Gingrich: Dizzy Path to Non-Candidacy

Is Newt Gingrich running for President or is he not! Apparently, finally, he is not. Only yesterday his organization was poised to begin a pledge campaign designed to raise some $30 million to establish the feasibility of a Gingrich candidacy. Today the announcement came that he is not running, period. The Republican field now appears to be set with no other newcomers on the horizon. The decision was first reported by CNN this afternoon and reported by Politico as follows in part:

"The decision will bolster the contention of several key Republicans that Gingrich's repeated flirtation with a presidential run was a publicity stunt designed to keep him in the news and sell his books. These Republicans said Gingrich has a loyal following and lots of good ideas, but contended that what one called his "on-again, off-again" approach had undermined the seriousness of a potential candidacy. Rick Tyler, Gingrich's spokesman, said lawyers told Gingrich that dabbling in a presidential campaign could endanger the non-profit status of his nonprofit group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, which is holding a workshop in Cobb County, Ga., on Saturday. 'He had to make a choice between being a citizen-activist, raising the challenges America faces and finding solution to America’s problems, or exploring a potential candidacy,' Tyler said. 'It’s legally impermissible to do both. It was the necessary choice. It was the only choice.'”

GOP Debate II (5/15/07)
My take:

Rudy: Seems too anxious to become President; he did get a round of applause when he countered Ron Paul's (sort of) conspiracy theories.

Mitt: Very suave and urbane and articulate; well prepared; stands tough on his governorship in MA as a con in a blue/black state.

McCain: He leaned hard on his military background, as well he should. His experience as a POW strongly informs his views on interrogation and whether forms of "enhanced interrogation" could be used in extreme national security emergencies. He claimed that military people are the ones most opposed to extra legal methods of intel extraction.

Hunter: The clear winner if one includes clarity of vision with determination to do whatever is necessary to preserve this nation against foreign enemies, illegal immigration, out of control spending.

Paul: Not quite the Dennis Kucinich of the right, but close.


Republican strategist Rich Galen's take on last night's debate:(excerpts)

Shorthand: Giuliani helped himself. McCain performed well. Huckabee did well enough so that the big three is now the big three and a half. Giving Romney the kindest review, he came out where he started, but I suspect he may have hurt himself by appearing too pre-programmed in his answers.....

The Giuliani campaign has signaled a major strategic shift. They will no longer attempt to portray him as a Conservative - which he is not - but will attempt to show that he is a center-right candidate running in center-right country. (emphasis added)

That is, of course, a gamble in a Republican primary campaign.....

Throughout, Giuliani demonstrated he will stay on the issue of national security. When Ron Paul said that, in essence, it was the US presence in the Middle East which invited the September 11th attacks, Giuliani demanded that Paul take it back. He refused.
Read Rich's column "Mullings" here.
Labels: GOP Debate Republican Presidential Candidates Rich Galen