Posted on 05/07/2006 6:34:53 AM PDT by 9999lakes
Gingrich, without saying it aloud, has been running as hard as he can for the '08 GOP Presidential Nomination -- And when Newt does anything, he does it full-tilt.
Until now I have thought his chances were nil -- Too many successes that libs would never forget, and too many failures that conservatives would never forgive.
I've changed my mind. When I look at the list of potential GOP candidates, I can't think of anyone that has more long-term vision, more drive and energy, and more understanding of how to get things done in the short-term, than Newt.
Just take a look at his website -- newt.org. I've never seen a better political website by ANY politico. it's got everything!
I KNOW all his flaws. But I also know Guiliani's, McCain's, Frist's {a $100 rebate to solve high gas prices! That has to be the most short-sighted, light-weight idea to come out since the turn of the century}, Romney's, Tancredo's -- all of them. Even Rice's, who I would have loved as a candidate.
CAN he be elected? I don't know. But he's the best I can think of, and has a LOT going for him.
Newt has too much baggage, but if he were Patches Kennedy, he'd be a shoo-in for the White House.
It really doesn't matter much the Democrats stategy is paying off the wedge issues have driven the GOP apart and the hate Bush crowd is winning.... The Republicans ship is sinking and it is all downhill from November.. The impeachment hearings will empower our enemies... Iran will get nukes... I just don't get it how people can get so wrapped up around the wedge issues that they lose sight of the big picture... I think many in this forum used to say the same thing about the Dems in the early 90's ... Oh well..
and I would have done it in early 2002!!
Public opinion surges to a man who makes big decisions for the public good!!
Bush and the Republicans forgot that.....
they are too concerned about pussyfooting about with this minutia or that language or some other crap.
IIRC, Newt didn't even bother to resign from his House seat; he simply quit attending Congress--due to his own ethics problems.
That would not bode well in any election, much less one for the top job.
Newt may run, but he will be wasting his money.
Yeah....that was a little weird for someone who's trying to be Presidential.
The Republican Party could run on a theme of "Take Back the Future" with a Gingrich/Quayle ticket. Might take some thunder of the demands for Hayworth and Tancredo with grass roots Republicans.
Those guys lecturing us about the need for amnesty and guest worker programs, or having a history of doing so, just aren't going to get the base involved.
Do you have a link to his site? I don't agree with him on everything, but Newt is a smart man. There's no doubt about that. I don't think he has much more baggage than anyone else does at this point and what there is is already out there. His recent association with Hillary would be my biggest hang up.
Lakes: I agree, I have always greatly admired Newt as a visionary and one who is pragmatic enough to convert his history-based intellectual foundation into actual policy. Having said that, I don't think he's electable...could be wrong but I think the MSM would attack him as they did before. Last go-round their assault on him was somewhat (sad to say) successful with the general public.
But Newt can beat an incumbent Nancy Pelosi!
Here's a scenario:
Dems win the House and Senate. Pelosi becomes Speaker, Reid becomes Majority Leader. Impeachment proceedings immediately begin. Bush and Cheney are impeached by the House by a slim majority. During the Senate trial, a massive PR campaign is launched and the MSM bang the drum for removal from office. Senate RINOs cave to public pressure: Bush and Cheney are removed by a vote of 66-34.
The result: President Nancy Pelosi.
There you go again?
You will receive the wrath for making this post.
I found reading here at FR it is very divided in opinions.
I agree with your post, I have yet seen a name that I would
support.
Newt is no worse than the other politicians as for as mistakes.
The only mistake I have seen from Newt is that his last name isn't Kennedy.
I need not say more to that issue, you can ascertain for yourself as Paul Harvey would say, (The rest of the story.)
Thanks for the post, I would be proud to vote for Newt.
Now, all you and I have to do is wait for the hate mail to arrive.
First thought, best thought.
If I were to support unrepentant Newt, I'd have to apologize for my criticms of Clinton.
LOL! Make sense out of that logic.
Newt is closer to Dick Morris than George Bush.
He's got a tough row to hoe.
Is there no one in the GOP who can pick up where the Gipper left off ?
The link is just newt.org
Resigning from Congress over ethics problems is more than a "flaw".
Newt's not electable. And, that's ok.
Actually, "picking up where the Gipper left off", is exactly what Newt DID in '92.
I Agree that Newt has a lot of baggage, AND that apologies to conservatives who supported him are due -- We social conservatives ESPECIALLY are gonna need that.
