Newt for President?

CBS News' Brian Goldsmith Interviews Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich

(CBS) 

CBSNews.com: But isn't politics, isn't becoming a candidate, being out there, the best way to get your policy ideas adopted?

Newt Gingrich: How? Absolutely not.

CBSNews.com: Didn't you get the most done when you were Speaker of the House?

Newt Gingrich: Wait a second. I got a great deal done after 16 years of work, heading up GOPac, using it as a training program which sent out 53,000 training tapes a month to candidates, and incumbents, and having helped shape and grow a majority over a 16 year period. Then I had a very effective three year burst as Speaker, with welfare reform and tax cuts and balancing the budget.

A lot of important things, including creating the Thomas system. But it took that whole effort. It wasn't the four years. It was also the 16 years that preceded it.

And so I would argue that what I am trying to do right now is just reach out across the country, developing a new generation of solutions, and to enable people to have access to the solutions so that they can use them for their own local government, for their own situation, and be in a position to truly help the whole country, and help Democrats, help Republicans, and help independents. And I will guarantee you, from my personal experience, if I was trying to do something this educational inside the political process, it would become impossible.

You know, Lincoln and Douglas debated seven times for three hours each. Lincoln went to Cooper Union and gave a two hour, 7,300 word speech. Nowadays, we have auditions. We do not have debates. Ten or eleven people looking like they're trying out for American Idol, standing around patiently while a TV personality asks them an inane question and then gives them 30 seconds to give an inane answer.

That is not communication. Yeah, I would much rather do what I am doing, and try to have people actually look at real material. I reach fewer people, but with greater intensity and with greater clarity. And I am comfortable that over time, this model that reaches much further works better because I have no time pressure.

I'm not trying to win the next election. I am not trying to answer questions about who my consultant is, or how much I am paying my pollster, or how the fundraiser went last night. I am just out developing ideas and solutions, and appealing to people that think that you could have a better America with more solutions if we worked together.

CBSNews.com: And a big part of your policy has been to attack the status quo in Washington you see. You call it the world that fails. But isn’t your party—a Republican president—essentially running Washington?

Newt Gingrich: No, it's not. My party inherited from Lyndon Johnson a huge gigantic bureaucracy that has zero interest in working for the Republicans. They tried to manage those bureaucracies ineptly. They failed to reform them. You know, the fact is, it is a mess.

CBSNews.com: But why isn't a man you supported, George W. Bush, doing these things to reform the bureaucracy?

Newt Gingrich: I wish he would. You would have to call and ask Tony Snow why he isn’t. And I do not know why he isn't.

CBSNews.com: I know this is a vast generalization, but if you were to ask the man on the street, what does he think about Newt Gingrich, what do you think the answer would be? Is there a stereotype of you that you need to overcome?

Newt Gingrich: Well, I do not need to overcome it, because I am not a candidate. Look, I think the most common reaction I get from people, if they actually hear me give an entire speech, is they are amazed at the difference between the media image and the person I am in person. And I will let you decide whether that is because I am two different people, or that is because the media image is wrong.

I focus on ideas. I focus on solutions. I work on very human problems, like Alzheimer's and cancer and diabetes. And I am not going to back off on those kind of things. I think they are very important. So, I think over time people who watch what I am doing conclude that we have lots of solutions, and we are working on lots of positive things. And that we are different. You know, that I'm different and what I'm doing is different than what sometimes has been portrayed in the past.

CBSNews.com: What are the biggest lessons you think you learned from your time as Speaker?

Newt Gingrich: That we need much more profound, much more fundamental change, and that it requires dramatically greater efforts in education than I would have ever imagined.

CBSNews.com: What do you say to some fellow Republicans who think that Hillary Clinton is using you, most recently on Alzheimer's research, to appear more bipartisan?

Newt Gingrich: Well, I am delighted that Senator Clinton thinks it is useful to be bipartisan.

CBSNews.com: And what is your opinion of her candidacy more generally?

Newt Gingrich: Well, I think she is a Democratic frontrunner. I think she is very formidable. I do not think anybody has made money betting against the Clintons in elected politics since 1980. And I think that she is, clearly, formidable, hard-working, and intelligent. I think she is also way too liberal and she and I could have a lot of fun debating because we would be on very different sides.

