Newt Gingrich presidential campaign, 2012
Encyclopedia
Former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
of Georgia
began preparing for a possible campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States
shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and helped several Tea Party-backed Republicans with his endorsements and fundraising abilities. In early 2011, he chose to run for President and left his position as a political analyst for Fox News. During his campaign, he suffered a campaign implosion in June and has since revived his campaign through strong debate performances and the introduction of a new "Twenty-First Century Contract with America".
in part with the Contract With America
. He served as Speaker until exiting the House in 1999. Since that time, he has published several historical novels and served as a political consultant and recently as a Fox News contributor. He was previously speculated as a candidate in the 2008 election
, and has supported the Tea Party Movement
.
For most of 2010, Gingrich spent a considerable amount of time campaigning throughout the early primary states
, particularly Iowa
and New Hampshire
. In 2011, he took part in the Conservative Political Action Conference
, fueling further speculation of a potential run. Within the Republican Party, Gingrich faced several political liabilities for his failed marriages. In March, he appealed to Christian conservatives, saying he regretted that part of his past and made poor moral judgements.
, who worked with Gingrich in 2010 to unseat three Iowa justices who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage
, praised Gingrich's ability to raise funds. However, he said that Gingrich's task of winning the GOP primary was difficult, "on the level of an earthquake moving the Rockies a foot or two." According to Human Events columnist Tony Lee, if the 2012 campaign is "focused on wonkish policy", Gingrich's "depth and range on a variety of issues" will give him a "homecourt advantage" and Gingrich will be a "more than formidable candidate". The Club for Growth gave Gingrich a mixed review, citing his support for the individual health care mandate and his "penchant for tinkering with rewards for favored industries and outcomes".
until at least February 2011, and would announce his decision sometime in March. It was erroneously announced on March 1, 2011, that Gingrich had formed an exploratory committee, and would officially announce the committee in Georgia after a meeting with Governor Nathan Deal
. He actually launched an exploratory committee on March 3, when he started his new website. The website, entitled "Newt Exploratory 2012", features a photo of Gingrich with his wife, Callista
, superimposed over a background of flag-waving Americans. The Getty Images
-licensed background was found to have been previously used on the website of the late Senator Ted Kennedy
of Massachusetts. He officially declared his run for President on March 11, 2011, through Twitter and YouTube, making him the first candidate in American history to do so.
on Meet the Press
. Questioning Gingrich on the issue of entitlements, Gregory asked: "The Medicare trust fund, in stories that have come out over the weekend, is now going to be depleted by 2024, five years earlier than predicted. Do you think that Republicans ought to buck the public opposition and really move forward to completely change Medicare, turn it into a voucher program where you give seniors some premium support and--so that they can go out and buy private insurance?" Gingrich answered: "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering. I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate." Perceived to be criticism of the Republican Party's plan to reform Medicare for the 2012 United States federal budget
, the comments were met with a great deal of backlash from the GOP and various political pundits. The following day, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan
, the chairman of the House Budget Committee who outlined the 2012 budget proposal, told guest host Raymond Arroyo
on the The Laura Ingraham Show
: "With allies like that, who needs the left?" Rush Limbaugh advanced a theory that Gingrich intended to be provocative in his "social engineering" statement, and wanted to sacrifice short-term political capital in order to be a stronger candidate in the long term race.
Two days later, Gingrich appeared on On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren in order to respond to criticism he had received over his earlier comments. During the interview, Gingrich explained to Van Susteren
that Gregory's question was "a hypothetical baloney question" that he should have refused to answer. After telling Van Susteren that he had contacted Ryan to apologize for his earlier comments, he added: "I want to make sure every House Republican is protected from some kind of dishonest, Democratic edge. So, let me say on the record: Any ad which quotes what I said Sunday is a falsehood and because I have said publicly, those words were inaccurate and unfortunate." Sarah Palin
, former Governor of Alaska and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, defended the former Speaker of the House on the Fox News Channel
show Hannity
, stating that Gingrich was a victim of gotcha journalism
and that his apology was forced by the "lamestream media". Gingrich later said on CBS News
's Face the Nation
that he was not referring to Ryan but to a general principle "that neither party should impose on the American people something that they are deeply opposed to."
as much as $500,000. Tiffany's spokesperson Carson Glover stated on May 24 that Gingrich currently has a zero balance with the company, and that "all payments were made in a timely manner". The New York Times
described his revolving line of credit with the jewelry company as one of "the long list of rich-guy foibles that turned into defining campaign moments".
