Newt Gingrich tells Georgia Republicans he’ll be a candidate in ‘12
In the last 24 hours, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich has touched base with several prominent Republicans in his former home state, telling them that he intends to make a run for president in 2012 using Georgia as his base – and that he already has his eye on office space in Buckhead for a campaign headquarters.
Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich
Gingrich met on Thursday with Nathan Deal, whom Gingrich endorsed during a critical phase of last year’s Republican primary for governor.
House Speaker David Ralston introduced Gingrich Thursday night at a downtown Atlanta affair hosted by the Paulding County Chamber of Commerce.
The visits and conversations – some face-to-face, others on the phone — appear to be an attempt by Gingrich to revive his old campaign network and lock down as much support as possible in a state won by Republican Mike Huckabee in the 2008 presidential primary.
A spokeswoman for Johnny Isakson said Gingrich called the U.S. senator earlier this month – adding that Gingrich was not definite about his plans in that conversation. In an interview on Friday, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said he had not talked to Gingrich yet, but that the former U.S. House speaker had asked for an appointment in the near future. “He said, ‘I need a significant amount of your time,’” Chambliss said.
Gingrich, 67, is registered to vote in Virginia, and has a Virginia driver’s license. But he spent most of his adult life in Georgia, and from 1979 until 1999 — the last three years as speaker — Gingrich was a congressman from metro Atlanta.
Gingrich most recent visit here was clearly an attempt to lock down as much support as possible in a state won by Republican Mike Huckabee in the 2008 presidential primary. In a meeting with reporters, Gingrich emphasized his Georgia roots.
“My offices are here. My grandchildren are here. I’m here regularly,” Gingrich said at a Thursday news conference at his Center for Health Transformation in suburban Atlanta. “I helped create the modern Republican Party in Georgia starting in 1960. I have a certain fondness for being back in Atlanta.”
Perhaps more important, fundraising for Gingrich’s American Solutions organization is conducted out of Atlanta.
However, Rick Tyler, a spokesman for Gingrich, contacted Friday, said the former House speaker’s schedule for deciding on a 2012 presidential run had not changed. “His plans are to decide on whether to create an exploratory committee in late February, and make a decision about his candidacy in March,” Tyler said.
But Tyler said that Atlanta shouldn’t be ruled out as a headquarters – should Gingrich join the presidential contest.
For Gingrich, the key question is whether or not he can recreate an enthusiastic political base in Georgia more than a decade after he left it. There is no guarantee. Take, for instance, Saxby Chambliss. In a session with reporters, the U.S. senator said:
“Newt is my friend. He’s been a mentor, in some respects, since he was speaker when I got elected [to Congress].”
“But it’s a different world right now, and we’ve got to make sure that whoever the nominee is , that he can win in November. That’s the goal of every Republican right now. John Thune[, the U.S. senator from South Dakota,] is a very close friend. He’s talked to me about his potential campaign.
“I’m going to keep my powder dry.”
While Chambliss said he would pay good money to watch a debate between Gingrich and President Barack Obama, and has several strong points — his communication skills, and his familiarity with both fiscal issues and health care. But Chambliss has questions about Gingrich’s viability:
“Newt hasn’t said this to me, but he’s obviously aware of all the negative aspects of the campaign. And I’d be curious to hear from him why he thinks he can win in spite of that.
“In presidential campaigns now, you have to do something in Iowa. You may not have to win Iowa, but you’ve got to make a good showing in Iowa. Then you’ve either got to win or make a good showing in New Hampshire – if you don’t win Iowa.
Then if you don’t win New Hampshire or Iowa, you’ve got to win South Carolina. Can Newt do that?”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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577 comments Add your comment
LongDong Duong
January 23rd, 2011
10:21 am
Newt is a RINO and the American people have said they don’t want liberals or RINOs. Newt is a traitor to the American worker. It was on his watch that Republicans began to spend like Democrats and push us to our current state of affairs. Newt is all for outsourcing of American jobs to low skilled foreign nationals. Newt called for raising the cap on H-1B foreign workers eve though Americans were being replaced by foreign nationals. Newt is Obama light…
chuck a spear
January 23rd, 2011
10:26 am
Good for the draftdodging old womanizer,,
Anne
January 23rd, 2011
10:26 am
Please do not run…time for new blood and there are many more talented people out there. Newt, running will only help the liberal media. Please, Please don’t run.
