The ‘favorite son’ campaign of Newt Gingrich
On Friday night in Macon, Newt Gingrich will give his first dinner speech as a Republican presidential candidate.
C-SPAN has already reserved a spot for its camera. But his YouTube announcement should give you a taste:
The Macon event will no doubt take on the trappings of a homecoming. The former Georgia congressman, who played a large role in the creation of the Republican party in this state, is sure to get an enthusiastic reception. Maybe even a rowdy one.
Many remember the heady days of ’94, when he became only the third Georgian to be elected speaker of the U.S. House.
But Gingrich is now a resident of Virginia, has been for some time, and plans to remain so. And if he wants to be the undisputed favorite son of Georgia Republicans in the coming campaign, he has more work to do.
One word of advice: Keep an eye on Herman Cain, the former radio talk show host and business executive.
Now, listen. To be honest, the title of “favorite son” may not matter. Gingrich will be running a national campaign that happens to have an Atlanta — i.e., non-Washingtonian — address.
Despite passage of legislation this spring that would allow Georgia to move its presidential primary to late January, if history is any measure, the contest for the GOP nomination will be over before it arrives at our doorstep.
Moreover, an endorsement from Gov. Nathan Deal, who served in the House with Gingrich, is nothing to sneer at.
Yet if a governor’s endorsement dictated Gingrich’s fortunes in Georgia, the state GOP convention — over which Gingrich will say grace — would not spend much of this Saturday fighting over the chairmanship of the party.
Deal’s pick, Marietta businesswoman Tricia Pridemore, is conducting an uphill fight against two-term incumbent Sue Everhart of Cobb County.
More telling is the fact that, of Georgia’s eight House Republicans, only half have endorsed the former speaker’s presidential campaign. Of them, Jack Kingston of Savannah served with Gingrich. Phil Gingrey of Marietta and Tom Price of Roswell represent slices of Gingrich’s old 6th District in north metro Atlanta.
Austin Scott of Tifton, who announced his support Wednesday, was elected in November. “We need a president that is willing to reduce federal spending, balance the budget, and respect the constitutional rights of the citizens and of the states,” Scott said.
Of those who are keeping their powder dry, two House Republicans are the most closely allied with the tea party: Tom Graves of Ranger and Paul Broun of Roswell. Lynn Westmoreland of Coweta County is another.
But Rob Woodall of Lawrenceville is the most interesting holdout. Before his election, Woodall served as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. John Linder, one of Gingrich’s top lieutenants during his speakership.
Through a spokesman, Woodall praised Gingrich’s reputation as a man of ideas and expressed no doubts about the former speaker’s ability as a candidate. But Woodall wants to see who else will join the race.
To be sure, support from congressional Republicans won’t make or break Gingrich. As one Georgian in Washington said this week, given the direction that House Republicans are pushing the debate over the federal debt limit, Gingrich and other GOP presidential candidates in fact may require insulation.
Still, it is the tea-party dynamic that could give Gingrich trouble in Georgia, and perhaps elsewhere. If Gingrich can’t persuade voters that he brings something fresh to the contest, then — at least in Georgia — Cain becomes an attractive alternative.
A Morehouse graduate and son of a chauffeur for Coca-Cola executives, Cain has courted the tea-party movement since its inception — and his phones have been swamped since a well-received performance at last week’s GOP presidential debate in Greenville, S.C.
“It’s been surreal,” said Emily Carmichael, his campaign spokesman.
Cain will announce his candidacy on May 21 with an event at Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. And he will speak Saturday before the GOP crowd in Macon. C-SPAN will cover both events.
Cain’s campaign office is in Stockbridge, 25 miles from Gingrich’s Buckhead headquarters. And perhaps not by accident, his staff has little to fear from working for a rival to the governor’s choice.
Half of the staff is from Wisconsin, Carmichael said. They followed campaign manager Mark Block, whom Cain met through the anti-tax group, Americans for Prosperity.
One more curious note about Gingrich’s speech on Friday: As of late Wednesday, a spokesman for Deal could not say whether the governor would be in the audience.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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64 comments Add your comment
jconservative
May 11th, 2011
6:52 pm
“Austin Scott of Tifton, who announced his support Wednesday, was elected in November. “We need a president that is willing to reduce federal spending, balance the budget, and respect the constitutional rights of the citizens and of the states,” Scott said.”
This is the same Austin Scott who guaranteed the voters that he would never raise the eligibility age for Social Security.
