Gingrich: Not So Fast
Trying To Eat His Cake And Have It Too
By California Yankee Posted in 2008 — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
On Wednesday, Dan McLaughlin posted about CNN's article stating Newt Gingrich is running for president.
A spokesperson for the former House speaker now insists that Gingrich "has no plans" to run for president:
Read on.
To the Editor:
CNN has posted on its Web site an advance of Fortune Magazine Washington bureau chief Nina Easton's longer piece on former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
The headline, "Gingrich '08: The stealth candidate" leads the reader to believe that Gingrich is a candidate for the presidency in 2008. While there has been a lot of speculation by the media and others, Gingrich has been consistent and clear. He has no plans to run for president and will not even make a consideration about running until later next year.
In the piece in which he agreed to be interviewed earlier this year, the former Speaker was once again unequivocal. He is quoted as saying, "I am not running for president. I am seeking to create a movement to win the future by offering a series of solutions so compelling that if the American people say I have to be president, it will happen."
From that Easton, who Gingrich said would not get it, misleadingly concludes, "So he's running, only without yet formally saying so." But even as recently as this past Sunday, Newt Gingrich repeated his plans in response to Chris Wallace's question whether he would set up an exploratory committee. Gingrich said, "No. We have a program called American Solutions we're working on. And in September of next year, I'll be glad to come back and talk with you about running for president, but not until September."
[. . .]
Best regards,
Rick Tyler
Communications Director and Spokesperson Gingrich Communications Speaker Newt Gingrich
Fortune responds: The story is based on Gingrich's own words - Fortune stands by the story.
I note that Tyler only disputes the conclusion that Gingrich is in fact running. The former speaker must have realized how arrogant and self-centered Fortune story about Gingrich's stealth campaign made him seem. The Gingrich denial has no complaints, and actually repeats the CNN's assertion that Gingrich seeks to create a movement to compel Americans to insist that he be president. Sounds like a stealth campaign to me.
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Gingrich: Not So Fast 17 Comments (0 topical, 17 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Personally, I don't like Newt Gingrich and hope that he leaves the job of running for President up to more ideal guys. Don't forget that this guy has scandals in his past, etc (he was essentially thrown out of his job as House Speaker in late 1998). Another silly guy, thank goodness, who's out of the running is George Allen. I'm glad he showed his true colors in this race and blew the election for the Senate then to wait and blow it running for President.
We need a truly quality nominee. I'm still trying to figure out who it should be, but I really think it SHOULDN'T be Newt Gingrich.
He is one of the rare breed of politicians who makes a promise during his campaign and then keeps it during his term. And in the rare cases where he didn't follow through, he came back and explained to us why he failed to keep that promise.
He doesn't go out there and lie to the public and has served several terms in Multiple positions and served spectacularly, making him not only that rare thing that is an honest politician, but a well-rounded candidate who knows how the government works from all levels.
The reason he lost his reelection bid was not a failure of Him, but a failure of the campaign he ran. He ran the absolute worst campaign that he has ever run. One of the worst campaigns that I have ever Seen run.
Now, if you have some legitimate issues with the man, please throw them out there instead of just saying "He's a bad man!"
"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal comfort... has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
Like you said, Allen ran a terrible campaign. We can't run the risk of a guy who could do that again in 2008. Maybe he will run in VA again but as for the national level he lost, he's out of it, it's over.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
The guy is ruined because of macacca forever,I mean he couldn`t get re-elected to his senate seat how is he going to get elected president with macacca and the N word hanging around his neck.
This is serious, we have no great outstanding candidate that we can count on getting elected. It is very likely Hillary will be out next president unless we nominiate a moderate like Rudy.Forget McCain he already is flip flopping as much as Kerry and has probably lost a lot of the independants he needs to win.
We need to do whatever we have to or Bill Clinton will be running the country again.
He could easily bounce back, and in fact, macaca would have been seen as an endearing term.
How to keep Bill Clinton out of power?
1-opposition research incl the sealed docs trent lott kept off the senate floor
2-look into the pardons
3-the smear campaigns run by hillary against the victims of that finger Bill poked chris wallace in the knee with
4-bill's statements on foreign soil after 911
5-keep perot out of the race
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
Newt still has good ideas and vision, something that is lacking with the business-as-usual crowd (Lott et al). We need leaders, not back room dealers. Newt can certainly contribute constructively to a conservative platform.
====
"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
Newt has chosen to support citizenship for any illegal alien who wants it - with an OPEN BORDERS policy, how long will there be an America to GUIDE in ANY direction?
NO! Newt can have NOTHING to offer a nation that he helps to SWAMP.
I'm just not going to ask for sailing tips from one of the guys sitting there drilling holes in the hull of the boat.
Rose
Newt has totally flipped on this issue? I don't think so.
