I believe Newt Gingrich has a good chance of becoming President.

[BlueManDude]

He is nothing if not a student of history - and he is running a Nixon (68) Reagan (80) and to a lesser extent Eisenhower campaign. He runs from outside DC, with no elective office tethering him to party orthodoxy. He is not associated with the failures of Bush and the GOP congress, he is free to critisize them and the party. He has always embellished his politics with a patina of futurism and innovation - in this way he can bill himself as "forward looking" and offering a "new direction" or "new ideas". Gingrich comes off as a heavyweight when compared to the likes of Frist and Allen. Imagine these people debating one another? Are you kidding me? Gingrich is not a moron (he is of course a radical huckster) and has awesome rhetorical abilities. AS for his personal issues - he's a Republican - these things don't matter.

If McCain falters or has a health problem Gingrich wins the nomination over the likes of Frist and Allen.


IMO the GOP nomination gives whomever gets it a better than 50-50 shot win it all, the odds go even higher if Hillary is the Dem nominee.

Dismiss Newt at your own peril. As bad as McCain would be - Newt would be intolerable.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. It might be a good idea to plant seeds in the minds of the fundies now

Newt committed adultery and announced to his hospitalized wife that he was getting a divorce. I haven't heard of any splashy "conversion" which would make all this ok with the fundies. Any more moral slips we could make sure they know about?

[BlueManDude]

2. nothing a little sucking up couldn't smooth over

look at John McCain for the evidence.

[tatertop]

20. Newt will repent before god and beg forgiveness, and they will forgive him

And they will vote for him.
Newt would beat Hillary even without
vote stealing.

[HereSince1628]

3. No, no...Gingrich has all the lightening rod appeal the Hillary has

If he runs the presentation of his ugly personal history and his deep involvement with congressional corruptions will look like thunderstorms over the Nebraska flatlands vs the few lonely trees.

[greenohio]

29. I agree. He is hated by half the electorate.

He won't make it out of the primaries.

[Pharaoh]

4. boy! what are you smoking?

can i have some..........:party:

[BlueManDude]

7. People said the same thing about Nixon in 1962

He was finished after he lost the Cal govs rave in 1962. Some said Reagan could never be president. I remember a time when it seemed inconceivable that the GOP would take the House of Representitives - but Gingrich made it happen and now a Dem congress seems like a distant memory.

[Greyhound]

37. I think you've got an excellent point there.

Remember that Laugh-In did a future news bit that mentioned President raygun and it was big joke, < ten years later it was prophetic.

He is dangerous and not to be underestimated.

[Warpy]

5. He'll have to fight for party backing

because he'll outrage social conservatives, he's no dummy (and the party bosses like dummies), and would want to run things once in office.

And yes, if the Democratic Party bosses force Hillary Clinton down our throats, he would win.

Hell, a wad of dryer lint would beat her.

[BlueManDude]

8. I'm not aware of NG being pro-choice or pro gay "rights"

As for his personal foibles, the religious right likes to win - they'd all fall in line if Newt got the nomination.

[Warpy]

9. No, but there's that habit of his of auditioning the next wife

while still married to the last wife.

The religious loons are uncomfortable with that.

[CTyankee]

24. "auditioning" I love it

Is that what it's called?

Do you remember him auditioning wife 3 while he was busily impeaching Clinton for the same thing.

Also, wasn't it Newtie who told one of his volunteers that they could only have oral sex in his office (her giving it to him, of course, at least with Clinton it was both giving and receiving) because that way he could deny having sex with her!

[xchrom]

40. they are uncomfortable with it if you're liberal.

they will fall in line for their own.

[enid602]

13. Newt

Newt just came out with a book (I forget the title) about God in Washington. An obvious attempt to ingratiate himself with the Religious Right.

[EST]

11. I tend to agree.

The GOP has spent five years, using their extensive network of echo chambers and hard working expert shills, trying to set Hillary up as the democratic candidate-the "tar baby" they'd love to run against.
They've hypnotized most of the repugnants and a goodly percentage of the democrats into the idea that she is the only viable option for us. Up until a couple years ago, I felt she would be a beautiful choice, but her swoop to the right has dis-enamored me of her. It's a little more complicated than that, of course, but that will do, for now.