How will Scott balance the budget but never raise the eligibility age for Social Security?
Gingrich has on occasion suggested raising it from the present 67 to 70 in one move.
Curious endorsement by Scott.
Sam I Am
May 11th, 2011
7:07 pm
Why do the rebublicans want to give the election to Obama?
bigdawg
May 11th, 2011
7:10 pm
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!! He had NO CHANCE! But, then again, no Repub is going to beat Obama in November, 2012!
The Neuter just wants to add “presidential candidate” to his CV, along with “serial adulterer!”
bigdawg
May 11th, 2011
7:12 pm
Hey Sam, why don’t the Repubs run someone who isn’t ignorant (Palin), a serial adulterer (The Neuter), bat-sh!# crazy (Cain) RINO (Romney) or just irrevelant (the rest of the field).
Oh, I know, they have no one who is moderate, thoughtful and willing to work toward concensus!
Alabama Communist
May 11th, 2011
7:13 pm
And they are out of the Republican gate with Newt out front of Cain by 2 inches and bringing up the rear are Newt’s 2 ex wives in a neck and neck race to see who tars and feathers him in Public..
bigdawg
May 11th, 2011
7:23 pm
Hey AC…Love it!
NewtisaNewt
May 11th, 2011
7:25 pm
I’ve never met a more amoral politician. This Georgian won’t vote him, and I doubt he can carry Georgia. What does it say about the character of a man who dumps his wife while she’s lays dying of cancer in a hospital.. Cheats on his second wife with an intern.
Sick of Republicans
May 11th, 2011
7:41 pm
And the intern helps him hide his assets from the second wife. She better watch out – that head of hair gets even a smidgeon of dark roots, Newt will send her out the door and be looking for number four. He is the most disgusting individual out there. Wife number one left to raise the kids by herself and recover from cancer surgery; wife number two dumped when diagnosed with MS; and wife number three as unethical as her husband. But wait – she’s gotta have tons of money to keep herself in the style she likes to live. I wouldn’t vote for him to animal control officer much less anything else.
I Know You Are But What Am I?
May 11th, 2011
7:44 pm
I think a Gingrich/Cain ticket would be an interesting offering from the Republicans.
Frederick Douglass
May 11th, 2011
7:44 pm
Maybe Austin Scott is so supportive of Newt because he has his marital skeletons in the closet. There was quite a bit of covering up surrounding Scott’s recent divorce.
The Goobernator
May 11th, 2011
8:11 pm
I couldn’t give a rat’s A$$!
DannyX
May 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
Divorce is a CHOICE!
God created “Adam and Eve”….NOT….Adam and Eve, then Adam and Jane, then Adam and Jen.
Jesus said God hates divorce. Its in the Bible.
Its “Until death do us part”….NOT…”Until the next bimbo”
Divorce will someday lead to animal marriage/divorce.
Better than them?
May 11th, 2011
8:13 pm
Newt was a stellar contrarian. A leader? Not so great. He “contracted” his way to speaker, then the very characteristics that got him there bedeviled him. Party dissent, power plays and the like lead to a monumental thrashing for republicans under his watch. Newt’s a rabble tossed, not a leader. And in the end, it’s always about Newt.
khc
May 11th, 2011
8:24 pm
an idea guy, occassionally; leader….don’t think so
Clinton "Skink" Tyree
May 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Since the Republican Party is so closely aligned with the Souther Baptist Convention, it’ll be interesting to see if the religious folks are willing to lay their religious convictions aside in order to beat Obama. I love to hear how they can justify support for Newt.
But, then again, it’s an ideological battle and not a racial thingy, ain’t it?
Brent
May 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Herman- Herman-Herman
findog
May 11th, 2011
8:36 pm
No one along the recently flooding rivers will be allowed to forget that Newt was for getting rid of FEMA flood insurance until Georgia was hit in 1994; the crypt keeper has nothing on Newt’s closet!
Brent
May 11th, 2011
8:37 pm
Newt would make a decent president, but he has too much baggage to be elected. Also, he is still a Washington insider. Herman Cain has the common and business sense to get this country back an track. All true conservatives please support Herman Cain.
Brent
May 11th, 2011
8:41 pm
If Comrade Jimmy Carter could do it in 1976, Herman Cain can do it in 2012.
deegee
May 11th, 2011
9:08 pm
When Nathan Deal announced his candidacy for governor I thought he didn’t have a chance. Then when all of the news of his financial woes surfaced I really thought he didn’t have a chance. Then when he wouldn’t give us all of his tax records I thought for sure he didn’t have a chance. What did I know?