Cutty
January 23rd, 2011
10:28 am
You guys really think that The southern states (the base of the GOP) will vote for a black man for president? Even if he is best candidate. Somebody needs to remind Herman Cain that he is black.
TW Harris, Texaxs
January 23rd, 2011
10:28 am
Newt – Stay Home. We don’t need you. Don’t you remember what you did to the Republican Party when you were Speaker of the House!! I have not met a person yet in Texas that likes you.
Last Man Standing
January 23rd, 2011
10:42 am
When Herman Cain ran for the U.S. Senate, I knew barely anything about him. Had I been as well-informed as I should have been, he would have gotten my vote. I think he will face a daunting task in securing the nomination, but I will gladly vote for him should he be the Republican nominee. I think, however, that Gingrich is more qualified. In fact, Gingrich is far and away the most qualified candidate of any party and would be a great President.
Dan
January 23rd, 2011
10:46 am
Save your money, Newt. You have as much chance as a snowball on an Atlanta sidewalk on the 4th of July.
Last Man Standing
January 23rd, 2011
10:46 am
TW Harris, Texaxs:
“I have not met a person yet in Texas that likes you.”
Texas is an awfully big state. It would not be wise to judge the voters of Texas by the relatively few voters you know.
paul
January 23rd, 2011
10:53 am
NEWT,
You’re as charasmatic as a box of rocks. We need someone who has experience running an actual business such as Trump or Romney. A vote for newt is a vote that will guarantee a loss.
Dan
January 23rd, 2011
10:56 am
Cutty, I’m just a dumb Yankee so I don’t know. But I’d be sorely disappointed if the South would not elect a man just for being black. Kind of on the same level of my disappointment that the first “Black” president is such a mess. I was kind of hoping that man would be more of a “David Palmer”* than a Jimmy Carter.
*(The Dennis Haysbert character on the first couple of seasons of “24″.)
Bruno Padovani
January 23rd, 2011
11:16 am
Too much of an establishment guy, plus he allowed Clinton to stare him down during the government shutdown in 1995/1996. That was the last best chance we had to put federal spending on a sustainable path and he blew it. Also, Newt is hard line in his embrace of free trade, a discredited economic philiosophy that has resulted in the deindustrialization of America, the loss of millions of jobs plus bankrupting trade deficits. I was never a big fan of Donald Trump (too much of a braggart), but I saw him on national TV a few weeks ago saying that we are giving away the store to China and that we need to put tariffs on Chinese products. When I hear a candidate say those sorts of things, then I’ll have found the person I want to vote for.
Somnolence
January 23rd, 2011
11:34 am
Donald Trump threw away any consideration I might have given him with his contribution to Rahm Emanuel’s campaign in Chicago. Trump is also “pro-choice”, so at least in my world, that disqualifies him right off the bat. However, Newt is “pro-life” and is disqualified in my corner because there are too many times he needlessly compromised. He also didn’t fight tough enough to retain his Speakership; he quite literally abandoned it. No dice.
jimofguilfordct
January 23rd, 2011
11:43 am
Clearly evident in the comments already posted Newt has baggage that is a severe negative. Questions as to whether he is electible are a major hurdle to be dealt with by the process of seeking the nom ination. It will be a big mistake for the Republican Party to ignore the fact that Newt has more experience and achievements in Washington”s mysterious approach to governance than any to date possible candidate discussed in a serious way.
Sice leaving office Newt has continued to be active in seeking and defining altertnatives to the “Progrtessive Liberal ” march to “Transform America”. In my opinion there is noone else on the scene today that has a public record of positions more fdully developed and broadly distributed. Even if not ultimately nominated it is NO WASTE OF MONEY TO HAVE NEWT FULLY ENGAGED AND COMMITTED TO SEEKING NOMINATION. PERHAPS THE NEW ACTIVE MEMBERS I.E.TEA PARTY VOTERS WILL NOT BE SO CONCERNED ABOUT HIS PERSONAL MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE HISTORY.
Doug
January 23rd, 2011
1:31 pm
When will the gas bag gingrich leave? He and huckster are the worst things that could happen to the republican party. They are both hopelessly liberal.
Conflicted Libertarian » ROMNEY WINS NH STRAW POLL OF GOP LEADERS; PAUL SECOND!