But Man! The Drive! The Vision! The Energy!
Seriously, who else has that?
I'm going to have to refresh my memory on exactly what that "baggage" might be. As I remember it, Clinton was caught sodomizing a girl in the Oval Office, lies under oath about it, is impeached by the Republican controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath, the liberal-left MSM reacts violently, the Republican controlled Senate runs and hides (as usual), and the Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Genrich, is forced to leave town.
I venture to say that if "Fox News" had of been around at the time, the outcome would have been much different. Now where did I go wrong? Oh yeah, Newt left his cancer stricken wife for another woman.
Newt is one of the best. That said, his face time has come and gone. He needs to drive what he can from the back as he has too much baggage. Way too much.
Now THAT'S an eye-opener!
You might be right. I can remember when Dick Morris was arrested at a hotel over by Pentagon City for "playing" too rough with a prostitute. Now that's what I call "baggage."
Iran is goig to get nukes unless Israel stops them. The US is bogged down in Iraq and can not afford an unpopular war with Iran. Unfortunately the US did not think thru the WOT in the middle east. Had the US put more thought into it the US would be on a real war footing and occupping not just Iraq but Palistine, Lebenon, Syra, and Iran. Too bad, ever since Truman we are afraid to name the real enemy and just don't fight to win anymore.
Testing new signature
A lot of people are in your position and that could mean a big improvement for the way the primary debates go. Newt is an idea man, a visionary who talks common sense and might get people listening. That could shake up the middle and give other (R) candidates some nerve.
Dems hate him, but so what?
BTW - nothing in Newt's past would matter to the press or the voters if he was a lib.
It is a great arguement to hide behind, unproveable, liberal R's will always tell you a conservative R is unelectable and insist that you vote for the liberal R, "for the sake of the party of couse". Newt is a great conservative, he has a real brain, Newt would reinvigorate the GOP. I'd vote for Newt in a heartbeat. But the Bots will not, conservativism, real conservatisism scares them.
I've always had mixed thoughts and feelings about Newt- but he is one bright man and if he actually made it through the primaries I would vote for him. In fact - if he took on McCain I would work for him.
He does have a lot of personal baggage though- and I can't see him realistically getting past that with the base.
And the Dems would defeat them with a "Let's Forget The Past" theme...
Too much baggage, too unattractive a candidate. people just have a gut dislike of the man. His Air Force One pout about not being up front with Clinton is just as damaging as his marital woes.
Now, there is the __ billion dollar question. I find our shallow "bench" very discouraging.
Who cares? Yall are peeking toms. Who cares what goes on in the bedroom? So Newt has had bad marriages? So what? The man is the best conservative around.
The Gip had humility and absolutely no arrogance about being right. Newt ?
Newt is great though I don't care for all his ideas on the middle east, but hershey is right, Newt has too much baggage.
It was claimed that the degenerate clintoon was the smartest pres in History; with Newt, we'd be able to lay claim to that title. I'd vote for him for sure over anything I see bumbling around int he GOP at present, especially over the court jester to Harry Reid, Sen. Frist.
Bump for later.
Right you are, Newt has been demonized too long (ergo, the "baggage")by the Left to be a viable candidate. Too bad: he is a clear thinker and a true conservative.
You'd have my vote. But unfortunately you are not the president. Bush, these days, just seems to nibble around the edges of the big issues.
Newt did not have an "ethics problem" his books deals were on the up and up. But since the stupid R's went after Clinton over sex, the Rats ran several R out of the house over SEX. Then they set thier sites on Newt, Newt quit, knowing full well the cowards in the house would not defend him, and knowing he could take the wind out of the D's sails by just leaving. Hard ball politics, doing the best thing for the country, not ethics problems.
Newt was a Pub, so, as usual the MSM and Dems hated him, as usual the Repubs ran when Dems piled on. This was at the time of the Clinton impeachment and Repub were in their "we're not like you" era. They still are. You haven't heard any Repub actually defending DeLay, Lott, Cheney, Rush, or Bush or any one else have you????
When the political sh*& hits the fan and the going gets tough, the Pubs bug out
Never considered that possibility. Pretty frightening.
One of the must frustraing experiences I've had was trying to convince Bots Forbes would make a much better president then Bush. History has shown I was correct. This time I will tell the bots to go to hell, if I get that unelectectable crap again. This time I insist the Bots back a real conservative with ideas. If not get ready for president Hillary.
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