Travis McGee
May 11th, 2011
9:13 pm
@deegee: I agree. But, remember, Deal ran with an (R) behind his name and I’m thoroughly convinced a serial killer could be elected if he had a (R) behind his name. Sad, but true.
Ricky Grooms
May 11th, 2011
9:14 pm
Herman Cain has about as much chance of winning as uga has beating UF in football.
curious
May 11th, 2011
9:15 pm
Why would we elect a shyster; out to enrich himself, a draft dodger; doesn’t even have enough character to just say he didn’t want to serve, selfish; wouldn’t stand by an ill spouse, and, in summation,an outright hypocrite?
He is only interested in himself.
MsDp
May 11th, 2011
9:22 pm
We all know that Newt is a joke, but so are the rest of the repub candidates. If only the repubs could bring something else to the table other than social issues. I mean think about this. The repubs are all concerned about abortions. Why is that? Why is it that the repubs worry about babies being aborted, but once the babies are born, the repubs want them to hurry up and die, especially if they belong to the middle class or low income? IMO, there are too many OTHER issues to correct in the United States, and social issues are just not that big of a deal. I hope someone will tell this to the repub party. And one more thing, can someone from the repub party tell me who Grover Norquist is and why does he have so much control over the repub party?
Iva Ben Hadd
May 11th, 2011
9:58 pm
I guess family values will not be on the ticket ? And what about the ethics investigation in 1994 that caused The Newt to resign as Speaker of the House ? He’ll get The Tea Party votes and some people that still believe Bin Laden is still alive ?
Centrist
May 11th, 2011
9:58 pm
Snore.
Frederick Douglass
May 11th, 2011
9:59 pm
If Newt’s the “favorite son”, maybe Herman Cain could petition the courts to have his name changed to Raisin, then they could run as, A Raisin and the Son………I’m just saying.
Kris In Loganville
May 11th, 2011
10:49 pm
The Republicans are fighting a losing battle. President Obama will easily secure another term and justifiably so. The GOP is busy trying to convince us Obama is not a good president but the facts don’t support that idea.
Did I mention that I’m a Republican?
big hair
May 11th, 2011
11:14 pm
Paul Broun of Roswell? Damn, when did he move in with the aliens?
I figured he’d have to leave Oconee County to escape his father’s pissed-off ghost, but who knew he’d move to New Mexico? Probably suits him, though.
I’m sure that has to be the case since the fine folks in Roswell, Georgia, wouldn’t want him.
Korigan
May 11th, 2011
11:29 pm
How soon until Obama goes to prison?
mule train
May 12th, 2011
12:27 am
newt needs to pick bachmann as his running mate—she can bring in the votes.
johnc
May 12th, 2011
1:31 am
Newt, as Speaker of the House, shut down the Federal government. Not because of differences he had with President Clinton, but because he had to exit Air Force One through the back door. And he claimed the president never spoke to him on the flight. Too bad those damn photographers were around taking pictures of the two of them together during the flight.
Obama – young (in presidential terms), energetic, personable, and with just one wife versus the angry old white guy who is a serial adulterer. The democrats can only hope that Newt gets the nomination.
MattMD
May 12th, 2011
1:53 am
UGA has a better chance of winning a title than Herman Cain does as winning the nomination.
Seriously?
May 12th, 2011
3:23 am
Newtie is a favorite son? More like the black sheep of the family. You know . . . kinda like the alcoholic uncle that shows up to Thanksgiving dinner still carrying the scent of last night’s bender and swearing to anyone with ears that he’s been clean and sober for two weeks. And that type always has some slightly-inappropriately dressed, codependent chippie who’s there to Stand by Her Man.
Whatever Newt.
BitterEXdemocrackkk
May 12th, 2011
5:55 am
Newt better buck up with the real conservatism if he wants to get anywhere…Herman Cain IS the man to watch!!!!
Ron Paul / Herman Cain 2012 ! ! !
mike
May 12th, 2011
6:22 am
If the people of Georgia can elect Deal with all the baggage he has, then these goobers can carry Newt with all his stuff. Just like Deal who has done nothing except make it harder for middle and lower income kids to get HOPE and make no jobs except for family and friends, ole Newt send this country back to the 40’s and 50’s since he exposes ideas of those time periods.
