# Newt Gingrich to run for president - has he got a snowball's chance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 9, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290 "2011-05-09T16:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/81 "2011-05-17T16:16:29Z")
[SC Gov. Nikki Haley is furious with Newt](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/17/gov-nikki-haley-hammers-gingrich-over-medicare-remarks/). Haley’s a first-class bozoette but beloved of the wingnuts, and her endorsement in a key early primary state carries some heft to it. > [@](#): > > “What he said was absolutely unfortunate,” Haley told CNN in a phone interview. “Here you’ve got Representative Ryan trying to bring common sense to this world of insanity, and Newt absolutely cut him off at the knees.” > > “When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees,” she added. That’s not gonna help the Newt at all. ---
**Author:** ![Profound\_Gibberish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Profound\_Gibberish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profound_Gibberish)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/82 "2011-05-17T18:59:48Z")
If there is any state where a history of infidelity is not a negative but actually a plus it is South Carolina 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/83 "2011-05-17T19:04:15Z")
Newt’s big plus should be his experience, but he’s running like a political neophyte. I never gave him much of a chance in this, but he has moved himself from dark-horse territory into spectacular long-shot range now. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/84 "2011-05-17T19:32:36Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > Newt’s big plus should be his experience, but he’s running like a political neophyte. I never gave him much of a chance in this, but he has moved himself from dark-horse territory into spectacular long-shot range now. Yea, did he not forsee people were going to ask him about Medicare? You’d think he’d get his story straight ahead of time. I actually think coming out against the Ryan plan would’ve been a good plan, at least as far as separating him from the GOP pack (and from his 90’s image as trying to cut the program). But its the kind of move you need to go all in on, trying to walk it back the next day just makes him look like an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/85 "2011-05-18T13:09:20Z")
Gingrich is getting basted by his own party for his remarks, and the Dems are chortling about him once again shooting himself in the foot. As I mentioned somewhat jokingly in another thread on the guy, the man has never had any self discipline: it’s apparent in both his personal and public lives. He’s also a political anachronism. He may as well save himself some money and go home now. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/86 "2011-05-18T13:14:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Gingrich is getting basted by his own party for his remarks, and the Dems are chortling about him once again shooting himself in the foot. As I mentioned somewhat jokingly in another thread on the guy, the man has never had any self discipline: it’s apparent in both his personal and public lives. He’s also a political anachronism. He may as well save himself some money and go home now. Hey, it’s not _his_ money he’s spending on his campaign. 🙂 ETA: Wonder what the over/under is on when he’ll drop out? While he doesn’t care about the money, I figure at some point the embarrassment factor will become great enough to get him to abandon the race. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/87 "2011-05-18T14:42:15Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Gingrich has quite more than a snowball’s chance, in my opinion. He doesn’t have instant mass appeal like Palin, but he is seen as a responsible fiscal conservative by everyone who would consider voting for a fiscal conservative. Bollocks. I am a fiscal conservative, and I don’t know anyone who thinks of Gingrich in positive terms at all. He’s a say-anything egotist asshole. To the extent Gingrich can be said to have fixed positions or convictions, I’d say I agree with 80% of them. And I still wouldn’t vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/88 "2011-05-18T20:25:25Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > But its the kind of move you need to go all in on, trying to walk it back the next day just makes him look like an idiot. He manages to go beyond mere idiocy by [calling himself a liar](http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/18/gingrich-any-ad-which-quotes-what-i-said/): [QUOTE=Newt Gingrich] So let me say on the record, any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/89 "2011-05-18T20:55:43Z")
Was that intended to be a factual statement? ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/90 "2011-05-18T23:03:06Z")
Factual statement? Hell, I can’t even figure out what it is supposed to mean. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/91 "2011-05-18T23:20:01Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > Factual statement? Hell, I can’t even figure out what it is supposed to mean. Seriously? It’s pretty clear to me, though pretty stupid too. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/92 "2011-05-19T16:56:37Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > He manages to go beyond mere idiocy by [calling himself a liar](http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/18/gingrich-any-ad-which-quotes-what-i-said/): Both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report had a field day with this hilarious statement of his. And Politico [reports](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55125.html) that he and his wife owe somewhere between $250,000-500,000 to the jeweler Tiffany’s. She must have a really big addiction to fancy, expensive jewels (or he’s giving gifts to the next wife). ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/93 "2011-05-19T18:14:18Z")
