case doesn’t seem much different.
I think it would be difficult to impossible for someone not in Congress to win the Speakership. But if someone somehow had the credibility with the caucus to win a majority in the House without an outcry, I don’t see why there would be an outcry if he were indeed called on to assume a job that would take him out of the House anyway.
Actually, the only kind of theoretical outsider who could win it (and I don’t think this person exists) would probably have a much higher name recognition than almost any influential congressman — and in the kind of crisis that would put the second in line into the presidency, that could actually turn out to the good of the country.
Since the speaker is elected by the House of Representatives, whether he is a member of the Congress should not create a constitutional problem. Why would winning a house seat which would be a tiny percentage of the national electoral vote make a difference. It is still a republic.
After all if no one wins a majority of the Electoral College, the House gets to break the tie. Jefferson was elected President (over Aaron Burr) by the House in 1800.
Ford was at least elected to an office before being appointed Veep. If they picked someone who had never held elected office, there might be some rumbling about the idea that person is third in line to the Presidency, especially if it became a stunt and they picked someone just to annoy the minority party.
There’d be a potful of rumbling. It’d still be entirely Constitutional.
Eric Hines
Unfortunately, in order to be effective the Speaker needs to be a member of Congress, whether or not it is a legal requirement.
I’m still bitter that I didn’t get to use my Newt in ’92 bumper stickers, and don’t know of any good reason for him to have stepped down the last time he was Speaker.
If you don’t believe me, think about how effective the leadership of the Vice President is in the Senate.
Worked for Obama. And he’s not that bright.
Unfortunately, Carey, Obama had an easier task. He wanted to dismantle America’s Foreign Policy, National Defense, Constitution, Civil Society, Framework of Law and Freedom, and the ecomomy. And he did.
For all their faults, Gingrich, Cheney, and most of the Republican party want to build or at least encourage and defend those things. It is much much easier to destroy than build. People of good will have a tougher task than Obama.
Yes, this is an important distinction. We like America as America. The Dems and the MSM want to make us like Europe — weak, vacillating, dying, museum directors.