Posted on 10/18/2006 10:25:32 AM PDT by rob777
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has quietly positioned himself for a comeback to head the Republican Party as early as 2008.
GOP sources said Mr. Gingrich does not plan to run for president, but intends to be available as the savior of conservatives dismayed by candidates who seek to move the party to the left in the aftermath of George W. Bush’s presidency. Over the last few months, Mr. Gingrich has become the favorite of conservatives and has outlined a new vision for the GOP that seeks for the party to return to the moral clarity of the late President Ronald Reagan.
“I believe that whatever the results of the November elections, Newt will become a major force in the GOP for 2008," a senior Republican Party strategist said.
Mr. Gingrich has already become the choice of conservatives and the Christian Right. He has won the Human Events presidential straw poll for September, topping the list for the second month in a row.
The achievement marked a major boost for Mr. Gingrich. For much of 2006, Mr. Gingrich trailed Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, in the poll, but last month Mr. Gingrich led the House member by 31 to 17 percent.
Among conservatives, Mr. Gingrich is more popular than senior allies of President Bush and members of his administration. In the Human Events poll, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped to sixth place with 6.68 percent. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's younger brother, reached 3.37 percent in the presidential straw poll.
GOP sources said Mr. Gingrich decided to raise his profile in 2006, with the publication of a weekly newsletter and the gathering of a brain trust. Over the last few months, he has been campaigning for Republican candidates and commenting on both domestic and foreign issues.
On several issues, Mr. Gingrich has taken positions that differ with that of the administration. While Mr. Bush has urged diplomacy to deal with a nuclear North Korea, Mr. Gingrich has been calling for regime change that echoed the Reagan era and the president's efforts with then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the late Pope John Paul II to undermine the communist regimes in Eastern Europe.
"When you look at a country such as North Korea, you see tremendous poverty," Mr. Gingrich said in a radio interview last week. "You have to believe that there are thousands of people who might want to collaborate with the West. We're remarkably bureaucratic. Rather than work with the North Korean government, we ought to be cooperating with those willing to smuggle food into the country. We have to recognize what a bad dictatorship this is."
GOP sources said Mr. Gingrich will most likely not run for president in 2008. But they said he would seek to represent the conservative wing of the party, the endorsement of which would be regarded as crucial for any GOP nominee.
"It's obvious that in 2008, the party will move away from the Bush era and will be looking for a change in direction," another GOP source said. "I think Newt will be in a position to lay out a strategy that would appeal to both conservatives and old-line Republicans."
Ditto. He made a promise to his constituents (I was one) and he broke it. Nothing he says in the future has any bearing with me......
Newt is running for VP...pick any possible GOP frontrunner...McCain, Rudy, Frist,the Mormon..if Nerwt was the VP choice..it gives the top guy instant creds with the base...and Newt would no doubt negoitiate a very strong role for himself, behind the scenes...in policy matters..similar to what Cheney has now. Cheney has redefined the role of the VP..Years from now, we'll learn just how important he has been in helping Bush.
Actually, I'm not ignoring that at all. While Newt could try to lead the discussion in one direction or another, the vast bulk of the American populace isn't listening to long explanations of what a candidate wants to do.
It's all soundbites and press coverage. Newt's ideas would simply disappear into the flood of negative stories that would pour out of the media.
Surely you know that. Look at President Bush. He said, many times, that he didn't want to close the borders. He said in in 2000. Nobody heard him, not even Freepers, who do pay more attention than most to the behind-the-story story.
Like it or not, it is still the MSM that reaches the bulk of US voters. I can guarantee that Newt's marital pecadilloes would take the fore.
You are also forgetting those very "values" voters out there. They won't take kindly to a serial philanderer as a candidate.
LOL. What, he's "less adulterous" than Clinton? Somehow that fails to conjure up campaign slogans for me.
"more baggage than a 747 cargo liner....start looking at all of the things wrong Newt has done....to include resigning from the house after the election"
So, he has "more baggage than a 747," and you come up with ONE example, which was resigning from the House. Gee, next you'll be telling us that he had a divorce, and that he had at least one extramarital affair. Wow. Pile it on!
Same old, same old. Evaluating Newt by his zipper, rather than by his monumental contributions to America and the Republican Party.
"He's been married THREE times."
So what? I don't care.
Neither should you. It is absolutely none of your business.
If Gingrich is the best the GOP has to offer, the GOP is in big trouble.
I'd vote for him in a second over a RINO like McCain or Rudi.
As Newt has said: First, you must win the argument. The votes will follow. He's got the leadership experience and knows his way around Washington. Let's see how the debates turn out before we write-off any of our candidates.
| McCain: "I'd Just Commit Suicide" If Democrats Take Control Of Senate |
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| Posted by areafiftyone On News/Activism 10/18/2006 2:19:50 PM CDT · 3 replies · 37+ views Radio Iowa ^ | 10/18/06 McCain: "I'd just commit suicide" if Democrats take control of Senate by O. Kay Henderson Arizona Senator and probable 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain jokingly says he would "commit suicide" if Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate in this November's election. McCain is in Iowa today (Wednesday), campaigning with GOP Congressmen Steve King and Tom Latham as well as Republican congressional candidate Jeff Lamberti. McCain spoke at a mid-day news conference in Des Moines, where McCain was asked what his reaction would be to a Democratic take-over of the Senate. "I think I'd just commit suicide,"... |
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"and before reagan, it never had one who was divorced."
One divorce in the 21st century, fine. Two divorces and an affair with a woman 22 years his junior for wife number 3 with two ex-wives who hate his guts and would be willing to tell all to destroy him politically? I don't think so but time will tell.
Yes it is....when he will be LEADING the party.
Newt has always offered solid conservative solutions. I would vote for him against most of the opponents. He is one of the few politicians (or academics if you prefer) that speaks directly (at least as much as anyone can do in politics).
I don't think he would have that much of a problem getting the Christian conservative vote.
The Democrats would salivate over getting their favorite punching bag back in the limelight.
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