From IMCT - January 9, 2005

Newt Gingrich -- remember him?

Ol' Newt, to whom the Republicans owe their current control of government, is contemplating a Presidential run in 2008. That could be quite interesting.

Newt oversaw the 1994 Republican revolution with his Contract on America, and was the Speaker of the House from 1994-1998. In 1997, he was reprimanded by the Republican-controlled House (how quickly they forget/eat their own young) then in 1998 left Congress entirely despite winning re-election after the GOP had a poor showing in mid-term elections.

It's interesting that Newt was reprimanded and fined for much the same thing that Tom DeLay is going through -- but the GOP House members came close to changing the rules so DeLay could remain Majority leader.

While Newt should be a poster boy for the current administration, you don't hear him mentioned by the current neo-conservatives in power. For one thing, Newt was critical of the handling of the Iraq war -- but not of the starting of said war. He has also criticized other elements of Bush policies. However, he has many of the same conservative pet projects as the administration. Still, it feels like those now in charge have something against their role model -- was he the victim of a political fragging?

With all this, it would seem that Gingrich, despite his enormous name recognition, would be a bit of an outsider in a 2008 GOP primary. He just doesn't have that feel of the chosen one, like a Jeb Bush or Rudy Guliani. And that could be good.

A bloody primary for the Repugs could help the Dems, as theirs is liable to be a bit of a mess, also. It's hard to figure just who the Dems should hope to face in the general election (although I still feel a Northeastern conservative such as Guliani would be more beatable), but if John McCain, Gingrich, Jeb Bush and Guliani all toss in their hats, it could be a polarizing primary that exposes the differences inside the party.

Of course, if Karl Rove or a like protege gets control, the Republicans may line up as they are wont to do behind one candidate who is annointed by whoever controls such things. Still, the more names in the hat in 2008 (and you've got to figure there will be several willing), the merrier for the Dems.