by Jonathan Darman, Newsweek: It's hard to take Newt Gingrich seriously when he says he might run for president. In the nearly nine years since he resigned as Republican speaker of the House, Gingrich has floated the idea of a presidential candidacy numerous times, almost always when on TV to promote a new book. But he has never taken the plunge.And so in recent weeks, as Gingrich has once more made rumblings about running for president, experienced Newt watchers wondered what, exactly, the former speaker was selling this time. The answer: American Solutions for Winning the Future, a Gingrich-led advocacy group that launches this week, promising new solutions to old problems like immigration, education and health care. Gingrich has promised to spend the coming weeks seriously considering the viability of a presidential campaign. But few Republicans are holding their breath. . . . One sign that Gingrich may be more serious than people think: he's been talking down his party's chances in 2008. Earlier this month he made headlines when he suggested that Republicans should "make a clean break" with the Bush administration and that the odds were "probably 80 to 20" Democrats would win the White House in a little more than a year's time. . . .
Gingrich's only hope is that his party concludes it has none. Memories of a government shutdown and partisan warfare in the '90s hardly make him a beloved figure. In a June Gallup poll, 48% of Americans said they have an unfavorable opinion of Gingrich, compared with 27% who said they had a favorable impression. . . . A successful Gingrich candidacy would require conservatives to compromise politically in order to stand on principle. They would, in sum, have to get over electability and settle for a lively airing of ideas. . . . [Read More]
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