[Skip Intro]

6. I think America is about fed up with republicans. 08 is ours to lose...

Whatever puke wins (or more likely steals) the nom, all we have to do is tie him to bush. He's a bush republican. Which leaves the repub nom in the position of renouncing bush and the gang, and their dangerous policies, or embracing bush and the gang and their policies. Its a no win for whoever the pubs send out.

That is, if our side plays the bush card.

[LeFleur1]

10. Has This Nation Sunk That Far?

Newt? Cheating, cruel, hypocrite? Would America really vote for such a scumbag?
I guess if Diebold is the only voting process we have he could win.
Newt is every bit as bad as Bush. With the right cabinet he could be worse. He's smarter and more devious, a better manipulator.

The danger is that the Christian right will vote for any lowlife as long as he professes to be "Christian". It doesn't matter how he lives his life. The words matter to them. And, of course, the funding of their churches with tax money matters to the ministers who tell the sheeples how to vote. As long as Newt advocates government interference in every phase of our lives, he's in as for as they are concerned.

We can only hope there are still enough voters who have been awakened, who have begun to say "what the hell?" and who really do cherish our freedoms. Perhaps they will now recognize dirt when they see it. If there are, Newt would be crushed. IF we can get rid of the corrupt election process of the past.

Comparing Newt to Hillary is just...unspeakable. Hillary has kept her vows, she didn't walk out on Bill when he was being an a**h&*%, or when he had a heart attack, she votes for our freedoms with few exceptions...the war is one of them. She is so much better, so much more honest, so much more loyal than Newt, I can't believe her name was brought up in the same thread.

[BlueManDude]

21. I fear Gingrich - he is an articulate W

He would complete the job of destroying social security - no doubt about it.

[kestrel91316]

34. The Christian Right would vote for a pedophilic ax-murderer if

he said the "magic Jesus words".

All they care about are appearances.

[cali]

12. Codswallop.

Newt's goose is overcooked. There is no support for him in the repub party. Check out what freepers have to say about him sometime, and you're absolutely wrong about the fundies forgiving him for his personal foibles. Newt is soooo 20th century. He stands about as much of a chance of winning the puke nomination as Guiliani. My money's on George Allen, and we can beat him. I totally disagree with you that repukes stand a better than 50/50 chance of winning in 2008. Pendulums swing, particularly after a period of dissatisfaction. I'm afraid your political forecasting needle is stuck on wrong.

[BlueManDude]

39. Check out what the Feepi have said about McCain

Has the right wing despised any GOPer pol more than McCain? Do you really think they wouldn't all vote for hiom in Nov 08?

Gingrich has a much better relationship with the full mooners than McCain ever did. Gingrich had the foresight to nationalize the 1994 mid-terms and bring the GOP the majority.

The GOP is not gong to nominate a dolt like Allen. You say Bush is a dolt? Yeah he is - but has there ever been a more connected dolt than GWB?

It's a weak field and if McCain goes down Newt will be the nominee.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. I wonder how low the voter turnout will be in a Newt-Hillary race

Both of them carry a lot of baggage and neither are really very palatable.

I used to have a more open mind about Hillary Clinton, but for me the problem is her attempts to position herself as a realist about the Iraq war by being ambiguous. The realistic position, unfortunately, is that there is nothing more a US presence can accomplish in Iraq except getting young Americans killed for no good purpose. It's time for Ms. Clinton and all the other Vichy Democrats to say that and apologize for whatever backing they gave Bush and whatever credence they once gave foolishly to his lies. Instead of coming across as wise, she comes across as just another double-talking politician.

As for Newt Gingrich, the only reason he looks better now than he used to is that Tom DeLay was even sleazier than he. The contract with America was designed to have appeal to voters, but what he didn't tell us about was his and the Congressional Republicans' contract with corporate lobbyists where the lobbyists got to write legislation. DeLay is little more than the Georgia Venous Newt on steroids. We want none of that.

[Burning Water]

15. I don't know who the

Republican nominee will be. I DO, however, know who it won't be. John McCain has absolutely no chance of winning the Republican nomination. Unlike Democrats, who regularly go to "electable" candidates and run from their principles in the hope of getting elected, the Republicans turn like wolves on their RINOs.

