Campaign2012

Newt Gingrich

Publicly declared candidacy on May 11, 2011

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Despite a decade-long exile from public office, Gingrich remains one of the Republican Party’s most visible and prolific idea men and arguably the most influential former congressman in history. And he plans to be even more powerful as he launched his 2012 presidential bid in May 2011.

Gingrich transformed himself and his party from back-benchers in the 1980s to the dominant force in American politics in the 1990s. And he remained as bombastic and controversial as ever even as he refocused his attention from the “corrupt left-wing machine,” a longtime favorite target, to the demise of his own party’s fortunes in the mid-2000s, a fall from grace that Gingrich said was largely the fault of Republicans themselves.

After eight years of the Bush administration, Democrats are once again in control of the White House. Until 2010, congressional Republicans were reduced to minority levels not seen since Gingrich led the 1994 Republican revolution that broke 40 years of Democratic dominance in Washington. Of course, the tea-party revolution saw the GOP retake the House majority in 2010 and win six seats in the Senate. Where Gingrich fits into the modern GOP movement has yet to be defined.

Key Campaign Moments for Gingrich

June 9, 2011

High command quits Gingrich campaign

June 9, 2011
High command quits Gingrich campaign

Less than a month after wading into the presidential race, Gingrich's entire campaign high command quits over differences in campaign strategy.
May 24, 2011

Newt Gingrich’s dubious claim of a ‘normal’ no-interest charge account at Tiffany

May 24, 2011
Newt Gingrich’s dubious claim of a ‘normal’ no-interest charge account at Tiffany

Gingrich earns three Pinocchios for claiming a standard deal on a half million Tiffany's credit-card tab at zero interest.
May 17, 2011

Gingrich: Ryan budget plan ‘right-wing social engineering’

May 17, 2011
Gingrich: Ryan budget plan ‘right-wing social engineering’

Gingrich sparks huge GOP backlash when calls House GOP Medicare reform plan "too big a jump," but quickly backs away and says he would've supported it.
May 11, 2011

Newt Gingrich Announces for President

May 11, 2011
Newt Gingrich Announces for President

Gingrich officially becomes a 2012 candidate via a web video and Twitter, then appearing on a conservative TV talk show.

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Gingrich on Issues

Economic policy

As former House speaker, was in charge during 1994 government shutdown and argues it led to 1996 balanced budget deal. Opposed the 2008 Wall Street bailout...

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Newt Gingrich on Economic policy
As former House speaker, was in charge during 1994 government shutdown and argues it led to 1996 balanced budget deal. Opposed the 2008 Wall Street bailout, calling Bush Treasury Secretary Hank Paulsen the worst "in American history." Supports deep federal spending cuts in exchange for raising debt ceiling, no tax increases in 2013, a zero capital-gains tax rate and ending the estate tax.
In His Own Words

While the [1994 government] shutdown produced some short-term pain, it set the stage for a budget deal in 1996 that led to the largest drop in federal discretionary spending since 1969.
Newt Gingrich, February 25, 2011
Energy policy

Has called for end of Environmental Protection Agency and start of immediate offshore drilling in Arctic. Fundamentally believes in doing something about...

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Newt Gingrich on Energy policy
Has called for end of Environmental Protection Agency and start of immediate offshore drilling in Arctic. Fundamentally believes in doing something about climate change, but opposed July 2009 cap-and-trade bill, though once said he would "strongly support" such a system. Supports ethanol subsidies.
- Video: Newt-Pelosi commercial
- Transcript: PBS-Frontline Appearance
In His Own Words

My conclusion is that you do not have to agree with the most hysterical interpretations to agree that, as a matter of prudence, we should minimize carbon loading of the atmosphere.
Newt Gingrich, April 24, 2007
Foreign Policy

Called sending 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan the right step, showing the president's political courage. But in July 2010, said U.S. effort...