Gingrich was given a shower of glitter as a protest by a gay activist in May. He told Gingrich, "Feel the rainbow, Newt! Stop the hate! Stop anti-gay politics!". The incident was aimed at Gingrich for his involvement with the Minnesota Family Council.
, on the campaign, the candidate's unwillingness to devote more time to campaigning in early primary states, and recent spending on a chartered jet despite fundraising troubles. Fox News also reported that staff had argued with Gingrich over a luxury cruise in the Balkans, Greece and Turkey he took with his wife just before the resignations. ABC News printed a report claiming that his charity, "Renewing American Leadership", was making payments to for-profit businesses he also ran. Gingrich flatly put down the smears, saying, "It’s just a falsehood. Patently false. Period." By late June 2011, the campaign was rumored to be $1 million in debt. Two of the aides had previously worked for Rick Perry
, who is running for president. Gingrich vowed on his Facebook
page the same day to begin his campaign "anew". He compared himself to Ronald Reagan and John McCain, who experienced large staff resignations during their presidential runs. Gingrich continued to campaign on a promise of restoring competitiveness to the United States, promising to eliminate the capital gains tax and slash corporate taxes. Gingrich took a liking to the Six Sigma
business management model, and said it should be integrated into the United States government.
. Gingrich did not purchase a booth or speaking slot at the Ames poll, and made no serious effort to win the Ames poll. He finished 8th out of 10 candidates listed.
Gingrich put effort into his Internet social networking, and developed a strong following on Facebook and Twitter. He also held a handful of video "hangouts" where he would have webcam discussions with potential voters. Politico found his Twitter account impressive, and wrote a positive article on how his Twitter account had developed to 1.3 million followers from its start in 2009. Gingrich posted 2 or 3 tweets per day, and included science and history in addition to political topics. The next day, an anonymous former staffmember who had left the Gingrich campaign said that about 80% of the followers were inactive or invalid accounts, and that the campaign paid an Internet service to add followers. Gingrich's spokesman confronted the allegations as false and said his inclusion to the Suggested User List was "responsible for a large, but indeterminable amount of followers." ABC News identified two other "Suggested" users, Gavin Newsom
with 1.3 million, and John McCain
with 1.7 million followers, suggesting it was not an anomaly.
/ORC International
poll released shortly after the sixth Republican debate in Orlando, Florida had Gingrich in third behind Perry and Romney. His former rival, Bill Clinton, suggested it was possible for Gingrich to pull off the same success that McCain had in 2008, saying, "The one thing that makes it very hard to count him out is he’s always thinking. He’s always got a bunch of new ideas and some of them are pretty good." Gingrich increased his fundraising after consistently performing well in the Republican debates. Pollster Kellyanne Conway, who worked for Gingrich's American Solutions, reviewed his debate performances and said his focus and ability to stay on-point during the discussions helped him enormously, as compared to past speeches where he would entertain many different topics. In September 2011, he was able to increase his ground operations in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. Tea Party founder Judson Phillips endorsed Newt, praising his "presidential" appearances at the debates. Gingrich personally was in-favor of having unmoderated debates, and advocated for a series of Lincoln-Douglas style forums, which he believed would produce a better "adult Conversation with the American people." He explained, "It's difficult to get past the elite media's passion for trivia. It's difficult to deal with presidential debates that say, in 30 seconds, 'What's your position on balancing the budget?' You know, I don't think we're geared, outside maybe of C-SPAN, to the kind of conversations that we really need in order for the country to make decisions that are really very fundamental."
