Newt Gingrich Poised to Run: Why the 1990s GOP Icon Struggles for Respect

Politics Daily ^ | March 4, 2011 | Walter Shapiro

[bimboeruption]

Newt Gingrich moved toward launching his first presidential campaign with all the grace of a suitcase falling down a flight of stairs.

It all began with conflicting signals from aides about what Gingrich actually would be announcing Thursday in Atlanta (correct answer: A website called "NewtExplore2012"). Then, in an odd one-question press conference, Gingrich proposed a Tenth Amendment Implementation Act (a vague project to return federal responsibilities to the states) while he simultaneously unveiled the exploratory White House candidacy. Finally, there was the embarrassing glitch when a liberal group pointed out that the flag-waving crowds in the background on the new Gingrich website were from a stock photo also used by Ted Kennedy with the logo: "We are the Democratic Majority."

[cotton1706]

He struggles for respect because he’s just another pantywaist. Right after he won the election in ‘94, he got together with Bob Dole and the democrats and passed GATT in a lame-duck session. It would not have gotten through the new congress.

And that’s just one reason. Sitting on a couch with Nancy Pelosi spouting globaloney is another. Supporting Dede Scozzafava is another. The list goes on and on.

He’s a great speaker and I’ll enjoy him giving the democrats the shiv in his brilliant way but I’ll never vote for him for president. We’ve had enough of the me too croud.

[Doogle]

.......Newt didn’t warm up to the Tea Party until others did..
If it was in a situation of with “us or agin us”...I would have left him tied and bound in the deep brush

[MayflowerMadam]

Could be he gets no respect because...

He supported Sonia Sotomayor.
He bought in to global warming.
He cheated on a deathly ill wife.
He’s Nancy Pelosi’s buddy.
He’s smarmy.

[skr]

Don’t bother, Mr. Gingrich.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

Instead of being president maybe he should just ask his mom to like him.

[pissant]

He is arrogant enough to think he has something great to offer. I tired of his RINOism in about 1995.

[Richard Kimball]

And he's ugly, too. Boy, I tell ya, a proctologist stuck his finger in Newt's mouth!

[Jim Noble]

Not...gonna...happen

[sickoflibs]

Is there any group that wants Newt as president? He is completely unelectable!

[South40]

[plain talk]

The media is going to push Gingrich and Romney hard through the primaries. The same way they did with McCain

Why? The media has always hated Gingrich. They may push Romney because they know that splinters Republicans but they have no love for him either.

[aruanan]

Jack Nicholson Joker mouth going on there?

[free me]

Whoa! crazy eyes!

[mckinleysghost]

Please help me...am I remembering correctly..as Newt was lambasting Bubba as Speaker for the Blue Dress epsiodes, he was running around and step down as Speaker....then wasn’t the next Speaker also involved in running around on his wife too..... the opposition research was busy that year. Sorry if I’m remembering this wrong...but I lost all respect for Newt then and wouldn’t vote for him for dog catcher.

[EternalVigilance]

Newt Gingrich moved toward launching his first presidential campaign with all the grace of a suitcase falling down a flight of stairs.

Yeah. And it popped open on the way down and all his dirty laundry came tumbling out for the whole world to see.

[icwhatudo]

FUNG

So good I don’t even have to ask.

[vrwc1]

Don’t forget the worst thing of all...his belief in global warming.

[JeepersFreepers]

A Gingrich nomination win will ensure an Obama victory in 2012! Gingrich pretends to be a fierce critic of spending and government but this is not consistent with his record. Besides being a supporter of the cap and trade energy tax, he is an ethanol lobbyist and was a keynote speaker for the Renewable Fuels Summit in January. His speech was a tribute to the fuel made from corn and tax dollars. Gingrich supports Obama's green-energy welfare undermining House Republicans. In 1998 then Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer tried to kill ethanol subsidies for good only to be thwarted by Speaker Gingrich. (Source) Remember that Gingrich endorsed ultra-liberal RINO Dede Scozzafava in the 2009 NY-23 House race against Conservative Doug Hoffman. Scozzafava then turned traitor and endorsed the Democrat who won.

[okie01]

Why? The media has always hated Gingrich. They may push Romney because they know that splinters Republicans but they have no love for him either.

The media will push for the weakest candidate(s). Not because they "love" them, but because they want to defeat conservatism.

[buccaneer81]

Why? The media has always hated Gingrich.

For the same reason they pimped McCain. He's beatable and real Republicans can't stand him.