What you are saying doesn't seem to match what he is saying here:
http://www.newt.org/backpage.asp?art=3009
Speak Conservatively
http://www.cafepress.com/cspeaking
supporting citizenship for all illegal aliens "already here" who want it, laughing in Sean's face, agreeing wholeheartedly and the merriest I have seen him in my whole life, with Alan Colmes.
"They can pay a fine and their back taxes" etc, etc.
This makes the "yes, fence first" stance TOTALLY IRRELEVANT.
I don't care what he wrote anywhere else, I watched the whole thing - live run, and then watched the re-run to make sure I wasn't taking him the wrong way.
He can stick a fork in it.
Rose
and I have never seen him do what you said. In fact just the opposite
"It ain't over till it's over"
Yoggi Berra
of Gingrich's comments show that he is not seeking "to create a movement to compel Americans to insist that he be president"
Rather Gingrich is seeking to create a movement that will compel Americans to support his ideas- and that as a result, Americans might select him to be the President to impliment them.
This leaves open the possibility, (as Gingrich has explicitly stated in other interviews), that Americans will pick some one else to be the President to impliment Gingrich's ideas.
In this context, Gingrich's comments about Mitt Romney might be taken as a suggestion that Romney could the Presidental candidate.
Is Gingrich arrogant? Certainly- as always, however I wouldn't call it a stealth campiagn. (For one thing, it is much too publicized to be stealthy).
Newt is so far the only canadite that has any IDEAS instead of just worthless sound bites with pretty/popular face to present them. Does everyone here forget how soundbites with a popular/face in the long run don't work. Bush had good sound bites had a popular face but has he led a movement has he come up with any ideas then taken them to the people in terms they can understand and hold his own water in a debate well with anyone? Hollow leadership is more of the same that has taken US to humiliating defeat.
I think what Newt was saying sounds to me is he is not running for president but he has a agenda of ideas that is running. If the poeple like it they can vote on him to impliment it if not pick the hollow sound bite.
I would love to see a canadite actually run on IDEAS for a change. Even better I would like to see real ideas pro-con debated and we have not seen a politician able to do that in my life time for sure.
Politics have become nothing more than hes uglier than me BS with sound bites that have no center or real meaning past the instant warm fuzzy. Compationate Conservative WTF is that? A bridge to the Future WTF? Vote for change huh change what exactley answer ohh hes ugly? How about no child left behind sounds brilliant but what do we get short billions more shoved into the same old broken system? but it feels warm fuzzy sounding don't it?
I have seen Newt explain in laymens terms things like school choice, enphasizing certian science/math so we can compete in the future. He bases all on his ideas and is not scared to face criticism and go head to head explaining why his ideas are the better.
Bush can't even sell a freekin WAR of Survival. Do we even want to tread into the pitifull attempt to explain personal savings accounts for SS? I mean ask around I would wager over 90% Americans think that SS is a private 401k type account and not some money pit the Politicians take out of your check waste today on this or that BS and leave tommorrow when the gov is supposed to pay you back that money you gave them to save invest for retirement as a bill to your children (what if the kids can't pay?). I mean Bush couldn't A) explain how SS even works today and why that is garanteed failure B) defend against a Dem responce of (you are ugly and hate old people).
did anyone hear him on Hannity's radio show on Monday? I never heard him stutter and stammer like that before; he was anything but lucid. I had to turn it off out of embarassment for him. Not the Newt we are used to, and it was disturbing.
I saw him on Hannity and Colmes another time, recently, though - before this election. When he was stumping for CITIZENSHIP for ALL illegal aliens who want it.
Since I live only a few hours from the border, I heard the stampede outside my door. Just kidding. Almost.
At any rate, he wasn't stammering and stuttering THAT NIGHT - he was laughing and smirking in Sean's face while he agreed totally with everything COLMES was saying about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
Oh, yeah, he was for the fence. BUT WHY BOTHER with the come hither enticements of CITIZENSHIP for all who want it, "after they pay some fine or other, of course"...
He isn't guarding his own home that way!
I could vote for a man who stammers - I won't vote for one who is smirking while advocating Socialist DESTRUCTIONS of America.
Rose
Did you see McCain on the ABC Sunday morning show? a stammering flipflopper who expressed just one thing clearly, uncertainty
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
If he really intends to run he has to be careful not to get branded like Perot's second coming. "If the American people want me." went over like a fart in church.
Being non committal is not a good thing. People want to back those who commit.
I think he really may be working on the conservative movement and eyeing 2012. IMHO his thinking is the people aren't really ready to back real change. If things totally break down for Republicans for the 08 race w/ their candidates Newt would give it a run.
If you often find yourself arguing the exceptions rather than the rule you are probably are a legend in your own mind. -CommonCents