Why Newt Gingrich’s campaign was good for the US, the GOP and Newt Gingrich

Heading is controversial I know but please keep reading! I want to state straight away that I didn’t support Newt’s campaign, but I also wasn’t actively hostile (like I was to Rick Perry, or am to Ron Paul). I just thought it was kooky and weird (remember the moon base!). However three points to make:


1.       The US:  America got to see Newt again

Newt Gingrich was previously most famous for his role as Speaker of the House of Representatives during the Clinton years, for his ‘Contract with America’ and for having an affair whilst pursuing President Clinton for having an affair. These things haven’t helped him today. But he has been able to get his profile out and help present a political viewpoint that needs to be heard, even if not agreed with

2.       The GOP had a strong candidate

Newt is a good politician and a great debater. The GOP needed that as it helped make the campaign more serious. Before his rise the debate was over which Tea Party candidate would be picked. Since then the Tea Party movement has lost its teeth and the campaign has got more serious. The search for an ‘anyone but Mitt’ candidate rested on Newt (until it moved to Santorum) and that allowed him to get air time and promote his policies.

3.       Newt has been strengthened and humbled

It is easy to forget that at one point in his campaign for this year’s nomination (June 2011 to be precise) most of Gingrich’s staff abandoned him. All this did was wake him up – he cut back on expenditure, he used more volunteers and he won – his recent win in Georgia hides his earlier win in South Carolina in January. All this helped him to grow in stature and as a person.

But with it all going well, it then went wrong. He failed to win in many states and yet kept going, the power of his self-will over coming any sense of reality. This meant that he raised less money and became more dependent on his main sponsor, a millionaire casino owner. It also meant that he failed to realise when he had lost. Although he scaled down his campaign in late March he didn’t pull out on May 2^nd. In the gap there were 8 primaries, all of which Romney won, most of them by embarrassing margins. Gingrich suspending his campaign was guaranteed once he committed himself to winning in Delaware and lost by 27%-57% to Romney. My hope is that this has humbled Newt as he needs it

Newt’s campaign was not all bad. What he needs to do now is clearly and explicitly support Romney then step out the race. Retirement and book deals beckon

Debate warmly encouraged