Gingrich introduced a new "Contract with America" that he said would be "much bigger and much bolder" than his original 1994 Contract. Among his proposals would be a Balanced Budget Amendment, a strong training program for new hires in his administration, an individualized learning program for American students, and the signing of 50-100 executive orders beginning on his first day as president. He also proposed the building of a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border by Jan. 1, 2014, telling a Tea Party audience it was long overdue, "We won the entire second World War in 44 months, and now in 25 years we can’t control the border when the entire Texas side of the border is a river." He emphasized the balance of powers between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, and proposed an elimination of policy czars and the reduction of power for the judiciary. Gingrich said the United States faced "an increasingly arrogant judiciary" and argued that the Federalist Papers
had established the judiciary as the "weakest of the three branches". Gingrich promoted a reduction in the size of the federal government, pushing for the states' rights authorized by the 10th Amendment. Certain federal agencies, including the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security would be reduced or eliminated entirely, and federal programs such as student loans would be done by private companies instead of the government. He believes the EPA should be eliminated and replaced by a smaller agency which would be more aggressive in getting companies to use new science and technology to help the environment. He opposed carbon pricing
, which was especially unpopular among conservatives, saying it was an overreach of the EPA's authority. He said the EPA, which was founded in 1970 by Richard Nixon, a Republican, began on good conservative principles but has become too bureaucratic and litigation-focused to be successfully innovative. In particular, he is an advocate for nuclear power, and wants government regulations rewritten from an "outdated" model based on large complex nuclear plants so they take into consideration the systems inside smaller nuclear power plants.
, American Solutions, closed down in August. At a debate, he was asked a question on his past contract with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as he was paid $300,000 by the company in 2006. Gingrich said he did no lobbying for the company, which was then under scrutiny by President Bush, Alan Greenspan, and Republicans in Congress to cease granting mortgages to deadbeats with absolutely no hope of paying for them. Gingrich said the company approached him and said, “we are now making loans to people that have no credit history and have no record of paying back anything, but that’s what the government wants us to do.” He said his advice was to tell them, “this is insane.” At the time, Freddie Mac had paid over 52 congressmen for lobbying efforts against the Republicans, and improved its image by publicizing its "homeowner counseling" programs. Gingrich attended an event celebrating an expansion of a Freddie Mac housing complex and said, "To help people achieve the American dream of homeownership, we need to prepare people to handle the enormous responsibility of owning their own home. I commend Cobb Housing and the Fannie Mae Foundation for enhancing housing counseling programs that can better prepare families for this responsibility." Gingrich's campaign defended its work with Freddie Mac, offering a statement saying he advised the company on how to lower its health costs and told them that the lending practices were not sustainable. In his statement, he said Freddie Mac was highly interested in reaching out to more Republicans, and his response was that they should be open to reforming their lending practices. He also said that his contract was written with a clause saying that he would not do any lobbying. Bloomberg News revealed that his relationship with Freddy Mac extended far earlier, and that he worked in a previous contract from 1999 to 2002 for consulting. He was asked for strategic advice that would make their program more appealing to conservatives. According to discussions Gingrich had with the company, he advised them that their efforts at home ownership would be appealing to minorities, particularly Hispanics, and would make for good politics in the Republican Party. He also advised them to start initiatives with the Boy Scouts of America and educate youth on the importance of financial education and home ownership, but the company did not do so. It was revealed that he was paid in the area of $1.6 and 1.8 million for his consulting work. During his presidential campaign, Gingrich said he could not recall many of the details of his conversations with Freddy Mac executives, but reiterated that he did no lobbying for them and would be willing to publicly release his contracts "as much as legally possible."
On November 17, 2011 the Washington Post reported that the Center for Health Transformation
, a private, for-profit think tank
founded by Gingrich in 2003, made at least $37 millions of dollars over 8 years by billing health care companies and industry groups who as members paid up to $200,000 annual fees. Although lobbying activity is denied, the Center offers on its website being able to bridge the link to government agencies and offering a "network of allies" within the Federal and State governments, further, special access to Gingrich was offered in its materials.
