Newt Gingrich! for President! 2012 !

[Riot]

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced the launch of a presidential campaign for the next election cycle on Wednesday.

Gingrich wrote in a tweet, "Today I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States." Along with the message, the newly-minted Republican contender included a link to video of his campaign announcement. The link, however, appeared to be broken at the time it was sent.

"I worked with President Ronald Reagan in a very difficult period. We got jobs created again. Americans proud of America. And the Soviet Union disappeared."

This means that:

a) Three-time serial adultery is now a "conservative family value"
b) Shutting down the government was a virtue, rather than an expensive disaster
c) Newt eliminated the Soviet Union.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

This means that:

a) Three-time serial adultery is now a "conservative family value"
b) Shutting down the government was a virtue, rather than an expensive disaster
c) Newt eliminated the Soviet Union.

he's the best choice as far as conservatives go. He's probably most intelligent man (at least for running a government) that will be involved in the 2012 race, both parties included.

[Riot]

Newt is indeed often touted as a "policy guru" for the GOP.

Trouble is, when you examine it, there's really nothing of substance here. What has he ever done? I lived through his tenure as Speaker of the House. It wasn't pretty.

I think the GOP will go through it's usual convulsions, and the final candidate will be Romney. That's how the GOP does it - you pay your dues, you get to be the nominee.

[rpncaine]

If it's Romney..he will lose.

[ateamstupid]

I think he has a good shot to win the nomination, and then get obliterated by Obama in the general.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

I think he has a good shot to win the nomination, and then get obliterated by Obama in the general.

Newt? How will he win the social conservative vote? I don't see how he could gain the GOP nomination without it.

Newt started with an affair while he was a minor with his high school teacher. Married her after he came of age. Then during his entire public life, nonstop, this guy has cheated on two wives (divorced one recovering from uterine cancer and divorced one who developed multiple sclerosis at the time he was cheating on them) with multiple mistresses and one night stands - some being juggled at the same time! - (while he was hypocritically trying to impeach Clinton for Monica, btw). He's asked three women to marry him while married to the previous wife. And now he's on his third wife. He's an outrageous liar and cheat.

I can't see how that could possible gain the GOP nomination. Newt's been around since the 1970's, and he's never been wanted by the GOP for President, due to his massive and chronic adultery problems.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

Newt is indeed often touted as a "policy guru" for the GOP.

Trouble is, when you examine it, there's really nothing of substance here. What has he ever done? I lived through his tenure as Speaker of the House. It wasn't pretty.

I think the GOP will go through it's usual convulsions, and the final candidate will be Romney. That's how the GOP does it - you pay your dues, you get to be the nominee.

Its funny how everyone looks back on the years of surplus with Clinton and smiles... Newt was making the big decisions then.

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

Its funny how everyone looks back on the years of surplus with Clinton and smiles... Newt was making the big decisions then.

Everyone glossed right over this. Clinton was the weather man in San Diego telling everybody how nice it was (doesn't make you a better meteorologist) Newt was making the weather nice for him to report.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

Everyone glossed right over this. Clinton was the weather man in San Diego telling everybody how nice it was (doesn't make you a better meteorologist) Newt was making the weather nice for him to report.

exactly, the best thing that happened to Clinton's presidency was Newt becoming Speaker.

you get statements like this "I lived through his tenure as Speaker of the House. It wasn't pretty." yet the country absolutely thrived during that time.

I'll say one thing with certainty though. I lived through Nancy Pelosi's tenure as Speaker of the House. It wasn't pretty.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

He's probably most intelligent man (at least for running a government) that will be involved in the 2012 race, both parties included.

Oh please. He's a moron.
And I hate that he's a fellow history Ph.D.
I actually took some small measure of pride in finishing my own graduate work and doctoral dissertation and I feel he diminishes the (already minimal) significance of the degree a bit every time he opens his stupid mouth.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Oh please. He's a moron.
And I hate that he's a fellow history Ph.D.
I actually took some small measure of pride in finishing my own graduate work and doctoral dissertation and I feel he diminishes the (already minimal) significance of the degree a bit every time he opens his stupid mouth.

i disagree completely. but thats fine. him and hillary would be the best if they could run against each other. I'd feel comfortable with either of them in office. something like Huckabee vs Obama ugh. but of course Obama will get the Dem nom, I wonder if Hillary challenged him if she'd have a chance.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

i disagree completely. but thats fine. him and hillary would be the best if they could run against each other. I'd feel comfortable with either of them in office. something like Huckabee vs Obama ugh. but of course Obama will get the Dem nom, I wonder if Hillary challenged him if she'd have a chance.

She's been quoted several times as saying she has no interest in public office after the upcoming election so very doubtful.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

i disagree completely. but thats fine. him and hillary would be the best if they could run against each other. I'd feel comfortable with either of them in office. something like Huckabee vs Obama ugh. but of course Obama will get the Dem nom, I wonder if Hillary challenged him if she'd have a chance.

We've had this (or similar discussions) many times but I still don't really have a clear picture of what you think would be so different if Hillary had won in 2008. I think the overwhelming majority of the policy decisions would have been the same. It still probably would have been Larry Summers and Tim Geithner as the chief economic advisors, for example, and Hillary and Obama just aren't that far apart ideologically. Overall I prefer Obama to Hillary, but I don't see how their administrations would have been all that different.

Same goes for the Republicans. Would a Newt administration govern in a dramatically different way than a Romney administration or a Pawlenty administration? I doubt it.

The character, intelligence, and overall makeup of an individual candidate is important, but I think most voters dramatically overemphasize the importance of these things. I thought Bill Richardson was a moron, for example. If he had actually won the nomination in '08, however, I still would have voted for him because ideologically he lines up more with me than the Republicans do. That's also why its so stupid when liberals act like the world would end if Palin became president. Why would it? Sure she's a moron, but her administration would probably not be much different than most other Republican administrations.

[joeydb]

Somebody better tell Obama to hit the books if he's going to be debating Newt.

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

he's the best choice as far as conservatives go. He's probably most intelligent man (at least for running a government) that will be involved in the 2012 race, both parties included.