CBSNews.com: And how do you assess the rest of the Democratic field?

Newt Gingrich: As having a very hard time figuring out how they are going to get past Hillary Clinton.

CBSNews.com: Are you going to attend the big Republican presidential straw poll in Ames, Iowa this summer?

Newt Gingrich: Absolutely. I have been invited by the state party as sort of a senior Republican. I am not a candidate. American Solutions is going to have eight workshops at the straw poll. I will be there. I will give a little talk, much like Senator [Chuck] Grassley (R-IA). And I am looking forward to it very, very much.

---

Newt Gingrich was speaker of the House from 1995-1999. He was the architect of the "Contract with America" that defined the Republican takeover of Congress for the first time in forty years. Gingrich has written nine books, including fiction and nonfiction bestsellers. Following his speakership--and resignation from his House seat in Georgia--Gingrich has focused on public speaking, writing, consulting, and developing policy ideas on health care, government reform, and national defense.

[rharrin1]

We could use some more of that in Washington.
Posted by kesac4650 at 10:03 PM : Jul 20, 2007

How about a job as janitor???

[macusweil]

"I think the most common reaction I get from people, if they actually hear me give an entire speech, is they are amazed at the difference between the media image and the person I am in person."

Yeah, right.. In person he's an even BIGGER liar than on TV!! LOL

[tbweb]

There is no doubt that Newt is the most intelligent of any presidential candidate on either side. It can be pointed out that, of course, intelligence by itself is not the only trait we look for in a president; but Newt also holds firm to the principles that have made the country great, and may yet do so in the future.

Posted by eclecticEel at 01:09 AM : Jul 22, 2007,,,

Agreed. Newt's problem is people never see his soft side. Does Newt have a soft side? LOL Dumping your wife for another women while she's sick in the hospital makes Newt look cold and uncaring. The U.S. is in deep do-do all over the place and the U.S. needs a Newt Gingrich whether it wants to admit it or not, but it ain't happening. I like Newt's clear, direct and to the point manner and he gets things done and the U.S. needs things getting done, a lot of things need getting done!

[shellitzer]

There is no doubt that Newt is the most intelligent of any presidential candidate on either side. It can be pointed out that, of course, intelligence by itself is not the only trait we look for in a president; but Newt also holds firm to the principles that have made the country great, and may yet do so in the future.

[likeitis5050]

Newt? Nope.

[prinzowhales]

fredgrad2000--Come now, you are not silly enough to imagine that the de-polyped Bush and friends are "Conservatives". Look at his budgets... look at his foreign policy...look at the big government criminality that one, according to the Gospel of Limbaugh, one should expect only from those dastardly Liberals. Just what makes Bush a Conservative? What intellectual gymnastics do his accolytes have to go through to present this ideological farce of 'Conservative vs. Liberal' with a straight face?

[okaussie]

Hey FredGrad2000, if you don't like the liberals on this board then don't post here. You should well know that people go to CBS News to get away from the fascist reportings of FOX or the sensationalist headlines from MSNBC

[moosbrth]

Wouldn't that be even dumber than Dubya? All the other great empires lasted longer than this will if Republicans get a chance to trash it even more.

[lars008-2009]

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry

USA's PLEDGE 2 THE WORLD GIVEN BY JFK!!

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
--John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961 "

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." --John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961 "

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Winston Churchill

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.

[fredgrad2000]

And for your Republican haters out there - remember this well; Americans are far more conservative than the Dem party leaders - if it weren't for Iraq, the Dem leadership would not be in the majority on virtually ANY issue. Americans do not want tax hikes, Americans do not want open borders and amnesty (which is what the Dem leaders want), Americans do not want religion removed from every public area (we don't want the Dobsons in control either, but ACLU style crusades are just looney), Americans are against partial-birth abortion, Americans want English as the national language - the GOP lost in 2006 over ONE HUGE issue, Iraq; if that issue goes away by 2008; those Dems who won on that one issue will have a tough time fighting all the myriad issues with which their leadership (wimp Harry, Kennedy, Hillary, Edwards and San Fran Nancy) are on the minority side. If Iraq goes away or we pull out substantially by the election; a clear focus by the GOP on the FACTS that a vote for a democrat WILL increase your taxes and will open our doors to an amnesty policy could very well be enough to put a GOP-er back in the WH and in control of at least one house of Congress. Those 2 issues, without Iraq, could hurt the Dems very much in 2008.