More likely the Tiffany’s bills are the result of “I’m sorry, I was being too patriotic” presents. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/94 "2011-05-19T18:40:00Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > Factual statement? Hell, I can’t even figure out what it is supposed to mean. It means that the lamestream media shouldn’t distort Newt’s statements by quoting them verbatim. Just when you thought he’d hit rock bottom, [his press secretary gets out the jackhammer and starts digging](http://www.frumforum.com/gingrich-aide-blasts-media-minions): [QUOTE=Gingrich press secretary Rick Tyler] The literati sent out their minions to do their bidding. Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods. Now they are left exposed by their bylines and handles. But surely they had killed him off. This is the way it always worked. A lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught. But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces. [/QUOTE] Great Ghu, it reads like North Korean propaganda about the glories of the Dear Leader. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/95 "2011-05-19T18:41:41Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > Newt’s big plus should be his experience, but he’s running like a political neophyte. I never gave him much of a chance in this, but he has moved himself from dark-horse territory into spectacular long-shot range now. I’d say that he was acting as if it were still 1994, and it was still possible to say remotely rational things as a Republican and not get keelhauled. I’d never vote for the guy, but what he said on Meet the Press seemed to have a tinge of rationality. (His hilarious backing away from them didn’t.) Destroying Medicare is stupid and extreme, and, even worse, is going to lose a lot of votes. Yet when he is smart enough to distance himself from a loser the tea partiers pitch a fit. That may win primaries, but it is not going to win an election. Perhaps Newt has been thinking and writing more or less in an ivory tower for so long now that he doesn’t really get why reasonable solutions are the kiss of death in the modern Republican party. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/96 "2011-05-19T19:00:15Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It means that the lamestream media shouldn’t distort Newt’s statements by quoting them verbatim. > > Just when you thought he’d hit rock bottom, [his press secretary gets out the jackhammer and starts digging](http://www.frumforum.com/gingrich-aide-blasts-media-minions): > > [Quote=Rick Tyler] > The literati sent out their minions to do their bidding. Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods. Now they are left exposed by their bylines and handles. But surely they had killed him off. This is the way it always worked. A lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught. But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces. Great Ghu, it reads like North Korean propaganda about the glories of the Dear Leader. [/QUOTE] In case you have no idea what the press secretary meant. [Here’s the illustrated version.](http://stuff.jonwhitestudio.com/2011/05/presidential-campaign-press-statements-illustrated/) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/97 "2011-05-19T19:01:13Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’d say that he was acting as if it were still 1994, and it was still possible to say remotely rational things as a Republican and not get keelhauled. I’d never vote for the guy, but what he said on Meet the Press seemed to have a tinge of rationality. (His hilarious backing away from them didn’t.) Destroying Medicare is stupid and extreme, and, even worse, is going to lose a lot of votes. Yet when he is smart enough to distance himself from a loser the tea partiers pitch a fit. That may win primaries, but it is not going to win an election. > > Perhaps Newt has been thinking and writing more or less in an ivory tower for so long now that he doesn’t really get why reasonable solutions are the kiss of death in the modern Republican party. Apparently, he thinks his blame-the-media rants will appease the hardcore base while his positions will attract mainstream voters. Instead, his positions are alienating the base while his rants make him a laughingstock to mainstream voters. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/98 "2011-05-19T19:08:41Z")
Aw. I’m starting to feel a little sorry for the guy. Didn’t he used to be a ‘real’ politician back in the day? Well, he may have stumbled a little out of the gate, but he still has plenty of time to get his game on. And he does need to up his game. He’s got some pretty good competition on the Dem side. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/99 "2011-05-19T19:08:59Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > [QUOTE=Gingrich press secretary Rick Tyler] > > The literati sent out their minions to do their bidding. Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods. Now they are left exposed by their bylines and handles. But surely they had killed him off. This is the way it always worked. A lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught. But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces. In case you have no idea what the press secretary meant. [Here’s the illustrated version.](http://stuff.jonwhitestudio.com/2011/05/presidential-campaign-press-statements-illustrated/) [/QUOTE] I think it should be read by Tina Fey in full Palin regalia, complete with (in)appropriately timed winks. Shatner version to follow, complete with bongos. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290/100 "2011-05-19T19:10:49Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > In case you have no idea what the press secretary meant. [Here’s the illustrated version.](http://stuff.jonwhitestudio.com/2011/05/presidential-campaign-press-statements-illustrated/) Heh. The sad thing is that he probably thinks he’s invoking that sort of heroic image. In other Newt news, he isn’t all alone (yet). St. Sarah still likes him, and [charges to his defense](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/sarah-palin-blames-lamestream-media-and-racist-david-gregory-for-newts-political-crisis.php) with [an irrefudiatable argument](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoYou): [QUOTE=Sarah Palin] Palin went much farther than Gingrich has in attacking Gregory, however, labeling him “racist” for asking Gingrich whether his claim that Barack Obama was a “food stamp president” was a dogwhistle. “Well, talk about racism, that was a racist tinged question from David Gregory,” she said. “He made it sound like if you’re black, you are on food stamps and the President is referring to you as being on food stamps. I think that’s racist.” [/QUOTE] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newt-gingrich-to-run-for-president-has-he-got-a-snowballs-chance/581290.md?page=6)