Posted on 04/12/2005 11:40:25 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) will spend two days in New Hampshire next week to meet editorial boards and conservative activists, convincing several of his former House colleagues that he will run for the presidency in 2008.
Gingrich will spend Monday and part of Tuesday in the Granite State and has packed his schedule with events calculated to boost his profile and woo influential Republicans whose support would be critical in a presidential primary. New Hampshire is the site of the first primary.
Gingrich will attend a $50-per-person fundraiser for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee and meet a coalition of conservative activists. He has also scheduled meetings with the Concord Monitor, Union Leader and Valley News and an appearance on New England Cable News, said Rick Tyler, his spokesman.
The former Speaker will also visit the Dartmouth College Republicans and participate in two signing sessions for his new book, Winning the Future. High-toned books are classic markers of a politician’s blossoming presidential ambitions.
Gingrich will also travel to Iowa on May 12 and 13 for visits to Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and will likely participate in events for the local Republican Party and attend one or two book signings, Tyler said. The Iowa caucuses are the first election of the presidential nominating process, followed by the New Hampshire primary a few days later.
News of Gingrich’s foray into the presidential battleground and the array of politically significant activities have prompted enthusiastic responses from House Republicans. All GOP lawmakers who spoke with The Hill said he would be a top-tier candidate who could seriously challenge the early front-runners, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Although McCain and Giuliani lead early national polls, some conservatives view them with deep skepticism. McCain has often sided with Senate Democrats in key legislative battles, such as last year’s over the budget, and Giuliani supports abortion rights.
Gingrich is a hero of conservatives, whose influence will be heightened in a presidential primary.
“Apart from Ronald Reagan, there has been no voice more clarion in the conservative movement than Newt Gingrich in the last 25 years,” said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of about 100 conservatives in the House. “I know that conservatives because of their respect and affection for him are going to take a real hard look at Gingrich.” Pence said conservatives would also consider carefully Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) should they decide to run for president, as many political observers expect.
Pence recalled his days as a House candidate, driving around the district listening to GOPAC tapes of Gingrich explaining how to communicate the tenets of conservatism.
“The man has a genuine gift for inspiring passion for conservative ideals,” Pence said. “That used to come across on tape.”
Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), who came to Congress as part of the Republican revolution of 1994 that Gingrich led, said, “I think Newt would love to be president. I don’t think there is any question about it. He’s already met the criteria; he’s already written a book, or several books. This is right up Newt’s alley.”
Though LaHood said Gingrich hasn’t told him either way, he added, “I have no doubt that he’s exploring the possibility of running for president.”
When asked recently at a lunch at the Princeton Club in New York if he would run for president in 2008, Gingrich responded, “You never know,” the New York Post reported.
During a March 24 speech at the Four Seasons Hotel sponsored by the Wednesday Morning Club, a group of Hollywood Republicans, one attendee asked Gingrich to run for president. Gingrich didn’t rule out the possibility, saying merely that he would “stay focused on issues.”
Tyler said his boss is not planning on running for president “but he hasn’t ruled it out, so I shouldn’t rule it out for him.”
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who was a freshman lawmaker when Gingrich led the 1994 revolution, said Gingrich “comes into it as a top contender.”
“I say that because he is a prodigious fundraiser and a brilliant strategist and he’s brilliant on the issues,” said Kingston, who compared Gingrich’s political skills to those of his one-time nemesis, former President Bill Clinton.
“Newt is a brilliant guy, like Bill Clinton in many ways, complete with some tragic flaws of his own,” Kingston said. He said that Gingrich had a knack for calling a meeting when factions of the Republican caucus were at loggerheads and making peace.
Mark Foley, who came to Congress as part of Republican revolution, said that Gingrich “probably has the best political Rolodex of anyone in the nation.”
“He is the best known of any of the potential candidates,” Foley said. “I think he is seriously considering it and positioning himself to be considered seriously.”
“Think of how many candidates like myself he’s helped in the past; think of all the Lincoln Day dinners he’s attended,” said Foley. “Who can access such a network instantly? Even senators don’t have the kind of reach that the Speaker had in his heyday.”
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), who served two years as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, said Gingrich’s skill set may be better suited for the White House than it was for the Speaker’s office.
“He’s a visionary and a big thinker, whereas the primary obligation of Speaker is making the trains run on time,” Feeney said. “Some of the negative criticism of Newt is that he was busy coming up with one big idea after another and there was little follow through.”
Feeney said that few politicians are as articulate as Gingrich and that the centrist ideology of the early favorites in the race may create an opportunity.
“Newt may sense an opening based on philosophy,” Feeney said. “we have a very conservative base across the country.”
I suggest you listen to what he is talking about or read his new book. I am impressed. Though he is sounding think-tankish and very intellectual he will find out how to market the ideas to the general public.
In a Newt vs Hillary matchup, how much would be made of the infidelity that cost him to resign? Not much.
He knows how to get himself elected in a GOP dominated congressional district. He hasn't even run for state office, and the mighty republican revolution of 96 fizzled quick.
I listen to what he's saying and have read his books, he's very smart but smart doesn't make a person electable. He's a firebrand, highly controversial with some serious skeletons in his closet (that forced him to resign from Congress remember). He can't market his ideas himself, if he ran it would become an election of personal scandal not of ideas.