This, more than anything else, is what IMO contributes to their regular electoral wins. They bring the base together, and the independents say, "At least I know what the Republicans stand for. Better the evil you know that the evil you don't". So they pull on the elephant's tail instead of the donkey's.

Dems need to decide on their agenda, and more importantly their policies. Saying, "we will capture Osama, and protect you better than the Republicans" is sort of non-specific, so how can the independent voter determine exactly whether the claim has any merit?

I, personally, think our policies will result in better security for America, but the reasons are too complex to be put on the back of a bumper sticker. However, a specific plan can be sold to the American people. Again, IMO.

Dems need to get their acts together on this and other policy positions. Despite Bush's low polls at this time, it is months to go before the election, the Republicans have plenty of time to turn perceptions around, and Bush has the bully pulpit.

All this doesn't even include Diebold, and other election problems. So far, I have seen a lot of smoke, but no fire, in getting these problems corrected, or even recognized by the general public.

I'm predicting now. If the Democratic party does not get its act in gear, and give something to the American people that is more than "We are not Republicans", they are going to be creamed once again this year. They need a platform that clearly distinguishes them from the Republicans.

[Telly Savalas]

35. McCain isn't a RINO.

He may say mildly critical things about Bush on occasion, but he's fiercely conservative.

[Burning Water]

41. Maybe by the standards

here on DU. I've talked to some real conservatives, and they hate him.

If you doubt me, hold your nose and look over at FR. See what they think.

[Telly Savalas]

48. On what issues is McCain liberal?

[Burning Water]

50. I didn't say he was liberal, I said

that conservative friends consider him a RINO.

Issues would include the fact that they hate the McCain-Feingold Act, they despise his stance on immigration, and some of them think that his behavior as a prisoner of war was less than honorable.

They also, some of them didn't like some comments about Jerry Falwell. The list goes on and on. And Elephants never forget.

None of this makes him liberal, but it has considerably pissed off the conservatives. He won't win the Republican nomination, IMO.

[Burning Water]

56. WARNING!! Quotes from FReeperville.

I got to thinking maybe I didn't answer your question very well, so I went over to FR this morning. This was the first thing I saw.

McCain Is Part Of The Problem For The GOP, Not Part Of The Solution
Right Wing News ^ | April 3, 2006 | John Hawkins


Posted on 04/04/2006 8:04:22 AM CDT by conservativecorner


This is an interesting -- as in completely wrong -- take on the GOP's woes helping John McCain take the brass ring in 2008:

"It’s still a long time until the Iowa caucuses formally kick off the 2008 race for the White House. But it’s hard not to conclude that events are lining up perfectly for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), should he decide to make another run.

A weakened President Bush and a damaged Republican Party are more likely than not to convince GOP activists around the country — including some conservatives and party regulars who ordinarily would not warm to McCain — that the Arizona Republican is the only man who can carry the party’s banner in 2008."

Here's the thing: other than on deficit spending, John McCain is in the wrong of almost every issue that has hurt the Party.

Illegal Immigration? John McCain favors making illegals citizens.

The Gang-of-14 compromise that may allow Democrats to start filibustering judges again in 2006? John McCain was the leader of the pack.

The Dubai Ports deal, which was, whether you think it's good or bad, political poison? John McCain backed it.

Harriet Miers? John McCain supported her all the way.

The biggest success of Bush's first term domestically, the tax cuts? McCain voted against them.

Campaign finance laws that helped ramp up spending on politics and gave the Democrats a financial edge in 2004? John McCain wrote the bill.

Having John McCain as a nominee in 2008 would be like asking the guy who steered the ship into an iceberg to take over as captain.

No, thank you.

Moreover, consider this:

1980: An extremely conservative Ronald Reagan wins in a landslide.

1984: Landslide #2 for the Gipper -- and remember, this is before Fox, before talk radio took off, and before the blogosphere existed.

1988: George Bush, Sr. essentially passes himself off as Ronald Reagan, Jr.

1992: The American public found out Bush wasn't as conservative as advertised. He loses w/ an assist from Perot.

1994: The public is nauseated by Clinton's swerve to the left and an extremely conservative "Contract With America" helps the GOP take the House.