On November 27, 2011, Gingrich received the endorsement of the influential New Hampshire newspaper the Manchester Union Leader. The paper wrote:
Gingrich is challenged by Ron Paul
with a factual, very negative ad.
{| class="navbox collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:left; border:0; margin-top:0.2em;"
|-
! style="background:#cff; font-weight:normal;"|
List of Newt Gingrich endorsements
|-
| style="border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:white;"|
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
began preparing for a possible campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and helped several Tea Party-backed Republicans with his endorsements and fundraising abilities. In early 2011, he chose to run for President and left his position as a political analyst for Fox News. During his campaign, he suffered a campaign implosion in June and has since revived his campaign through strong debate performances and the introduction of a new "Twenty-First Century Contract with America".
Background
Gingrich was first elected to Congress in 1978, and served as Speaker of the House after helping to orchestrate the 1994 Republican RevolutionRepublican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
in part with the Contract With America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
. He served as Speaker until exiting the House in 1999. Since that time, he has published several historical novels and served as a political consultant and recently as a Fox News contributor. He was previously speculated as a candidate in the 2008 election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, and has supported the Tea Party Movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
.
For most of 2010, Gingrich spent a considerable amount of time campaigning throughout the early primary states
United States presidential primary
The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while caucuses are private events run by the political parties...
, particularly Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. In 2011, he took part in the Conservative Political Action Conference
Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
, fueling further speculation of a potential run. Within the Republican Party, Gingrich faced several political liabilities for his failed marriages. In March, he appealed to Christian conservatives, saying he regretted that part of his past and made poor moral judgements.
Reviews
Conservative Christian political activist David LaneDavid Lane (activist)
David Lane is an American political activist who works to increase the political strength of religious groups on the Christian right, to promote social conservative values in the United States....
, who worked with Gingrich in 2010 to unseat three Iowa justices who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, praised Gingrich's ability to raise funds. However, he said that Gingrich's task of winning the GOP primary was difficult, "on the level of an earthquake moving the Rockies a foot or two." According to Human Events columnist Tony Lee, if the 2012 campaign is "focused on wonkish policy", Gingrich's "depth and range on a variety of issues" will give him a "homecourt advantage" and Gingrich will be a "more than formidable candidate". The Club for Growth gave Gingrich a mixed review, citing his support for the individual health care mandate and his "penchant for tinkering with rewards for favored industries and outcomes".
Announcement
Gingrich had maintained that he would not officially decide whether or not to pursue the office of PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
until at least February 2011, and would announce his decision sometime in March. It was erroneously announced on March 1, 2011, that Gingrich had formed an exploratory committee, and would officially announce the committee in Georgia after a meeting with Governor Nathan Deal
Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
. He actually launched an exploratory committee on March 3, when he started his new website. The website, entitled "Newt Exploratory 2012", features a photo of Gingrich with his wife, Callista
Callista Gingrich
Callista Louise Gingrich, née Bisek is the wife of former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, and the President of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production company based in Washington, DC....
, superimposed over a background of flag-waving Americans. The Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images, Inc. is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still images and illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage...
-licensed background was found to have been previously used on the website of the late Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
of Massachusetts. He officially declared his run for President on March 11, 2011, through Twitter and YouTube, making him the first candidate in American history to do so.
Meet the Press interview
On May 15, 2011, Gingrich was interviewed by David GregoryDavid Gregory (journalist)
David Michael Gregory is an American television journalist, and moderator of NBC News' Sunday morning talk show Meet the Press.-Early life:...
on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
. Questioning Gingrich on the issue of entitlements, Gregory asked: "The Medicare trust fund, in stories that have come out over the weekend, is now going to be depleted by 2024, five years earlier than predicted. Do you think that Republicans ought to buck the public opposition and really move forward to completely change Medicare, turn it into a voucher program where you give seniors some premium support and--so that they can go out and buy private insurance?" Gingrich answered: "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering. I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate." Perceived to be criticism of the Republican Party's plan to reform Medicare for the 2012 United States federal budget
2012 United States federal budget
The 2012 United States federal budget is the United States federal budget to fund government operations for the fiscal year 2012, which is October 2011–September 2012...
