Nixon was VP. Ford was appointed. Truman acceded to the office during the war, and was a Democrat IIRC. Next?
“Nixon was VP. Ford was appointed. Truman acceded to the office during the war”
You argue that since a Congressman hasn’t in recent times won the presidency, that Gingrich lacks credibility.
However, Gingrich was Speaker of the House, or third in line in presidential succession. That shows that he has significant leadership experience.
As the leader of the House, Newt pushed through specific legislation that did more for the conservative cause of reducing government and balancing budgets than anyone before.
Also, just because Americans haven’t directly elected a Congressman to the highest office does not mean that we should not do so.
See Appeal to Tradition Fallacy:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-tradition.html