1996: Bob Dole, whom Newt Gingrich once derisively referred to as the "tax collector for the liberal welfare state", loses to Clinton with an assist from Perot.

2000: George Bush, who runs as a "compassionate" conservative ekes a victory out over Al Gore.

2004: George Bush, whose domestic policies were revealed to be not particularly conservative, ekes a victory out over John Kerry on the strength of W's aggressive foreign policy.

See? If you look at the history of the Republican Party since 1980, you'll find that our greatest successes on the national level have come when we've unapologetically acted like conservatives and we've tended to falter or lose outright when we've moved to the middle or to the left.

Granted, Ronald Reagan was the sort of politician who comes along every 50 years or so, but given our experiences over the last two and a half decades, why wouldn't we want a candidate in 2008 who generally seems to share his views on the issues rather than McCain, a guy who shares many of Bush's worst faults and is even to his left on some key issues?

McCain is not the solution to the GOP's issues, he's part of the problem with the Party.


Hope this answers your question as to why I don't think McCain can carry the Repuke primaries. They hate him. But he's not liberal, either. He'll never be president.

By the way, they think running right will win for them; most of us here on DU think running left will win for us. I'd like to see that happen, a clear cut choice. I think we'd win, but win or lose, we'd learn something.

Clark for President.

[cboy4]

16. Three words: Contract With America

He doesn't have a chance.

[leesa]

17. He is associated with the failures of Congress last time around...he's

remembered as a walking failure.

[BootinUp]

18. What? better than 50-50 for the GOP right now? naah.

The incumbent had the weakest re-election victory in ages. Our nominee has to have some appeal in the Red States, that is true. But I wouldn't hand the GOP an advantage without saying who our nominee is.

[BlueManDude]

23. IMO the electoral college is a slight advantage to the GOP

regardless of nominee.

[saltpoint]

19. Agree that he'd be intolerable but not that he has a great chance at

the GOP nomination.

His opponents would make sure the fundie base were reminded of the marriage record and before long, Brownback would inherit whatever fundie support Newt garnered.

The Democrats would probably ask Bill Clinton to remind voters how threatening Newt's "Contract With America" really was, and I think that would re-establish Newt to the Establishment in quick order.

But it is at least possible that there would be a Gingrich/H. Clinton race, and it might prompt independent candidacies from both the left and the right. Gingrich, H. Clinton, Feingold, Brownback.

[BlueManDude]

22. After McCain the GOP field is really weak - and very far right

Brownback, Allen and Frist? These guys are real lightweights with ZERO crossover appeal to independents. I don't see the powers that be in the GOP allowing any of them to garner the nod.

[saltpoint]

25. Agree -- but I'm worried about GOP red voters supporting them.

I think the entire slate of GOP candidates is pretty distasteful. Hagel is the only one with a lick of sense, and he's still way too conservative.

I like our chances in 2008 and I like our candidates better, too.

[Hippo_Tron]

31. The current occupant of the oval office is a featherweight

Yet somehow he is still there.

[AX10]

46. Don't underestimate Allen though.

He is similar to Bush, but without the overt public bumbling.

[Never Forget]

26. Don't see it happening...

Newt has more baggage that O'Hare Airport. Didn't he dump his wife who was sick with cancer? I doubt he's going anywhere. He'd better keep his day job, writing (his version) of history books.

[subterranean]

27. Is America ready for a president named Newt?

[SeaBob]

28. Newt

why is it I never have a gun when I need one?

[snowbear]

32. LOL!

[Hippo_Tron]

30. Without all of the baggage, I would agree with you 100%

Newt is arguably the most formidable politician that the GOP might run in '08. But his reputation was largely destroyed in the late 90's. Maybe if he had not ascended to the position of Speaker he would have had a better shot.

[yellowcanine]

33. Doubtful that Newt could get the nomination and he would get crushed

in the general election, imo. Dems hate him passionately and Republicans are lukewarm about him. He has a lot of failed marriage baggage to boot which will put a damper on his appeal to the wingnuts. He isn't credible when he talks about defending "one man, one woman" marriage.

[Ignacio Upton]

36. Can I have whatever you're smoking?

Gingrich has about as much of a chance in winning as I do of becoming the first man on Mars.

[JI7]

38. his last name would probably hurt him

people probably wouldn't want a "President Gingrich".

