Newt Gingrich Could Be the New 'Comeback Kid'

August 29, 2011 RSS Feed Print
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Newt Gingrich, the 2012 GOP presidential candidate, shares a lot with Bill Clinton, his 1990s arch enemy. While he was House speaker, together they balanced the budget, reformed welfare, and almost crafted a deal to save Social Security. And now some are adding a fourth link: political revival, a la Clinton's status as the decade's "Comeback kid." Says Gingrich, "Well, I may be that, but I may be more like a comeback grandfather."

[See political cartoons about the 2012 GOP presidential field.]

Either way, the big-thinking Republican, his supporters, and presidential political experts sense that Gingrich, left for dead by the political class weeks ago when his staff abruptly quit and stories surfaced about his big-dollar Tiffany's account, is on the way back. The reason for the emerging Newt 2.0? His effective performance in the last debate that inspired supporters to boost online donations after he assailed the deficit "super committee" while spelling out detailed solutions to fixing the economy.

"He moved out of the irrelevant category and now he has some standing," says a GOP analyst. "His strengths are his ideas and translating them at a debate. Given that there are lots more debates, he has a chance to win." [Check out editorial cartoons about the Tea Party.]

The Gingrich surge is seen in some polls. In Missouri and Louisiana, for example, he is fourth behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rep. Michele Bachmann.

"The general response to the campaign has gone up significantly since [the Iowa debate]," says Gingrich. "There's been somewhat of an uptick in polling numbers, not gigantic yet, but starting us back on the road to building a unique case. What I'm trying to do is show leadership now, show how you could actually solve problems and do it in a way that is totally compatible with conservative values but is also common sense and in some ways bipartisan," adds the Georgian.

"A number of people say that I'm just different and that they are glad to see somebody who isn't just articulating slogans without trying to develop solutions and my hope is that will grow," says Gingrich.

He feels he can come back and take the GOP nomination because the economy is so bad that voters more than ever are looking for new ideas. [See political cartoons about the GOP.]

Some suggest that his effort is similar to Sen. John McCain who in 2008 staged a comeback after being written off. Gingrich rejects that model. "I'm actually closer to [Barry] Goldwater and [Ronald] Reagan," he says. "They were arousing new groups, new organizations, using new issues and doing it new ways and it took a while to build momentum."

Illustration by Ed Wexler for USN&WR.

Tags:
Rick Santorum,
Rick Perry,
2012 presidential election,
Michele Bachmann,
Newt Gingrich

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Newt is probably the only contender that can push Obama off his cozy throne.

Carmel Vella of CA 3:52AM November 18, 2011

I am thrilled to seem Newt Gingrich moving up in the polls. He is the most intelligent and articulate of the current group!

Joy of TX 8:53PM September 24, 2011

I am so disappointed in my fellow conservatives who are letting bias cloud their judgement. If you were to let go of your preconceived notions of Newt and just simply listen to him speak you might find that he is clearly the only candidate who can articulate solutions to this mess we're in and explain them to the American people in such a way that they say "yeah, that makes perfect sense." Years back, Newt began doing correspondence for Fox news, upon hearing his name I didn't have a favorable image of him, for I was a mere, somewhat politically ignorant college student in the early nineties who trusted in the mainstream media to provide me with unbiased information. Newt, to my recollection was never portrayed very well by the media, more like demonized despite the fact that he was an integral force in implementing solutions for a dragging economy and a deficit crisis both under Reagan and Clinton. If you love this country, you can be rest assured that Newt can and will fix it. His astute knowledge of history is an incredible advantage as anyone who studies history can you, history just keeps repeating itself over and over again. All great civilizations have fallen as they have amassed great wealth and forgot the core of what made them great to begin with. What really changed my perception of Newt was simply the fact that whenever I would have the news on in the back ground and I would hear someone commenting on an issue and it would cause me to stop whatever I was doing and want to hear more of what this person was saying, I'd walk over by the T.V. and over and over again, I'd find that it was Newt doing the talking. What I feel it was that drew me in was his complete knowledge of the facts (in fact, I'm not sure if there's a fact he doesn't know!) and how to explain those facts in a very matter-of-fact, unbiased sounding, non attacking and simple manner that by all accounts is exactly what the American people are hungry for. Newt is a proven leader and not afraid to be "politically incorrect". He has an inherent sense when it comes to foreign affairs and any military action would be a very well deliberated decision. The world could respect the US again with a leader like Newt, he cannot be outsmarted and could be very effective diplomatically. Newt's other passion - education. Seriously, is there really any other candidate who you believe could turn this country around faster than Newt? Not to mention, just for entertainment's sake, this is the one man who can turn Mr. eloquent Obama into a deer caught in the headlights!! Oh wait, never mind all this, he's had 3 wives. Are you serious? Do you know anything about his marriage now? Calista, I believe, has brought out the big heart inside of this man with a big brain. They appear to be a very solid team who share very similar passions and pursue them together. She is 100% first lady material as well. But I guess those who judge have never made any missteps of their own!

slm of IL 1:07AM September 24, 2011

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