Could Newt Gingrich actually become president?

[Cyrano]

I personally believe that any one of us has a better chance of becoming president than Gingrich.

However, let's not forget that the amiable imbecile, Ronald Reagan, ended up there for eight years.

And the total imbecile, Bush Jr., also ended up there for eight years.

We all know how much baggage Gingrich is carrying. And we also know that the GOP has gone totally insane.

If Gingrich were to somehow get the nomination, the GOP election-theft machine would go into overdrive. And we know for a fact that Democrats never contest stolen elections.

So what do you think? Could we end up with a President Gingrich?

[rurallib]

1. I never thought I would live to see a black man as president or a woman

I had always thought that over half the American people were smarter than to vote for an imbecile.
So two of three of those have happened. Never say never.

[Philosopher King]

2. To do that, he must first win the GOP nomination.

And although Gingrich's poll numbers now compare with Romney's, he is not even close to Romney in terms of $$$ and organization.

But it he were somehow able to win the nomination, he would obviously have a chance of becoming President.

[Kingofalldems]

16. Newty just keeps coming back---

Even after being told many times he is not welcome.

Funny eh?

[asjr]

3. I think we are being played by the Republicans.

The power-brokers in the party are waiting for everyone to be fed up with the current wannabes and to "save" the party will in a few months bring out Jeb Bush to be their knight in shining armor. With Christie as his running mate. The Republican voters will be so relieved they will vote for a tall man with dynasty quality to be president and a man of girth to be Vice-president.

[Cyrano]

7. I think Jeb is waiting for 2016. His brother's crimes are still fresh in

the minds of far too many people.

[grantcart]

31. IMHO your very close

For the first time the Republicans don't have winner take all primaries (until after April) so that it could well go to the convention and the party could 'reboot' with another candidate.

I beleive that Jeb is being held until 2016.

Mitch Daniels or another Governor is the likely place holder candidate.

Four years from now Jeb will run and the party will be exhausted and embrace him as their savior.

In the meantime whoever is the President in 2012-2016 will be faced mostly with severe budget issues, so let the Democrats fix it until they can raid the treasury again.

[FarLeftFist]

4. I said the same thing about Schwarzenegger.

[sendero]

5. Of course he could..

.... our president has been busy fucking up since the day he took office. The economy is highly unlikely to be any better next year, and unlike me most Americans thought we would be "recovering" by now. The anger is rising and even though most Americans know that Republicans are more responsible for this mess than Dems, they will cast the "throw the bum out" vote and a dogcatcher could possibly win against Obama.

[Cyrano]

9. Nonetheless, Gingrich is such a nasty piece of work that

it's possible that far too many people can't stomach his existence.

[sendero]

11. Oh I agree..

.. with the "nasty piece of work" idea. In a crew of hypocrites (politicians in general) he stands out like a beacon. And there is no question that if he gets the nomination (not likely but not impossible either) Obama will have plenty of ammo to use against him.

But, to be honest, I don't think Americans care any more about that stuff, even the most ignorant American understands that you have to make a lot of compromises to get to the top.

[PoliticAverse]

6. I would like to say no, but then I remember some of the people that have actually been elected. n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

8. I seem to remember people asking OBAMA

before the election, about the Republicans stealing votes, and turning the election in favor of McCain. He had the word out that, there was a legal team in place, to make sure votes were not deleted or stolen. The land slide was also in Obama's favor.

Thats what he needs again. If there is another landslide vote for Obama.. there's slim chance of a stolen election. This time around, though..may be tough.

[Cyrano]

10. The thugs are already hard at work disenfranchising voters in

many states.

[MH1]

12. After George the Lesser, I will never again think that someone can't become President.

Even any of the various crop of nutjobs the GOP has trotted out for us: Palin, Bachmann, Trump, Cain, Perry ....

About the only one of the current crop who CAN'T become Pres is Huntsman, and that's because he's trying to be rational AND republican at the same time, and that will never work. However, if by some crazy circumstance he somehow got the GOP nomination, even he could beat Obama if the right amount of money circumstances were applied.

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. I can't say it is impossible. But should he become the GOP nominee which is completely possible - he

suffers the problem of simply not being likable which is in stark contrast to the Reagan comparison. I never liked Reagan even personally. But I can see how a lot of people thought he was warm and charming. Newt is about as warm and charming as a tarantula. Also, Reagan was able to down play most of his actual policies which were very unpopular and focus attention on vague feel good themes. Gingrich is to some extent actually somewhat honest and transparent about what he is actually proposing policy wise. In fact he does so to wonkish levels. He doesn't seem to even realize how unpopular his policy proposals are. Reagan however diabolical his agenda - communicated a sense of warmth, optimism and most sinister of all he convinced a good deal of the world that selfishness was actually a form of kindliness and dangerous militaristic nationalism was being prudent and sensible. Gingrich exposes selfishness to be just was it is - cold hearted sociopathic and well, selfish. The Newt is actually able to to make patriotism sound scary and dangerous.