ATLER
May 12th, 2011
6:47 am
The dumb repubs of Georgia elected Deal a failed business man as governor. So you can believe that outside of the Atlanta metro the ignorant conservatives, repubs, and racist rednecks who want to see Obama fail will vote for that loser (Fig) Newt. Ga conservatives are really embarrassing this State.
Buckhead Boy
May 12th, 2011
6:50 am
Exit The Donald stage right; enter the Newt stage left with all his lines about secular socialism, or communism, fascism, their appeasers — whatever nonsense about his latest boogeyman he can conjure. But, haven’t we seen this act before? You know, spending a few million of campaign funds on private jets and posh hotels for himself and his latest significant other(s) and few more on contracts with firms in which he has an interest and that will funnel the money into his pocket; then fade to dark.
wampum
May 12th, 2011
6:53 am
How many Fox employees are running for President? The liberal bias in the media is just sickening. Newt = Sleeze. Doubt he’ll even win his own (former) state. Favorite son? Hee hee. Let the games begin!
KA
May 12th, 2011
6:59 am
While Newt is a brilliant historian and former statesman, I cannot see him gathering the popular support needed to win the Republican nomination. When Newt speaks I snooze. The man to watch is Herman Cain. When Herman speaks in his quiet and thoughtful manner he makes so much sense. Herman deftly handles challenging questions and offers facts to support his position, not political doubletalk. For me Herman Cain is one of us, one of all of us, whatever race, creed, or national origin. For me, Herman Cain is Abraham Lincoln reincarnated. Herman Cain for President! Disclaimer: I have never met Herman Cain, just heard him speak. You should listen to him, too.
Bill
May 12th, 2011
7:00 am
Yes, Deal got elected in spite of all of his baggage. However, Gingrich or Cain will have to win more than Georgia.
KA
May 12th, 2011
7:10 am
Bill, Obama had no national name recognition before he ran. Herman Cain is gathering supporters nationwide right now. He has a real chance to go all the way. This race will certainly be interesting.
Jezel
May 12th, 2011
7:11 am
Once upon a time…Republicans were about business and maintaining competition in the market place. They understood basic economics. Republicans certainly did not want government in our personal affairs. What happened? With all the religious and moral overtones that the GOP now projects…they will never win.
J. Davis
May 12th, 2011
7:13 am
Normally I have higher standards, but the socialist/marxist/anti-American currently occupying the White House even makes Newt look pretty good.
Travis McGee
May 12th, 2011
7:16 am
@KA: The facts according to Herman Cain are not facts, but statements he says are facts. If I’m not mistaken, he had a statement a week or so ago that was a “Pants On Fire” on Politifacts regarding the healthcare in Canada and their hi-tech medical equipment.
E. Ruffin
May 12th, 2011
7:16 am
KA, why do you want to compare Cain with dishonest Abe??? Lincoln had European socialist and communist in high places in his government and army. Lincoln, the most overrated and lied about President in the history of the universe.
Ol' Timer
May 12th, 2011
7:20 am
Lester Maddox would be the darlin’ of the Tea Party if he was still alive.
Ga Values
May 12th, 2011
7:21 am
It is easy to understand why Austin Scott supports Newt..they are cut from the same cloth
“Newly elected U.S. Rep. Austin Scott and his ex-wife accused each other of substance abuse during their 2001 divorce case, according to court records from their case released Monday.
Scott’s ex-wife, Leigh Jordan, accused Scott, a state lawmaker at the time, of strange and erratic behavior. She said he used alcohol as an escape device and that he was involved with pornography. The documents don’t elaborate
”
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/rep-scott-ex-wife-838509.html?cxtype=rss_news
Mike
May 12th, 2011
7:24 am
I think Gingrich’s biggest problem is the conservatives think he is too liberal and the moderates think he is too conservative. Perhaps this comes from being “old news.” The conservatives still remember his support of DeeDee Scarfozza, how Bill Clinton always got the best of him and those environmental TV commercials he did with Hillary.
KA
May 12th, 2011
7:31 am
Travis, What was the statement Herman made that was in error? E. Ruffin, I was comparing Herman Cain’s thoughtful speech to Abraham Lincoln’s speeches. Yes, Lincoln made a lot of mistakes, many of which he admitted and discussed. What lies about Lincoln are you referring to? And if you care so much about the socialist in Lincoln’s cabinets, what do you think about our socialist President now? Have either of you actually heard Herman Cain speak? If not, then go listen to what he has to say.