Posted on 11/15/2006 8:39:52 AM PST by ConservativeMajority
Now that the 2006 midterm elections have almost all been decided, political observers are turning their attention toward the presidential sweepstakes in 2008. It will be the first race since 1952 that doesn’t have an incumbent president seeking re-election or vice-president looking for a promotion, leaving the field in both parties wide open. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and John Kerry top the list of about a dozen Democrats considering a White House run and Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are the names most frequently talked about for the Republican nomination.
With the official end of the 1994 Republican Revolution coming just a week ago, some have been openly wondering if the architect of the Contract With America will return to the political stage to once again lead the conservative movement with a bid for the White House. After attending an event with Newt Gingrich last night, it appears that the former House Speaker is not running for president - he’s waiting to be asked to serve.
Gingrich was interviewed by a restrained Chris Matthews and revealed the depth and breadth of his knowledge of American history. Gingrich, once a college professor, lectured the audience about how leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt might deal with today’s problems and political environment. Woven into his responses to the over-matched talk show host, was an unmistakable affirmation of conservative principles that were abandoned by the Republican Congressional leadership just deposed.
More striking was Gingrich’s outlook for the upcoming presidential campaigns. He suggested that the current lack of effective leadership in both parties is the result of negative campaigns that appeal to the lowest common denominator. Gingrich believes that real leaders will emerge when “things get bad enough” for Americans to stop responding to the politics of personal destruction and seek candidates with a strong, defined, inspirational message. The underlying premise is that those who seek power will be turned aside in favor of someone who seeks to lead a nation.
It is clear that Gingrich believes he is such a man, as do I. He’s not running for anything, but it seems that he is waiting for his country to call.
That's dumb and wrong. I'm as socially conservative as anyone and I want Newt front and center. I think he'd be better at advising Congressional Republicans on how to win in '08 but if the choise for the nomination were between him and rudy or McCain I'd vote for Newt in a second.
Duh...choise should be choice!
Sorry, no. I like Newt, but given that he walked away from the fight in 1998 just because the Republicans didn't gain seats in the midterms I say nope. He should have stayed in Congress and fought for his ideas. Now he gets to stay on the sidelines.
We should rebuild the grassroots conservative movement. From the Reagan Revolution of 1980 through the Contract with America in 1994, it was this movement from outside Washington that carried us to the first center-right majority governing coalition in more than 60 years. The problem has not been with conservatism or with our voters.
The problem has been with Republican leaders who forgot who elected them and what values their supporters expected to see implemented in Washington.
-- Newt Gingrich, 11-13-2006
It's one thing to have good ideas, and I agree Newt has good ideas. Being an effective leader is a whole other kettle of fish, and Newt ain't it.
And political baggage, including walking off in a huff just weeks after the 7th district re-elected him.
BUT.... would sure like to see him within the RNC management.
I think he could do more good as a thinker and strategist than as a candidate -- say as a campaign manager for a conservative candidate, then as a chief of staff if he wins.
Or he could run, even with a scant chance of winning, just to advance sophisticated conservative ideas instead of simplistic sound bites, and force the other primary contenders to do the same -- pretty much the role Alan Keyes served in 1996 and 2000.
NEWT! NEWT! NEWT!
He definitely belongs in the race. Brings up issues the others will have to talk about.
I honestly don't understand what conservatives have against him. He practically built the conservative movement single handedly. I don't expect him to walk on water, but Guliani and McPain are ridiculous to even consider. About the first time Guliani marched an a "gay day" parade in a tu tu, these so called conservatives would have a cat. He won't even get the nod, because he won't make the cut in the south. That goes for Romney also. Mc Pain might have a chance, if there are enough nose clips handed out. 2008, for me anyway, will be one of those years I will be checking out moving to Australia or something, unless somebody with at least Newts stature is running.
Its not so much hes divorced that makes him look bad. Its that his wife was dying that does it.
Newt is my man....
Agreed. Newt would be too polarizing as a candidate; same league as Hitlary when it comes to negative division quotient. Note the remarks here.
At the same time, I would hate to see his political street-smarts wasted on the 2008 sidelines.
After 40 years of democrat rule in the House and Senate, Newt brought Republican domination to the House and Senate in 1994 with his Contract with America. What were you doing at the time?
As for arrogance, his statement did not sound arrogant at all. Newt is known for making statements based on facts and his subsequent assessment and reason, which are expressed as his opinion.
If you want arrogance, listen to to a screeching democrat.
If anyone thinks of themselves so highly that "American will call me to service" they are arrogant.
Spot on. There are many around here who have never heard him speak, have never heard of his Contract with America, or just plain don't understand it.
I don't know, call me crazy, but I only have interest in candidates that can, say, actually WIN.
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