It strains credibility to imagine that Gingrich had little or nothing to do with these results, particularly when in the years preceding Gingrich's reign, he was publicly advocating these policy changes, and dragging an inertia-driven Republican caucus toward his goals. As for those slamming Newt now: Tell me, what are the great conservative achievements of MSNBC star Joe Scarborough? Or even Tom Coburn, for that matter, who had served on one failed ad hoc budget committee after another? These guys struck purist poses during Newt's speakership, but it's easy to be a purist (like Bachmann) when you don't have the responsibility to actually accomplish anything. Newt was the one who actually had to negotiate with a Democratic President and a less conservative Senate to get things done.
Brilliant analysis! NEWT NEWT NEWT!
The budget was never balanced. It was a lie when Clinton claimed it, and its a lie when Newt claims it.
One of the problems is that it was precisely the House GOP establishment that, embarrassed by Gingrich’s success, undermined him and tossed him in response to the Dems’ trumped up charges. From what I have read, Boehner was very involved in this, along with a couple of others who are still in government. They thought Gingrich made the GOP House look “confrontational” and “extremist” because Gingrich actually did what it took to get conservative programs enacted.
So the GOP itself has basically been smearing Gingrich for many years, and this is going to be hard to overcome. If he’s less popular among older people, that’s why. Their minds were poisoned against him by people like Boehner decades ago, and he needs to convince them to take a look at the reality of the situation.