, the comments were met with a great deal of backlash from the GOP and various political pundits. The following day, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan may refer to:* Paul Ryan , member of the U.S. House of Representatives* Paul Ryan , music agent for The Agency, former Cradle of Filth guitarist* Paul Ryan , comics artist...
, the chairman of the House Budget Committee who outlined the 2012 budget proposal, told guest host Raymond Arroyo
Raymond Arroyo
Raymond Arroyo is a New York Times bestselling author, and a producer. He is the news director and lead anchor of EWTN News, the news division of the Eternal Word Television Network, a Catholic broadcast network founded by Mother Angelica, a nun of the Poor Clare order...
on the The Laura Ingraham Show
The Laura Ingraham Show
The Laura Ingraham Show is a three-hour American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Laura Ingraham on Talk Radio Network. , the show is broadcast live on Channel 2, from 9 a.m...
: "With allies like that, who needs the left?" Rush Limbaugh advanced a theory that Gingrich intended to be provocative in his "social engineering" statement, and wanted to sacrifice short-term political capital in order to be a stronger candidate in the long term race.
Two days later, Gingrich appeared on On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren in order to respond to criticism he had received over his earlier comments. During the interview, Gingrich explained to Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren is an American commentator and television personality on the Fox News Channel, where she hosts On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren...
that Gregory's question was "a hypothetical baloney question" that he should have refused to answer. After telling Van Susteren that he had contacted Ryan to apologize for his earlier comments, he added: "I want to make sure every House Republican is protected from some kind of dishonest, Democratic edge. So, let me say on the record: Any ad which quotes what I said Sunday is a falsehood and because I have said publicly, those words were inaccurate and unfortunate." Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, former Governor of Alaska and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, defended the former Speaker of the House on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
show Hannity
Hannity
Hannity is a television show on the Fox News network, a replacement to the long-running show Hannity & Colmes. It is hosted by conservative political pundit Sean Hannity....
, stating that Gingrich was a victim of gotcha journalism
Gotcha journalism
Gotcha journalism is a term used to describe methods of interviewing which are designed to entrap interviewees into making statements which are damaging or discreditable to their cause, character, integrity, or reputation...
and that his apology was forced by the "lamestream media". Gingrich later said on CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
's Face the Nation
Face the Nation
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer is an American Sunday-morning political interview show which premiered on the CBS television network on November 7, 1954. It is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television...
that he was not referring to Ryan but to a general principle "that neither party should impose on the American people something that they are deeply opposed to."
Debt to Tiffany & Co.
On May 17, 2011, Politico reported that Gingrich may have owed Tiffany & Co.Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
as much as $500,000. Tiffany's spokesperson Carson Glover stated on May 24 that Gingrich currently has a zero balance with the company, and that "all payments were made in a timely manner". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described his revolving line of credit with the jewelry company as one of "the long list of rich-guy foibles that turned into defining campaign moments".
Gingrich was given a shower of glitter as a protest by a gay activist in May. He told Gingrich, "Feel the rainbow, Newt! Stop the hate! Stop anti-gay politics!". The incident was aimed at Gingrich for his involvement with the Minnesota Family Council.
Staff resignations
On June 9, 2011, Gingrich's campaign manager, his press secretary, and senior aides in early primary states had resigned from his campaign en masse, leading to questions about the viability of the campaign. One of the aides who resigned cited differences in vision between the candidate and the staff. The New York Times cited aides complaining of the influence of Gingrich's wife, Callista GingrichCallista Gingrich
Callista Louise Gingrich, née Bisek is the wife of former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, and the President of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production company based in Washington, DC....
