ZenPundit
Monday, November 20, 2006
 
RUN, NEWT, RUN!



I've decided to make an early endorsement of Newt Gingrich, who is not yet officially declared, for the GOP 's 2008 nomination for President of the United States. Why am I doing this ?

It's not because Newt's earlier quasi-libertarian, Toffler-futurist, conservatism meshed well with my own views, though it did. It's not because Newt is likely to win the presidency, he's a long shot at best even for the Republican nomination. I'm not endorsing him simply because he's a historian, drinks Guinness, likes paleontology and writes book reviews on Amazon.com - though these are all fine things in my view.

I'm endorsing Gingrich simply because it will be healthy to have a candidate on stage who actually reads books and takes ideas with enough seriousness to effectively communicate them to a mainstream audience. Win or lose, Gingrich's intellectual presence and inclination toward impulsive, rhetorical bomb-throwing will disrupt the hyperscripted performance of everyone else, something that will be all to the good. Frankly, I want to see all hell break loose on national television in such a way that the candidates might blurt out what they actually believe. Create enough of a media firestorm and all the Democratic candidates will have to respond as well.

Gingrich has the luxury of a win-win scenario. At a minimum, running a serious race raises Newt's media profile, his influence and his future income stream from lectures and books; at maximum, lightning may strike and Gingrich could end up on the national ticket or at least resume his place as a powerbroker inside the Republican Party. He does not need to adopt the cautious, mannequin-like, " frontrunner" posture that turns so many voters off to politicians. Gingrich can simply have fun.

Chances are, when Newt is long gone from the race, the ideas he bombastically injected into the body politic will still be very much part of the debate - much to the discomfort of the actual nominees.
 
Comments:
Perhaps not a great national-level politician. He might make a great "eminence grise" for a more political animal.
 
geez, Mark. read books? you're such an elitist ;-)
 
Dude, I like Newt, too.

But there is NO WAY he can get any traction. People hated him when they knew about him, and if they are forced to remember him, they will hate him more.

I'm for Romney. He's got the hair. He's got the look. He's got the discipline to go the whole campaign and never let one word pass his lips that has not been focus-grouped. He's conservative enough for me, I think. Mitt is da man.
 
Hi everyone,

No, I don't think Newt can make it either but the freedom of action. that derives from that will be very healthy in terms of shaking up the GOP elite, which frankly needs to reconnect to the electorate.

Re; Romney

I won't hang his father's political implosion on him a generation ago ( " brainwashing")-obviously, that's been on his mind since he began his own political career. Sins of the father, and all that. I don't have particular feelings regarding his positions yet.

What I do find difficult to believe is how Romney will negotiate the devout Mormon angle with the GOP evangelical primary voters. Or with secular independents in the general election, who are tough on national security but are liberal on social issues.

We'd like to say that in 2006 that we are beyond having sectarian issues making a difference but I forsee whispering campaigns about " magic underwear" and the odder aspects of temple mormonism seeping into TIME, Newsweek, NYT etc.
 
I like Newt also. It is about time we get another hound dog into the Whitehouse. The fact, like Clinton, Newt can also read is a big plus for me.
 
If Newt fell for an Ali G interview, I'm not sure he's smart enough tobe president or at least he sure as hell doesn't have the staff for it =)
 
So did Brent Scowcroft, actually.
 
Will Newt's run be like Al Sharpton's or Gary Hart's?

The pithy distraction or the nuanced intellectual who challenged popular wisdom?

I like Newt's plan to "change the country", not "run for president". If he can influence the discussion and pressure from the ground up for health care reform, energy and tax reform, etc. we might get somewhere worth going to.

ZenPundit just helps get the word out, hopefully he can get more attention from bloggers, the mass media and intellectuals, as well as the communities and civic groups he's targeting.

I'm still up for Sam Brownback, though he's likely to be a VP candidate at the most.
 
It would be nice to see a guy who actually has ideas running. Although Newt & Mitt are not really presidential names (I actually think people think like that to a degree and it informs their actions.) Also, whatever happened to Bill Owens (governor of Colorado) running for president?

Regards,
TDL
 
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