It's now official. Newt Gingrich announced yesterday that he is running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. In what will be the ultimate game of Texas Hold 'Em, Dr. Gingrich is all in.
You may already be wondering why I'm referring to the former Speaker of the House as "Dr. Gingrich." No, he's not a medical doctor, but Newt does have a Ph.D. in history from Tulane University. In fact, he worked as a college professor for eight years before making the transition into politics. His immense knowledge of history and his ability to articulate it will no doubt come in very handy as he campaigns around the country.
I welcome his candidacy because I do believe very strongly that Gingrich would be a formidable opponent for Barack Obama. Gingrich is far more experienced, far more seasoned, and I would go so far as to say he is more intelligent and articulate than the president. I have no doubts that he'd wipe the floor with Obama in a debate, and as polished as Obama may be as an orator, he has not mastered the art of brevity to the degree that Gingrich has. To me, this is what separates Newt from all the rest. I haven't heard anyone who can convey such a strong, clear message in as few words as he is able to, and that goes a long way when you're communicating your platform to the American people.
But ultimately, that is not what would enable him to win the election. Everyone knows that elections always come down to two things: peace and prosperity. Nothing is more dear to Americans than feeling safe and doing well. Given today's world climate, one where wars are raging and economies are tanking, the effects of peace and prosperity upon the 2012 election can only become greater. Trust me: they will.
Obama himself has already admitted that next year's election will be a crossroads for America. We are now at a point where Americans need to decide which path we are going to take to get our house back in order. Will it be the entitlement culture that is consistently advocated by the Democrats, one where wealth is re-distributed by taxing the rich and giving more in the way of handouts to the poor? One of big government and big spending? Or will it be the Republican vision of free markets, smaller government, lower taxes, and less spending and entitlements?
These are two very different philosophies of governance, and Gingrich predicted that throughout the course of the campaign, the voters will come to learn the specific details of just how different they are. By November of 2012, they will have the information they need to make their preferred choice when they head to the polls.
Last night on "Hannity," Gingrich drew up an interesting analogy to demonstrate the discrepancies between the two approaches. He commented that the economy of Texas has grown more than that of any other U.S. state over the past decade. Then he mentioned that no U.S. city has fallen farther than Detroit. Texas is a very conservative state, governed by Republicans and run according to conservative principles. Detroit has long been a haven for Democrats who were in bed with the unions (specifically the United Auto Workers and the teachers' union) and promised all sorts of entitlements in order to stay in power. Well, when you look at the blocks and blocks of abandoned, run-down houses throughout Detroit today, one need not be a rocket scientist to realize that this method of governing did not turn out too well.
Thus the question will be, "Do we want our country to look more like Detroit or more like Texas?" History has shown us that the socialist doctrine of re-distribution of wealth does not work. The fall of the Soviet Union and European socialism proves that point beyond any reasonable doubt. And so, I don't know about you, but the answer to this question is pretty evident to me.
So as Gingrich prepares to run, it is clear that he has many assets that will work in his favor. But he does have one major liability: his sordid past. Gingrich has been married several times and was even guilty of infidelity, making him an easy target for the liberal media and a pariah to hard-line social conservatives.
But he already knows this going in, and he's prepared to take his lumps. Speaking last night, Gingrich conceded that his past would be magnified a thousand times by the liberal press. But he reframed it in a positive way. What he said was, "Doesn't any conservative candidate already know that they're not going to get an even break from the mass media?" In other words, regardless of what your past may be, you're already at a disadvantage when you're running on the Republican ticket.
There is no question that Obama will be difficult to beat in 2012. As mentioned above, he'll have the full support of the mass media (aside from Fox News). He'll have liberal billionaires like George Soros in his corner, along with the vast majority of Hollywood celebrities. He'll have the unions backing him, and tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook will provide far more financial support for him than for anyone who might oppose him. All in all, the goal is to raise one billion dollars for Obama's re-election campaign. Personally, I don't doubt that he'll be able to achieve it.
And so the Republican candidate, whoever it may be, will clearly be at a disadvantage. But again, Gingrich is well aware of this going in and he's prepared to deal with it. The former Speaker of the House is solely focused on beating Obama, and at no point was this more evident than when Hannity asked him about his competition in the Republican field. Gingrich smartly responded that he had a number of friends running against him and that he was looking forward to a very positive campaign. "The only opponent I have my sights on is President Obama," Gingrich said.
So what are his chances of winning? I actually think he can go far throughout the primaries. I know that he hasn't exactly been at or near the top of the polls, but he's much higher than candidates like Tim Pawlenty or Mitch Daniels, who have been singled out as possible spoilers. It's still very early, and several possible candidates (like Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee) haven't made their formal announcements yet. But as he travels around the country and speaks to the throngs of Republican voters, I believe that Newt's message will resonate. I'd be shocked if he didn't turn out to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the campaign.
Good luck, Dr. Gingrich, from a fiscal and social conservative who believes in you, forgives you for your past mistakes, and only wants what's best for our country. It's time to turn things around and get America back on track, and there's no doubt in my mind that if you turn out to be the candidate, you can get the job done.
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