One can never say never, but should he become the nominee I am reasonably confident that we would see the largest Democratic landslide since 1964. Reagan made diabolical polices sound reasonable. Gingrich makes diabolical policies sound diabolical.

[Fumesucker]

14. There's certainly a non-zero chance of Newt becoming president..

Somewhat unlikely but by no means beyond the realm of possibility.

[Diclotican]

15. Cyrano

Cyrano

Untill GWB I would doubt Newt Gingrich had any chance to get into the oval Office as President... But after GWB, everyhing is posible, all the limits, all the "rules" when it came to elect a president are out...

Diclotican

[Cyrano]

17. Were Gingrich ever to become president, sane people would have two choices

1. Surrunder and go along with the insanity.

2. Revolt and fight to the death.

I really wish I could see a third alternative, but given what Gingrich is, and the insanity of today's Republican Party, I just can't see any other option. But I'd like to hear one if you have one.

[RZM]

21. There is a third option

It's what the losing side usually does . . . be the opposition. Work within the confines of the system to oppose the president's policies. That's what the anti-Obama crew is doing now. I don't see why that would be any different under President Newt.

Seems pretty simple to me. That's how it's always been. The idea that you have to 'surrender or fight to the death' is ridiculous.

That being said, I wouldn't put my money on Gingrich becoming president (he has a little better chance to be the nominee). OTOH, Obama will be somewhat vulnerable and he won't be able to coast like he did in 2008, but he should be ok against Newt, who has a whole slew of problems of his own.

[Diclotican]

33. Cyrano

Cyrano

I am not sure what to say about US this days.. it looks like many have lost their way, and you all collectively are on the edge on going over the egde.. The few ones who could be a third alternatives, are either bullied to silence, or made klear that if they do something, they wil end up dead...

The republican Party, the little I have read about it the last couple of year here on DU (And I would say DU is by far a better information source to get to know US, than other outlets who also claim to know what is going on in the US) Is absolutely going down in the deep end in the pool, and it looks like you must be insane, or boder to insanity to get a seat with power this days.. Its somting bursted when GWB Jr was elected in the US and all the insanity that was bolted down and under control, are now blowing up to all to se...



Diclotican

[tabasco]

18. IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE!

[Fire Walk With Me]

19. No. Not on my watch.

[struggle4progress]

20. Twice divorced. Resigned his congressional seat in 1998 immediately after being re-elected.

And a principal architect of nasty modern partisanship and obstructionism -- the man whose main political strategy has been "Never say anything nice about the people you sometimes disagree with"

The campaign slogan just writes itself:

Newt for President! Because America needs a malicious two-timing quitter in the Oval Office!

[Cyrano]

22. Given the insanity of today's Republicans, that slogan just might work.

After all, as H.L. Mencken said, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."

[RZM]

24. LOL as an aside, it's hard to square Mencken's quote with this . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_Friends_Network

They went bankrupt doing just that ;)

[EFerrari]

23. After Little Boots stole two elections, how is this even a question?

[War Horse]

25. Nah. It will be Mitt

Much to the chagrin of the die hards, of course.

Cain is dead in the water. Perry had his Perry moment.

Mitt will be the only one left standing.

[Cyrano]

26. Mitt's problem is that Baptists consider Mormons to be a cult.

So how many Republican Baptists would vote for Mormon Mitt?

(Don't you just love America's so-called religious tolerance?)

[War Horse]

30. The Rs really have a rebus cut out for them, don't they? :) /nt

[yortsed snacilbuper]

27. I said the same thing about,

ronnie raygun?

[senseandsensibility]

28. He's physically unattractive. I know that the standards are

much lower for how male candidates look compared to female ones, but the low info voters want someone who at least looks decent. Reagan was a former actor, and although long past his prime, still looked okay.

[BrendaBrick]

29. Geesh, who knows?

As far as I am concerned...all this talk so EARLY ON is really, pretty fruitless and a total waste of my time and energy to even speculate at this point - just look at the GOP track record. Never know who is going to be the 'flavor of the' - hmmm. ummm...week? - day? - hour? - let alone the *long-term* WHOLE ENTIRE MONTH!!!!

I think that both sides might be scrambling right along now, to be honest with you. Nothing is sticking. Which might in fact...be a very good thing.

I don't exactly know what this very intelligent, savvy and well-organized and tenacious Occupy Movement might have in store as to lining up to be a possible and very viable third party movement...on ALL LEVELS - local, state and federal - but my gut feeling is that the more this powerful movement grows...the more all these "living in a bubble" bureaucrats on BOTH sides of the aisle just ought might give them something really important to think about...is my feeling ~ and all of their days in office just might numbered...and what better incentive than to put this fire under their pants to get something DONE and NOW already...before it is too late!!!!!

[madokie]

32. Holy fuck! gingrich can be President

I'm heading for the hills

On second thought all those credit lines we'll be given we won't notice the shaft up or arses, or they think. We'll be so giddy from spending that 175,000 dollars that we won't give a shit about anything else.

Republicons are stupid people when it comes right down to it.