Give me one good reason you wouldn’t support Newt Gingrich for president

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Dec 22 

If you’re a conservative, watch this clip and tell me you wouldn’t vote for him in 2012. And if not, why.

Comments

  • amo45

    We are one being, not two sides of one.A persons decision making skills effect all areas of their life.We need a “clean slate” not one with the evidence of past words written -no matter how blurred they may be by time.NO NEWT!

  • Brian H

    What I know of Newt is a man who organized and led a GOP takeover of Congress. Newt is a man who propsed a “Contract with America” that brought and end to the DNC control of Congress. What I know of Newt is a man that was ravaged by the liberal media on a daily basis during the 90′s (think Palin) and was attacked relentlessly. I will not allow the media to tell me what I should think of Newt.

    I know little of his personal life and know less of the true circumstances that are involved in it. A conversion to Cathlicism, his wife’s faith is not anything I would hold against him. I think Newt is a good man and good voice of conservativeism. Is he a perfect candidate? No more or less than anyone else.

    I would LOVE to see Newt enter the race. I think there could be a strong and interesting field for the GOP in 2012. If, during the process of a primary, the GOP voters decide against Newt that is also fine. I want to see many good candidates enter the Derby. They all have strengths and weaknesses and all have circumstances that voters will have to ponder when choosing their candidate of choice. I see no reason why Newt, like anyone else, should not be able to put his hat in the ring and let the GOP voters have a voice of his legitimacy.

    • Whodat

      You need to learn of his sordid personal life and then you would not so boldly trust your world to his decision making or prioritizing. A man who so easily breaks promises to anyone is not a man to trust with everyone’s well-being…

      • Brian H

        I don’t trust my world to any person’s decision making, which is why I am conservative. Like I said, any and all circumstances of Newt’s life are fair game when entering a political campaign, same is true for any candidate. What I have suggested is that he should not be against opening himself up to the process and letting the voters of his arty decide his legitimacy as a candidate. If Newt’s personal life has left him without your support then that is fair game and completely acceptable on your part.

        Jason asked us to tell him why, as a conservative, we would not vote for Newt in 2012. As a conservative, I would vote for Newt in 2012 in the general election, maybe not in a primary. If my choices are Newt or Obama, hear me now believe me later, I will vote for the “Newt that Stold Xmas” over Barry Obama in a heartbeat.

  • Tenn Joe

    I think Newt’s intellect is unmatched in either party, but he carries heavy political baggage.

    His best role is to be a top advisor to the eventual GOP nominee and the chief policy idea man in the next Republican administration.

    A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

  • Katy Sanders

    I too remember his failings and would prefer to NOT vote for Newt….he was much too willing to go along with the climate change/global warming crowd AND literally “sat down” with Pelosi and made that atrocious TV ad….better we nominate a true conservative and methinks also that tea party folks would make wonderful candidates in all the 535 congressional/senate districts. Just my $.02

  • Katy Sanders

    I too remember his failings and would prefer to NOT vote for Newt….he was much too willing to go along with the climate change/global warming crowd AND literally “sat down” with Pelosi and made that atrocious TV ad….better we nominate a true conservative and methinks also that tea party folks would make wonderful candidates in all the 535 congressional/senate districts. Just my $.02

  • Whodat

    Newt is too old, too womanizing, too self-centered and too over-exposed. I am a conservative who would not walk across the street to shake his hand.

    He writes about a book-a-week – well ahead of his score in wives and gal-pals, but he is all talk.

    Newtie, you’re a cutie,
    But yo 15 minutes is done!

    Whodat

  • Red State Eddio

    I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Newt is a walking think-tank, but he needs a different mouthpiece and salesman/presenter. He has the brains to work out a new paradigm away from the massive gov’t debt/intrusion of our liberties, but his own scars and wounds brand him as tainted or compromised. Too bad for him.

    If I were him, the role I would carve out is one of a mentor for the next gen conservatives to break into the halls. He could easily be involved in a policy role or cabinet role or special advisor to a future president; something where his forte of ideation and worldview thinking could be utilized to greatest impact.

    I’ll also say that if Palin was to spend, oh…say…the next 6 months with him doing some tutelage (now that she has the time), she could have an impressive portfolio of positions on key issues, and be able to articulate, explain, and defend them publicly. It would launch her star into the stratosphere. It’s what she needs the most right now.

    But that’s just little ol’ me talking…

  • Liz

    Nope nope nope. He was smart back in the day, he is a has been now and pretty close to fully compromised. Anyone that has been in government a quarter of a century or so is used up. It’s too tough an environment for them to hold it together. I might cite McCain, Gingrich, Hatch, there are LOTS of ‘em. You’ve seen the nutty stuff Gingrich has done lately, like change his religion – soul searching at this age? Promote Dede Scozza— he is a thinker, but lazy. Not an executive type by any means. Enough NEWT already.

  • kristen

    He had me at “Hello”…..until he backed the RINO in NY. Not a good move.

    Having said that, I think he’s politically savvy and could mop the floor in a real debate with this entire current administration combined. He knows his stuff. (And the Constitution, which seems to be lost at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.)