Oh I'm sure quite a bit could be made of his infidelity, remember according to the media Hillary was cheated on (they carefully ignore what she does when Bill's gone for years at a time), that gives her an excellent position to shoot at Newt over the issue (you can almost hear her now rehearsing her speach about knowing the kind of pain he's caused). It would totally soften her image as a sympathetic character, the big tool the GOP has against Hillary right now is that she's a bitch the last thing they need is a candidate that will allow her to recast as a victim of uncaring men like her opponent.
Despite George W. being the son of George H.W., W was not well-known in the MSM outside of Texas until he ran for President.
IMO, you can blame the MSM for keeping the lid on any prospective Repub candidate.
Maybe FR should start a profile catalog of all of our favorites. Let's get to know them all NOW.
Wrong!!!!!! Evangelical Christians would stay home!!!!!!!!
looks like we might be falling in the trap the Democrats did in 2004, cascading for the candidate that they thought was the most "electable".
me, I'll choose an R over a D solely until they switch sides on the tax issue (highly unlikely).
I read his new book, and it is an excellent read.
That said, not as a politician, not as a legislator, not as a thinker, but as a canidate, he is flawed.
He should work behind the scenes helping another canidate, push his agenda, and getting other conservatives elected.
I doubt his ego would let him, but he he could be the equivalent of Karl Rove, except Rove knows better then to run for office himself (ironic since his role model is Mark Hanna).
The democratic party doesn't care much for personal values thats why they elected Clinton twice as they say that personal life doesnt matter. republicans like to hold their politicians to a higher standard thats why when republicans are accused of hanky panky they resign. Rudy is overrated imho. I mean do we really want to nominate a man whose been married three times, and is currently married to his mistress? Rudy would destroy the party if he was our nominee. As much as i like gingrich's ideas, he isnt exactly the nominee we want to put up for our family values crowd.
Lets not underestimate George Allen in 2008 now. Yea yea i know here comes the anti-senator chorus but lets remember he was a governor and with hillary as the nominee the notion that a senator can't win the white house becomes a MOOT point. The reason we dont like senators is becauase they often compromise and have no executive experience. You cant quite say that about allen, hes been very consistent and was a former governor.
As for newt, lets just leave him as a policy advisor of sorts since hes pretty smart with that, but no way do we want him as a candidate. Although the plus side to having newt on board would be that i know hed push the illegal immigration issue and itd force the other candidates to take it up.
An interesting prospective candidacy, in a so-far weak field.
Newt is a very smart politician, and has to be taken VERY seriously.
I was in the room when he spoke recently at CPAC.
Great speech, and very well-received.
He has tremendous appeal to the nominating electorate of the GOP.
And he knows how to sell the conservative agenda in a winning way to the masses of the American people.
Yeah, waaay too much baggage. Remember the affair with Callista Bisek?
Newtie ping
I am approaching 2008 the same way I did 2000. My original candidate was Dan Quayle (I am from Indiana) and when he dropped out, I didin't know who to back. I watched Road to the White House every week and discovered that I really liked George W. Bush. The most telling thing to me was that he treated everyone with respect and kindness, regardless of who they were. He talked to people the exact same way whether they were 12-year-olds, old ladies, Senators, big bucks donors. I found this very unusual and made me think he was not a phoney. I also liked a lot of his campaign issues, particularly strengthening the military. He ended up getting my vote and my money and volunteer work, something I never had done before.
I will be following the same process this time. I don't have loyalty to any candidate, and I don't really dislike any of them (unless McCain runs...ugh) so I will be trying to decide based on what I learn over the next 2 years.
I don't mean to imply that Pence will automatically get my backing. I simply was telling what I knew of him because he is from my state. Allen may be just as good, but I don't know enough about him yet.
FReegards...MUD
Couldn't disagree more. If the GOP relies on the old playbook of tarring someone as a liberal and such, she'll play voters like a violin.
Who else is out there right now on the GOP side, talking about reforming the medical system in as much detail and with as much passion and eloquence as Newt?
If you don't think you need a nominee who can go toe to toe with Clinton on healthcare issues, think again.
There's been an "eloquence deficiency" in effect on the GOP Presidential candidate level for, wow, at least since Jack Kemp ran in 1988 (the VP version in 96 wasn't the same, IMO).
Being correct on issues isn't enough when the MSM and others are aligned against you; a candidate his or herself needs to speak forcefully, convincingly and intelligently in order to move the ball forward in selling ideas to voters. IMO, when the GOP lacks such leadership, they underperform in terms of what can be accomplished due to inefficient persuasion and communication.
I still have videotapes full of Gingrich speeches from C-SPAN, even before he became Speaker. The man can speak, and he can connect.
Plus, he'll raise a ton of cash the next three years.
Underestimate his appeal to the GOP primary voter at your own peril, folks.
I agree. We couldn't disagree more.
Hmm. Does that make him the Hillary of the Right? Moving to the center, is he?
I wonder if left-wing pundits will start pushing him like right-wing pundits are pushing Hillary.
Wouldn't that be a fine how do you do. Each side pushing someone on the other side that they think they can beat.
What a pair that would make. I think I'd vote third party in that event.
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