So, not to contradict my last post, but it seems that Newt Gingrich may actually have a shot at the nomination. His rising poll numbers have continued a week longer than Hermain Cain’s, his scandals are now long past him (infidelity in the late ’90s, a campaign defection this past spring), and the latest Rasmussen poll has him leading Romney by 21 points. Of course, it’s still easy to write Gingrich off as a fad–for one, his fundraising has been lackluster, and downright pathetic next to the big returns brought in by the Romney and Obama campaigns. But, most importantly, Gingrich seems to be an unrealistic nominee since he’s so washed up. I mean, the man resigned from being the most powerful Republican in the country in the late-90′s, and only last year stumbled back into the national political scene. Watching Gingrich at the debates at times make him seem like history professor dad who just walked into his teenager’s party and is awkwardly trying to dance with people half his age — he just doesn’t belong.
But, entertain me if you will, with a comparison to a former president who, back in his campaign, seemed a lot like dear old Newt is today. Richard Nixon in 1967 was washed up. He served as Ike’s VP in the ’50′s and lost an incredibly close close race to JFK for the White House in 1960. According to every rule of politics, he was destined to retire to the role of elder statesman, making some cash in the private sector while being a source fo advise for rising GOP stars. But, Nixon went against all conventional wisdom and, seizing an opportunity to win over a disillusioned public at a highly polarized time in American politics (huh, sounds a lot like today), won the nomination and the Presidency. Sure, Nixon and Gingrich are very different people — Nixon always put party-first, self-second, while Gingrich is more inclined to pull the GOP to wherever he wants it. But, it is eery how someone like Nixon, so outside of the political loop in 1967, was able to defeat both fading GOP star Nelson Rockefeller and Michigan Governor George Romney (yes, that would be Mitt Romney’s father) for the nomination. The key to Nixon’s success, though, was that he was a uniter when the country was divided; a proponent of “law-and-order” while police were beating rioters outside of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. If Gingrich wants any shot at nomination, he’s going to have to shed any divisive elements and campaign as the wise, experienced, uniting politician. Scarily, Gingrich as been trying this strategy to a certain degree — and it’s been working.
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