    He’s going to need to prove he can put principle before party.

  • Alaina

    I probably would have voted for him, but then he went off and supported the so-called Republican candidate over the Conservative candidate in NY23.

    I’m looking for someone who supports conversative values, not someone who supports the Republican party.

  • http://twitter.com/theatomicmom East of Eden

    I have no opinion of Newt. Being from New Mexico and considering the loons we manage to elect I would vote for him, moral issues and faults aside.

    What got me though was his description of those men who fought at the Battle Of Trenton who had no shoes. They had no shoes, and literally gave their blood for this nation. That is a hallowed sacrifice I wish those in power would remember when they are ponttificating about rights and what the government is supposed to give you.

  • B. Taylor

    I too remember the past (and recent) failings of Newt reiterated in the above postings. I understand (but do not embrace) his calculus in the Scozzafava affair; perhaps he will reevaluate his thinking – it would seem from the video that he has. What he says in this speech is an essential part of the core message that America needs to hear.

    As a candidate his personal failings are perhaps an insurmountable impediment to the Presidency, but it seems the standards of old (regrettably) no longer hold. As a conservative, I am heartened by the Presidential field that is assembling for the next time around. I say, run Newt run! He will be amongst good company, and his message will help to define the debate in a positive way.

    The past six months have shown that ‘even a god-king can bleed.’ In politics we are always reminded that it is not enough to give people a reason to vote against your opponent, you must also give them something to vote for. There are many policy and hot button issues by which to effectively run against Obama. However, the idea of American exceptionalism, and a retelling of how it came to be, gives people both a positive reason to vote for a candidate, and ironically, is the Achilles heel of the current ‘American’ President. He can not bear to speak positively of America’s past, with any sincere passion. Let the Republican party be the party of government restrained by the Constitution, of freedom of the individual from the tyranny of social utopia, and of unashamed American Exceptionalism.

  • Shawn Naegle

    I would vote for him out of desparation, after all, he’s no McCain. But Newt is all about compromise and big, big tent party politics. He only cares about holding Republican seats not about who’s in the seat and how they vote. He would support a flaming liberal as long as they are a Republican. He can talk the talk all he wants, but until he actually performs as a real conservative its all posturing in my book. At some point in time the GOP has to kick out the Olympia Snowes of the party. We have plenty of room for moderates as long as they don’t raise my taxes by trying to pass cap and trade (read: McCain), limit my freedoms or vote in committee (read: Olympia) to let the Health Care bill loose on the floor. We don’t need people like that, they do more harm than good.

  • Gary Russell

    I’ll continue the mutual agreement from the responders so far…

    There’s a LOT to love about Newt.
    BUT, he is yet another conservative who talks a great game, but hasn’t produced much in the way of results.

    I agree with JE – his support of the ultra-liberal in New York – solely because the GOP establishment handpicked her – was a MAJOR blow against him.

    I think that he would be a SUPERB cabinet member. I just think that we can find someone a little more trustworthy at the top spot.

  • JE

    I agree with WilliamK.
    Newt speaks well and is a great thinker. Unfortunately he is a politician and his words and actions don’t match. If i had any doubts about newt, the final straw was his behavior in going to new york to support a candidate who supported by acorn and the daily kos simply because she was a republican.
    He has repeatedly chosen party over principle and pragmatism at the expense of all else. If we have learned anything from our current president, it should be that words are meaningless no matter how well they are spoken.

  • Rusty Shackleford

    I am conservative yet I would not vote for him for president either. He’s not a very good person and to me morals and character matter as much as fiscal issues.

    Having said that, there should be a place for him in this government.

  • WilliamK

    I wouldn’t only because I remember the things he did not do and did do in Congress. We have a Department of Education because of him, while speaker he some how managed to increase the size of the government, spend more money and would not let bills come forward to cut the spending.

    He does talk a great game, but never comes through, sort of like the Coach of the Browns.

    • DJB

      With a little help from Acorn I would vote for Newt 188 times to be our next president. It was Newt and his “Contract with America” that delivered the first Republican Majority In Congress for 40 years back in 1995. As promised they voted/acted on the 10 items in the contract in the first 100 days. Nine passed, with the term limits amendment failing due to the need for a 2/3+ vote. Republicans had a 52-48% majority. He delivered a “Balanced Budget Amendment” that passed the house with a 300-123 margin. It failed in the Senate by one vote, 33 Democrats and 1 Republican voted against it. Hard to blame Newt for that. If you go read the “Contract with America” you will be reminded of what he hoped to change in DC. If you check the CBO records on discretionary spending during the time he was the Speaker (1995-1999) you will see a flatening of increases compared to any other period back to 1975 or since then. If you wish to blame him for the increase in mandatory spending during that time frame, your simply wrong. You need to blame Rosevelt and several other D’s for that. I don’t believe Newt could ever be elected as President because he does not play the Saxophone and he is not as good a liar as the other guy he would be running against. If anyone thinks there is any other member of Congress in the past 50 years that came anywhere close to what Newt accomplished during his years as Speaker, in regards to reducing spending and controlling the growth of the Federal Government, please share the name(s)and we may find a running mate.