, on the campaign, the candidate's unwillingness to devote more time to campaigning in early primary states, and recent spending on a chartered jet despite fundraising troubles. Fox News also reported that staff had argued with Gingrich over a luxury cruise in the Balkans, Greece and Turkey he took with his wife just before the resignations. ABC News printed a report claiming that his charity, "Renewing American Leadership", was making payments to for-profit businesses he also ran. Gingrich flatly put down the smears, saying, "It’s just a falsehood. Patently false. Period." By late June 2011, the campaign was rumored to be $1 million in debt. Two of the aides had previously worked for Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, who is running for president. Gingrich vowed on his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page the same day to begin his campaign "anew". He compared himself to Ronald Reagan and John McCain, who experienced large staff resignations during their presidential runs. Gingrich continued to campaign on a promise of restoring competitiveness to the United States, promising to eliminate the capital gains tax and slash corporate taxes. Gingrich took a liking to the Six Sigma
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in 1986. , it is widely used in many sectors of industry.Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and...
business management model, and said it should be integrated into the United States government.
Revival
Gingrich changed direction on campaign spending, and began using commercial flights and recruited professional volunteers to save money. By July 2011, he announced that he had raised $2 million in the past 3 months and was on-track to paying back his campaign debts. Gingrich said the hardest aspect of his campaign was fundraising, as the media had detracted potential donors through stories saying he was not a serious candidate He underscored the size and scope of his fundraising outreach, saying, "It’s September and I’m here. Every day that goes by we’re fundraising. We will be on the road 24 days this month,” he said. “I will be in 50 states. This campaign is fully underway." On the campaign trail, voters complimented his "intellectualism" and called him a "man of ideas". Gingrich approached his political campaign based on a model from Walmart and McDonalds, saying that instead of carving a niche for himself from among his fellow Republican contenders, he would court nontraditional interest groups for the GOP, including Asian Americans and Latinos. Gingrich was one of several candidates, including Mitt Romney, who did not contest the 2011 Ames Straw PollAmes Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
. Gingrich did not purchase a booth or speaking slot at the Ames poll, and made no serious effort to win the Ames poll. He finished 8th out of 10 candidates listed.
Gingrich put effort into his Internet social networking, and developed a strong following on Facebook and Twitter. He also held a handful of video "hangouts" where he would have webcam discussions with potential voters. Politico found his Twitter account impressive, and wrote a positive article on how his Twitter account had developed to 1.3 million followers from its start in 2009. Gingrich posted 2 or 3 tweets per day, and included science and history in addition to political topics. The next day, an anonymous former staffmember who had left the Gingrich campaign said that about 80% of the followers were inactive or invalid accounts, and that the campaign paid an Internet service to add followers. Gingrich's spokesman confronted the allegations as false and said his inclusion to the Suggested User List was "responsible for a large, but indeterminable amount of followers." ABC News identified two other "Suggested" users, Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
with 1.3 million, and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
with 1.7 million followers, suggesting it was not an anomaly.
Debates and polling
The Washington Post reported that Gingrich had a "solid performance" at the fifth Republican debate in Tampa, Florida. A CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/ORC International
ORC International
ORC International is a leading market research agency and the global research operating unit of Opinion Research Corporation. The company's UK headquarters are located at 186 City Road, Londonadjacent to Silicon Roundabout, with another office in Manchester....
poll released shortly after the sixth Republican debate in Orlando, Florida had Gingrich in third behind Perry and Romney. His former rival, Bill Clinton, suggested it was possible for Gingrich to pull off the same success that McCain had in 2008, saying, "The one thing that makes it very hard to count him out is he’s always thinking. He’s always got a bunch of new ideas and some of them are pretty good." Gingrich increased his fundraising after consistently performing well in the Republican debates. Pollster Kellyanne Conway, who worked for Gingrich's American Solutions, reviewed his debate performances and said his focus and ability to stay on-point during the discussions helped him enormously, as compared to past speeches where he would entertain many different topics. In September 2011, he was able to increase his ground operations in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. Tea Party founder Judson Phillips endorsed Newt, praising his "presidential" appearances at the debates. Gingrich personally was in-favor of having unmoderated debates, and advocated for a series of Lincoln-Douglas style forums, which he believed would produce a better "adult Conversation with the American people." He explained, "It's difficult to get past the elite media's passion for trivia. It's difficult to deal with presidential debates that say, in 30 seconds, 'What's your position on balancing the budget?' You know, I don't think we're geared, outside maybe of C-SPAN, to the kind of conversations that we really need in order for the country to make decisions that are really very fundamental."