[Jeffersons Ghost]

42. Let's study the NEWT a minute before we dismiss his potential

The Newt is a small slippery creature that has a surprising ability to transform. We better stop this prolific animal before it has a chance to make its dramatic transition.

Here is the life cycle of the Eastern Newt:

First, the adult newt, which lives in water, mate in early Spring on land. Then they return to the water.

Next, the female newt lays over a hundred eggs on underwater plants. The eggs hatch in a couple of months.

The next stage is the larval stage. Eastern Newt larvae, look like small adults with gills. They are only a 1/2 inch long when they hatch.

Eastern Newt larvae eat small aquatic insects and crustaceans.

The larvae leave the water in late Summer and transform into efts. Efts live on land for up to four years. They do not have gills, but like all newts and salamanders, must keep their skin moist. They are most often seen crawling around after a heavy rain.

Efts eat small insects (especially springtails), snails, and other small arthropods.

In Winter, efts will hibernate under logs, stones or in the White House.

[av8tor05]

43. No way.

The American public will never vote for someone named Newt. Ain't gonna happen. That said, he does have the ability to drive home a more conservative message amoung the GOP faithful.

[newyawker99]

45. Hi av8tor05!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[av8tor05]

57. Thank you for the warm welcome.

[shance]

44. Is it due to the intern he was screwing while calling for Clinton's

impeachment, or was it when he was serving his wife divorce papers while in the hospital for cancer so he could marry another woman? It's all so confusing.

Newt was under the radar after he was caught with his pants down, at the same time he was impeaching Clinton for being caught with his pants down. The pathology of Newts hypocrisy blows apart the PDR books because there are no cases as dishonest, ruthless and conversely, cowardly as individuals like him.

He got caught like a bad little evil predator that he is and now he's giving speeches and having debates with John Edwards, as if he is a civilized person. Its easy to act civil on a stage, but we all know its an act. Just look at his treatment of everyone around him. That speaks more than canned speeches ever could.

Newt Gingrich makes Goebbels look like Nelson Mandela.

[yurbud]

47. He comes off as a smug dick. He doesn't have the Jethro act down like

Bush either. In short, he has most of Bush's liabilities and none of his assets.

[Clarkie1]

49. President of what? n/t

[Neil Lisst]

51. IMHO, there is no bet surer than NEWT GINGRICH will never be nominated

[zulchzulu]

52. Please nominate Newt! We could finally stomp on his neck...

The mere fact that he was having an affair with his intern at the same time he was trying to impeach someone for having an affair with his intern makes it utterly a joy to run against him.

He's fat, he's ugly inside and out and he's a hypocritical blowhard. Perfect!

[ourbluenation]

53. Nah - he and his 3 busted up marriages will keep the fundies home.

He left his first wife for the 2nd one when the 1st one was in the hospital with cancer. He left the 2nd one of 19 years for the 3rd one by calling her while she visited her 80+ year old mother and dumped her over the phone. The 3rd one was one of his staffers.

Gingrich as the "core values" party nominee? I think not.

[flaminbats]

54. maybe he should run in our primaries..

after all Bruce Reed and David Kendall are desperate for someone's butt to kiss!

I loved Bruce Reed's Wall Street writing this morning..."In an interview, they say "The Plan" is no "Contract with America," nor is it "Putting People First," the agenda-setting book of the 1992 Clinton campaign that Mr. Reed helped to write. There are parallels. For one, they reprise Mr. Clinton's unrealized goal of universal health coverage, though not his big-government approach."

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114308412824806031-v2AcpZQWnNE3rBr24i1t70Dbn7E_20070323.html?mod=hpp_free_today

Democrats just aren't taking enough criticism..after all wasn't Hillary's healthcare plan just another big government solution? Who cares that it kept private health insurance around, it was people like Bruce Reed who dreamed the plan up, it used taxes on tobacco to fund employers covering their workers, or that it wouldn't ration healthcare? Democrats must run from every Republican criticism without responding, only wear targets while campaigning for office, yet never suggest that dissent and patriotism have something in common.

[rman]

55. You believe a majority of Americans wants the Repubs in power?

I think many republican voters are waking up to the corruption and abuse of power by Republican representatives.