Good. This is the smart decision. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Newt on a few occasions and personally like him very much, but I have simple not seen the sort of definitive leadership from him that we need. Not only did his coy approach to whether or not he should even run irritate me, but I can’t overcome his dual Republican Party Loyalist/Television Talking Head persona.
Perhaps Newt, like John Bolton, can best serve our nation by being out there, speaking freely without an overshadowing concern about what a comment might mean to a campaign or a confirmation hearing.
I wouldn’t mind, however, Newt being part of a new Repub admin in ’08. My guess is he wouldn’t mind, either. In the meantime, he has quite a few interests and activities, most, if not all, of which would have to be jettisoned if he were to run. He’s obviously decided it’s not worth it.
Gingrich Says No to White House Bid
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will not run for president in 2008 after determining he could not legally explore a bid and remain as head of his tax-exempt political organization, a spokesman said Saturday.
“Newt is not running,” spokesman Rick Tyler said. “It is legally impermissible for him to continue on as chairman of American Solutions (for Winning the Future) and to explore a campaign for president.”
Gingrich decided “to continue on raising the challenges America faces and finding solutions to those challenges” as the group’s chairman, Tyler said, “rather than pursuing the presidency.” […]
He abruptly dropped the idea Saturday, apparently unwilling to give up the chairmanship of American Solutions, the political arm of a Gingrich’s lucrative empire as an author, pundit and consultant.
American Solutions, a tax-exempt committee he started last October, has paid for Gingrich’s travel and has a pollster and fundraiser on staff.
Gingrich makes hundreds of speeches each year, many paid. He will not say how much he charges, and neither will the Washington Speakers Bureau, which books him. But some clients have said they paid $40,000 for a speech.
He also has a contract with Fox News for commentaries and specials; Fox said it does not disclose the terms of its contracts. Gingrich also is a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
Gingrich has a daily radio broadcast on more than 400 stations, and he writes a free online newsletter with 200,000 subscribers that is distributed by the conservative news magazine Human Events.
At least now the field is more clear. Fox, btw, will have Newt live on the Big Story today at 5pm ET. While he’s not running he will obviously remain a voice and an influence in the race itself. With the death of the Repub Party, conservatives need to watch what someone like Newt says. Do not presume his positions now should be the defining conservative principles. We certainly know Bush doesn’t represent that, and Newt may not either. While he may have represented an authentic conservatism in 1994, people change. Remember, I was president of Los Angeles NOW when Newt was Speaker of the House. That’s how much things change.
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I agree. Newt is more effective as a grass roots organizer. Anyway, the left did a good job of demonizing him back in the 90’s, and the average voter will carry at least some aftertaste from that. I could see him in Rove’s job, or as the head of a new cabinet post, The Dept. of Deficit Reduction