Gingrich introduced a new "Contract with America" that he said would be "much bigger and much bolder" than his original 1994 Contract. Among his proposals would be a Balanced Budget Amendment, a strong training program for new hires in his administration, an individualized learning program for American students, and the signing of 50-100 executive orders beginning on his first day as president. He also proposed the building of a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border by Jan. 1, 2014, telling a Tea Party audience it was long overdue, "We won the entire second World War in 44 months, and now in 25 years we can’t control the border when the entire Texas side of the border is a river." He emphasized the balance of powers between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, and proposed an elimination of policy czars and the reduction of power for the judiciary. Gingrich said the United States faced "an increasingly arrogant judiciary" and argued that the Federalist Papers
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles or essays promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788...
had established the judiciary as the "weakest of the three branches". Gingrich promoted a reduction in the size of the federal government, pushing for the states' rights authorized by the 10th Amendment. Certain federal agencies, including the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security would be reduced or eliminated entirely, and federal programs such as student loans would be done by private companies instead of the government. He believes the EPA should be eliminated and replaced by a smaller agency which would be more aggressive in getting companies to use new science and technology to help the environment. He opposed carbon pricing
Carbon pricing
Carbon pricing is the generic term for placing a price on carbon through either subsidies, a carbon tax, or an emissions trading system....
, which was especially unpopular among conservatives, saying it was an overreach of the EPA's authority. He said the EPA, which was founded in 1970 by Richard Nixon, a Republican, began on good conservative principles but has become too bureaucratic and litigation-focused to be successfully innovative. In particular, he is an advocate for nuclear power, and wants government regulations rewritten from an "outdated" model based on large complex nuclear plants so they take into consideration the systems inside smaller nuclear power plants.
Top tier candidate
In November 2011, Gingrich began to poll in third, behind Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, who ran neck-and-neck, but ahead of Rick Perry, whose debate performances had cost him many supporters. On November 10, 2011, a independent PAC, Solutions 2012, was started to raise money for Gingrich. It is not bound by FEC donor limits and allowed him to gain large donations previously held back after his own 527 group527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after "Section 527" of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code...
, American Solutions, closed down in August. At a debate, he was asked a question on his past contract with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as he was paid $300,000 by the company in 2006. Gingrich said he did no lobbying for the company, which was then under scrutiny by President Bush, Alan Greenspan, and Republicans in Congress to cease granting mortgages to deadbeats with absolutely no hope of paying for them. Gingrich said the company approached him and said, “we are now making loans to people that have no credit history and have no record of paying back anything, but that’s what the government wants us to do.” He said his advice was to tell them, “this is insane.” At the time, Freddie Mac had paid over 52 congressmen for lobbying efforts against the Republicans, and improved its image by publicizing its "homeowner counseling" programs. Gingrich attended an event celebrating an expansion of a Freddie Mac housing complex and said, "To help people achieve the American dream of homeownership, we need to prepare people to handle the enormous responsibility of owning their own home. I commend Cobb Housing and the Fannie Mae Foundation for enhancing housing counseling programs that can better prepare families for this responsibility." Gingrich's campaign defended its work with Freddie Mac, offering a statement saying he advised the company on how to lower its health costs and told them that the lending practices were not sustainable. In his statement, he said Freddie Mac was highly interested in reaching out to more Republicans, and his response was that they should be open to reforming their lending practices. He also said that his contract was written with a clause saying that he would not do any lobbying. Bloomberg News revealed that his relationship with Freddy Mac extended far earlier, and that he worked in a previous contract from 1999 to 2002 for consulting. He was asked for strategic advice that would make their program more appealing to conservatives. According to discussions Gingrich had with the company, he advised them that their efforts at home ownership would be appealing to minorities, particularly Hispanics, and would make for good politics in the Republican Party. He also advised them to start initiatives with the Boy Scouts of America and educate youth on the importance of financial education and home ownership, but the company did not do so. It was revealed that he was paid in the area of $1.6 and 1.8 million for his consulting work. During his presidential campaign, Gingrich said he could not recall many of the details of his conversations with Freddy Mac executives, but reiterated that he did no lobbying for them and would be willing to publicly release his contracts "as much as legally possible."