January 23rd, 2011
2:54 pm
[...] needs to decide and come out swinging, so to speak, as it appears former Speaker Newt Gingrich is running (Gingrich is actually right now a legal resident of our own Commonwealth of Virginia but will run [...]
conrad smith
January 23rd, 2011
4:57 pm
As one time speaker, Mr. Gingrich should have the eyes and ears of Congress. I think,(and hope) that He will make a fine President for these United States.
plutt
January 23rd, 2011
6:12 pm
It seems to me that we have had about all the fresh, new, change that this country can take. I would opt for a candlidate with a tried and proven track record. One that I could trust.
Prosay
January 23rd, 2011
6:20 pm
Please run Newt, we Democrats need the entertainment! Take Palin as your running mate.
R. Hurt
January 23rd, 2011
9:14 pm
Now have all of the Moderates and the Liberal Facists gotten their opinions listed-good; now go away. Newt is a real Conservative, and one that has the most knowledge of how government, business, and the military operate. He has had a Teaching job-for some this may not qualify to be a real job, but it’s good enough to lead our thinkers, doers, and leaders. Newt has gone out on the Conservative limb several times this past year when few-if any-had the ability or desire to call out our real enemies-the Muslims, the Liberal-Socialist-Communist-Progressives; all of these being Obama’s accomplices in attempting to destroy this country. Only the Libs and their anti-American friends are objecting to Mr. Gingrich’s creditials. For those Christians that would lend an ear-whatever happened to forgive and forget-it’s what the man is doing now to show his repentance and turning to Christ. If any of you have read about Mr. Gingrich’s shinning the light on Christianity, while practically everyone else is turning their back on Christ. Again, for those that have done their research and watched many of the Conservative Conferences these past couple of years, we find Mr.Gingrich at everyone of them providing solutions-not hate speech. Also, Mr. Gingrich has been involved with supporting and participating in several Think-Tanks, and for all of you non-thinking people out there-you’re better off going to the other candidates-even though Mr. Gingrich would disagree with me because he can forgive and wants everyone to come to the Republican Party and help make this country a more productive-job producing society-and a more secure place to live with less government, less taxes, and more of State’s rights again.
Gingrich won’t win nomination; he won’t even win in Georgia | Jay Bookman
January 24th, 2011
8:43 am
[...] Jim Galloway confirmed last week, the name of Newt Gingrich will probably be on the ballot. The former speaker is [...]
Joe
January 24th, 2011
2:49 pm
I can’t think of anyone more divisive than Newt.We need leaders that can find solutions to problems not vomit party lines;no matter what party.If we could buy him for what hes worth..sell him for what he thinks hes worth… no more national debt. Forget the Newt.
james trandel
January 24th, 2011
4:54 pm
Newt,
You don’t look so good with a family values button on. It’s the same old schtick with you.
Bulldog70
January 25th, 2011
8:05 am
Why?
Charles Imwold
January 25th, 2011
9:43 am
Newt is the man that can turn this country around and put it on the tract our constitution and founders meant it to be on . Life , Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness . He will stand up for the constitution and demand that the constitutional laws be fallowed . Our judicial system and the US Congress has turned there back on the US Constitution . We have an Illegal alien setting in the White House and the Supreme Court and the US Congress refuses to do anything about it.
Mike
January 26th, 2011
2:42 am
Newt is by far the most promising candidate for 2012. Yes, his downside is his past infidelity, but look at Clinton’s drug use and infidelity, Obama’s drug use and ties with left wing extremists, Huckabee who has four police officer’s blood on his hand, and Romney’s Mass. Big Govt Health Bill. Palin is awsome, but too polarizing, Paul Ryan maybe, and John Thune maybe. Newt’s upside: No one can defeat him in a debate, he’s a Regan conservative, and his speeches are incredible. Everyone I know who are Republicans have Newt as either 1 or 2 on their list, and no, I am not 40, 50 or 60 years old.
Jay Anthony
January 27th, 2011
1:11 pm
I think that he is extremely well qualified to become President. He is intelligent and well educated in domesticated and foreign affaIrs …..and he is an American Patriot – not affraid to tell it like it is. He may ruffle some feathers, but that will be well worth it, in my opinion. We have enough jackasses in Washington as it is, about time for someone with commo9n sense.
Candidate update | Little Did He Know
January 28th, 2011
10:57 am
[...] leaders. He’s expected to make a final decision on a presidential bid in early March, but has reportedly been telling Republicans in his home state of Georgia that he’s running next year. via [...]