[pepsionice]

The problem here is that he’s in the same position as McCain...where only sixty percent of the Republicans out there really would show up and vote for the guy. The others aren’t exactly thrilled.

[hosepipe]

I’d vote for Richard Simmons wearing a hot pink turkey suit instead of Obama..

[nathanbedford]

Posted on another thread today:

Gingrich is to be credited for being right on energy over all and to be early in his opposition to Obama's energy policies. He is to be faulted for pandering to Iowa farmers in advance of the caucus. Gingrich is not perfect, and he sometimes supports rinos in congressional districts in New York, for example.

But Gingrich is a conservative, more conservative than anybody out there right now except perhaps Bockman and Palin. He is the most effective debater and speaker. He has more intellectual candlepower than all the rest of the Republican field combined. He is the closest thing in politics today to men possessed of varied and deep talents like Teddy Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

Let us assume that we take the White House in 2012 and begin changing policy in 2013, what new policies do you want to put in place? First, you must get the government out of the way so that the economy can reignite, Ronald Reagan style. Second, you must, dare I say it, "transform" the government so that it actually works. Gingrich has said that it cannot be reformed, it must be radically revised, and I think he is right. It must be massively privatized, a Gingrich idea or at least an idea that he is advancing. We need someone with his drive and powers of persuasion in the bully pulpit to force such reforms to completion. He demonstrated as speaker in shutting down the government that he would take reform to the hilt. Do you expect Romney, Pawlenty, Daniels, or Huckabee to do that? I do not.

I expect Bachmann or Palin would take reform all the way, either would be my first choice, but neither can be elected.

Gingrich is sound on foreign policy and would put the country back on a rational track. We confront threats from radical Islam, operating for now in tandem with the radical left, and the ambitions of an emergent and aggressive China. Our trade policy must be rationalized along with a tax policy, energy policy, environmental policy which are undercutting American business and exiling it to foreign jurisdictions. Gingrich possesses the breadth and depth of comprehension to work a comprehensive reform. Only Romney on his record rivals Gingrich in this respect but he is disqualified on abortion and health care.

Gingrich is not without his demerits, a zipper problem being principally among them, but on balance and compared to the rest of the herd he possesses the experience, the talents, and the conservative bona fides to deserve more respect certainly than he gets on these threads.

Now that I have quite consciously ignited a firestorm, I ask in closing, if not Newt, who?

[magritte]

This is Newt’s time to run ... I’m a supporter as well ... guess that makes around 3 of us on FR ... magritte

[bwc2221]

Anyone who thinks Newt is the answer doesn’t know the question.

[subterfuge]

This is one of the early articles where the media begin picking the Republican candidate for president. Naturally, they want an easily defeated, recycled hack like Newt or Huckabee.

I’ve got two words for Newt: ‘Global Warming’

[surfer]

Gingrich is just another progressive poser...

[BillyBoy]

I think the truth about Newt is the opposite of the talking points in this puff piece. The facts:

Gingrich would be unacceptable to both wings of the Republican Party.

The moderates think he's a "scary" fire-breathing intolerant hothead, the conservatives think he's a sellout because he continually pushed for DIABLOs like Dede Scozzafava and did a global warming ad with Nancy Pelosi. This guy's "disapproval" ratings are probably higher than Obama's.

Gingrich wastes the millions needed to win the nomination.

Newt Gingrich has turned off GOP donors in droves. He is rude and abrasive in public (I can state this from personal experience after meeting him in Ames, Iowa during the 2007 straw poll), he constantly flirts with the idea of running for office again and begs for money, only to use it to promote more book sales and speaking engagements for himself. The base has gotten sick of it.

Gingrich is an uninspiring former leader who knows the issues and uses them for self promotion

The last time he held any kind of office is 13 years ago. Since then, the GOP has shed the Gingrinch years as a bad memory of what NOT to do when in the majority, and has successfully taken back the House in the post-Gingrinch era, relying on new movements like the tea party. Nobody is begging for a return to the 1995-1998 era GOP.

Gingrich is ridiculed and was destroyed by the media.

During the Clinton era, Slick Willie managed a comeback mainly because the media made Gingrich the face of the GOP, and successfully portrayed Clinton as a victim of Newt's evil schemes. He has proven to be no Reagan that can transend the media image and get the voters to rally to his side and love him.

Newt has been a one-trick pony and limited his appeal.

Unlike other former Congressional leaders that have gone on to be ambassadors, cabinet members, Senators, or even powerful political leaders in the private sector, Newt never did anything beyond a career in the House of Representatives. He's still living it up and making big books writing books about the '94 revolution. How many former House Speakers retired from office and then went on to win the Presidency? It's probably been over a century.

Newt is a poor communicator

His vast array of historical knowledge and quick-witted responses as a pundit is great, but Newt has proven to be a terrible voice for the GOP brand. Sonny Bono warned Newt that he was jeopardizing the GOP's success in the House by making it all about him. Newt didn't listen.

Don't forget Newt’s personal baggage

"He's happily married to his THIRD wife". That about says it all, doesn't it? There are probably many American men who have been through a bad marriage and perhaps even a divorce, but few can identify with such a "colorful" history as Newt's "private life". Newt vows he loves Callista with all his heart. Of course, he said the same about the first two wives (and was married for 20 years), until he cheated on them with the next wife. Who's to say Newt will stay married to Callista in the future? And that's nice he converted to his wife's faith and is now a "devout Catholic". One wonders how he feels about the church's teachings about divorce.

[marsh2]

Gingrich co-sponsored regulating 15 more contaminants under Clean Water Act
Source: Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments (H.R.3392) 93-H3392 on Oct 27, 1993

The environmentalist views of Gingrich: http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/nationalcenter?q=%22eye+on+newt%22&sa=Google+Search

Sample:
It seems that Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt and House Speaker Newt Gingrich have something in common — they have both been engaged in War on the West. In recent Congresses, Newt Gingrich has consistently voted for legislation that would have made life even more difficult for already struggling Western families. Here’s just a sample:

He co-sponsored H.R. 341 during the last Congress, a bill offered by Gerry Studds (D-MA) that would not only have re-authorized the Endangered Species Act but strengthen it in ways that increase the potential for abuse.

He co-sponsored H.R. 987, a bill that established additional Wilderness Areas in the Tongass National Forest, making sustainable forestry uneconomic in this high unemployment area.

He voted for the Montana Wilderness Act (H.R. 2473), setting aside 1.6 million acres in Montana for Wilderness Areas.

On immigration

We need a guest worker program to ensure that guest workers pay taxes, get driver’s licenses, buy auto insurance, abide by the law, and that filters out criminals and potential terrorists. The program should not be an automatic qualification for citizenship, though eventual citizenship should be held out as an opportunity.

Source: Gingrich Communications website, www.newt.org Dec 1, 2006

[Salamander]

There’s one funny upside to him winning that *I* can think of.

My liberal friend’s head would explode.

:)

[EternalVigilance]

Right now the Republican Party is split between the conservative/establishment wing and the even more conservative/tea party wing.

Doesn't pass the laugh test. In fact, I'm LMAO right now!

[NJBushcountry]

I will not vote for Newt.

[RikaStrom]

ping