On November 17, 2011 the Washington Post reported that the Center for Health Transformation
Center for Health Transformation
The Center for Health Transformation is a think tank that brings together both "private and public sector leaders" to improve American health care...
, a private, for-profit think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
founded by Gingrich in 2003, made at least $37 millions of dollars over 8 years by billing health care companies and industry groups who as members paid up to $200,000 annual fees. Although lobbying activity is denied, the Center offers on its website being able to bridge the link to government agencies and offering a "network of allies" within the Federal and State governments, further, special access to Gingrich was offered in its materials.
On November 27, 2011, Gingrich received the endorsement of the influential New Hampshire newspaper the Manchester Union Leader. The paper wrote:
Gingrich is challenged by Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
with a factual, very negative ad.
Endorsements
Gingrich has received endorsements from:{| class="navbox collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:left; border:0; margin-top:0.2em;"
|-
! style="background:#cff; font-weight:normal;"|
List of Newt Gingrich endorsements
|-
| style="border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:white;"|
United States House of Representatives
- RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Joe BartonJoe BartonJoseph Linus "Joe" Barton is a Republican politician, representing in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Michael BurgessMichael C. BurgessMichael Clifton Burgess, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and early career:...
of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Phil GingreyPhil GingreyJohn Phillip "Phil" Gingrey, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is located in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta.-Early life, education and career:...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Jack KingstonJack KingstonOne of the counties he represents is Wheeler County.John Heddens "Jack" Kingston is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career:...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Tom Price of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Andy Harris of MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Governors and State Constitutional Officers
- Governor Nathan DealNathan DealJohn Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens
- Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise
- Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald
Former officeholders
- Former Governor Sonny PerdueSonny PerdueGeorge Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - Former Lieutenant Governor André BauerAndré BauerRudolph Andreas "André" Bauer was the 87th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
of of South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Georgia
- State Senator Judson Hill (R-Marietta)
- State Representative Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta)
- State Representative Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs) Wilkinson is chairman of the House Ethics Committee and served in the Reagan Administration.
- State Representative Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell)
- State Representative Sean Jerguson (R-Canton) Jerguson is chairman of the Cherokee County legislative delegation.
- State Representative Paulette Braddock (R-Hiram)
- State Representative Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin)
New Hampshire
- State Representative William Panek (R-Strafford)
- State Representative Sam Cataldo (R-Strafford)
Celebrities, Political Activists, and Commentators
- Dick MorrisDick MorrisDick Morris is an American political author and commentator who previously worked as a pollster, political campaign consultant, and general political consultant....
- Allen Olsen, Columbia Tea Party
- Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips
External links
- Newt 2012 official campaign site
- Newt Gingrich at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Column archives at Human EventsHuman EventsHuman Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
- American Solutions, founder and former general chairman
- FEC reports (U.S. House)
- The Long March of Newt Gingrich PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Frontline, Peter Boyer and Stephen TalbotStephen TalbotStephen Henderson Talbot is an award-winning TV reporter, writer, and producer who began his career as a television child actor of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
, January 16, 1996. transcript chronology interviews work and writings - The Gingrich RX ScribeMedia.org, December 15, 2006
- Former Senior Fellow at The American Enterprise Institute
- Former Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Hoover Institute