[fredgrad2000]

Newt at the end of the day will not run because he knows how badly the media would distort his image for their own gain and how badly they want Hillary (particularly CBS) in the White House...

I love all the usual "never vote republican again" and name calling cr*p from all the uneducateds who inhabit this board...the truth remains that Newt is a PhD in American History and has a better grasp of the issues that have developed in this country that Hillary or any other GOP or Dem candidate. He rails against the establishment - who here doesn't think that our entitlement programs are bloated and an upcoming issue or that our current politicians have created a conversation with the New York Times or with the Daily Kos or with James Dobson and forgotten the vast majority of us who think those fringes are just plain LOONS! (Though here, probably a lot of Daily Kos lovers actually)? Newt is espousing fundamental change and stating the the Bush administration has fundamentally failed to do what is needed to reform the gov't. If he had a D in front of his name rather than an R, he'd probably be cheered on this board for emphasizing fundamental change and reaming Pres Bush, which shows the ignorance of the majority of these postings - not listening to the man or policies, just towing the party line.

[r9119111]

Newt for President?

No! No! NO!!!

[grumpas]

Another good old fashioned Republican nut case!!!!! I remember he lead the charge of the hypocrite's to impeach Clinton for doing what they were doing! How low could you get?????? When hell freezes over I will vote for a Republican again.

[bobnjersey]

[It's pretty funny really... Newt- what a washed up looser.... The Presidency? In his wet dreams.... ha ha ]
[Posted by jsilver2th at 03:08 PM : Jul 20, 2007]

if you think gwb is bad ... this guy would be gwb w/ a brain and an ability to craft a message on the fly (like clinton could).

don't underestimate him ... he's probably one of the most potentially dangerous republicans that could end up in a republican primary.

stranger things have happened ... the republicans nominated and elected an illiterate moron to forward their idealogical agenda in 2000 ... think of what a guy w/ a brain and can speak eloquently could do.

[drummer94]

Don't ya fish with newts?

[nottellin1]

In what alternate universe would this ever happen?

[zootallures2]

I could care less if this yo-yo is the all time champ at musical chairs. Report some news that matters. No one cares much about the lives of the rich and looney. We know you ******** could care less about us, so why should we pay any attention to you? The universe could care less about you. You are a bunch of 'Whos' with out a Horton, there Dr. Suese! LOL

[harp1963]

Newt for President.....I just fell off of my chair from laughing. If you dumb b a s t a r d s are dumb enough to vote for another Republican that doesn't give a d a m n about the middle class Americans who are running around like chickens with our heads cut off to make ends meet, then you deserve to have child labor laws repealed so you can take your children to work so people with 100 million in the bank can have more. America the land of dumbness and gullibility....Vote Newt.

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER VOTE REPUBLICAN AGAIN!

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

RESPONSE TO UNDERMYBOOT: CHILL OUT. GET A LIFE. THIS TRITE DENIGRATION OF THE REPUBLICANS IS STUPID. WE ARE IN THIS WAR ON TERROR TOGETHER. DIVORCE AND FOOLING AROUND IS NOT A PROBLEM SPECIFIC TO BILL CLINTON, NEWT GINRICH, REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS. IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE RESULT OF GENERAL DECAY OF THIS SOCIETY. PART OF THE SOLUTION IS TO FORGIVE OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER. THERE IS NO CHANCE IN HELL THAT NEWT OR BILL WOULD BURN THE CONSTITUTION.

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

BEST ORIGINAL POSTING ON THIS SITE FOR 07/20/2007 GOES TO kesac4650. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. YOUR COMPOSITION WAS A+ ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE HISTORIAN NATURE OF THIS REMARKABLE AMERICAN.