SEVEN years after he disappeared into seeming political oblivion, Newt Gingrich, the former Republican revolutionary who became President Bill Clinton's congressional arch nemesis, is plotting an eye-catching comeback. The author of the Republican party's 1990s declaration of intent, Contract with America, now has a new political manifesto. He will begin selling it this week in those states that traditionally make or break the ambitions of politicians who want to be president.
Gingrich will arrive in New Hampshire tomorrow and will travel to Iowa next month. His visits to the two states that vote first in the presidential primaries have ignited speculation that he is preparing a bid for the Republican nomination to succeed President George W Bush.
In an interview last week he made no secret of his interest in the 2008 election: "If I want to be effective at defining the idea framework for 2008, there's nothing I can do that's more effective than go to New Hampshire and Iowa. That's the place to get your attention." [...] Although Gingrich’s trademark bombast remains intact, he warned his party not to be overconfident about 2008.
“I think Senator Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee,” he said. “She is professional, smart, systematic and she is moving to the centre in a very rational way.” And he noted that between them Bill and Hillary Clinton have not lost an election since 1980. “Any Republican who thinks we are going to beat her easily does not have a clue about the history of the last 30 years.”
Newt vs Hillary in 2008.
Well, that would be ... entertaining, in kind of a horrifying way. If you haven't read or heard (especially heard) her book, you will not quite understand the depths of the dislike she has for Newt, for perfectly understandable reasons. She would, no doubt, be studiously polite and civil when talking to or about him in public. Which is kind of too bad, in a way; the election follies might could use an injection of that sort of honest emotion. (In her audiobook, she's very clearly one step away from talking through gritted teeth about the impeachment times; she's clearly and understandably still very very angry about it all -- but determined not to let it show. So of course, it does.)
It will be interesting to see how Newt would fare in a primary among today's Republicans, a third of whom seem to be trying to moderate the party, a third of whom seem to be trying to establish a Methodist/Baptist extremely conservative theocratic state), and a third of whom don't seem to know what they want -- although "none of the above" seems to appeal strongly.
Posted by iain at April 19, 2005 02:27 PM