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Newt Gingrich on Foreign Policy
Called sending 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan the right step, showing the president's political courage. But in July 2010, said U.S. effort there "is not going to end well." Supported no-fly zone in Libya, but then opposed U.N. backed military intervention, though said U.S. and allies should defeat Moammar Gadaffi quickly.
- Opinion/Editorial: Newt Gingrich on Libya policy: Firing in every direction
- Article: Newt Gingrich Praises Obama's 'Political Courage' On Afghanistan
In His Own Words

I would not have intervened. I would not have used American and European forces, bombing Arabs and that country.
Newt Gingrich, March 28, 2011
Health Care

Gingrich has criticized Obama’s health-insurance mandate, but he proposed a similar policy when Hillary Rodham Clinton was exploring universal healthcare...

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Newt Gingrich on Health Care
Gingrich has criticized Obama’s health-insurance mandate, but he proposed a similar policy when Hillary Rodham Clinton was exploring universal healthcare solutions in the 1990s. The former House speaker has indicated he would repeal Obama’s health-care plan and replace it with tax credits, deductions and steps to increase price competition. The former House speaker has criticized the health-care mandates, saying that “if you can do it for health care, you can do it for everything in your life.” Gingrich has proposed a 13-part health-care reform plan that includes tax credits for health-care costs, limited deductions for the value of health insurance, high-risk insurance pools in each state to help cover the uninsured and an extension of health savings accounts. He has said Americans should be allowed to buy insurance across state lines to increase price competition.
- Video: Newt: I oppose the Obamacare mandate. Period.
- Article: Newt Gingrich Was More Supportive Of Individual Mandates Than Mitt Romney
In His Own Words

I am for the repeal of Obamacare and I am against any effort to impose a federal mandate on anyone because it is fundamentally wrong and I believe unconstitutional.
Newt Gingrich, May 13, 2011
Medicare Reform

Stirred considerable controversy when in May 2011 slammed Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) plan to slash federal deficit by turning Medicare into a voucher...

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Newt Gingrich on Medicare Reform
Stirred considerable controversy when in May 2011 slammed Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) plan to slash federal deficit by turning Medicare into a voucher program. Called the plan "right-wing social engineering," but quickly backed away from the statement after national GOP leaders slammed him. Later apologized to Ryan and said he would have voted for the plan when it passed the House in spring 2011.
- Opinion/Editorial: Newt Gingrich apologizes to Paul Ryan
- Video: Gingrich: GOP Budget Plan Is "Right-Wing Social Engineering"
In His Own Words

I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate.
Newt Gingrich, May 15, 2011
Social Issues

A Catholic convert in 2008 (he was a Southern Baptist), Gingrich is against abortion rights , but doesn't want to criminalize doctors for performing them...

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Newt Gingrich on Social Issues
A Catholic convert in 2008 (he was a Southern Baptist), Gingrich is against abortion rights , but doesn't want to criminalize doctors for performing them or women for receiving them. Supports some legal rights for homosexuals, but not gay marriage or adoptions by gay couples, but said he prefers not to be "judgmental about others." Social issues weren't a big focus of his tenure as House speaker.
- Article: Pawlenty Touts Medicare Proposal
- Video: Pawlenty, As President, Would Support Ryan Medicare Plan
In His Own Words

Abortion is a very, very important moral question and I think it’s a very important question about the very nature of society.
Newt Gingrich, June 5, 2005

Gingrich Coverage

My theme is going to be: Together we can win the future. The right policies lead to the right results. And I’m going to argue that President Obama will lose the future because the wrong policies lead to the wrong results
The Washington PostMay 13, 2011
And I would say to my friends on the left who believe that there's never been a government program that wasn't worth keeping, you can't look at some of the results we now have and not want to reach out to the humans and forget the bureaucracies.
PBSJanuary 4, 1995

I think I was very lonely and I think I was driven...If you decide in your freshman year in high school that your job is to spend your lifetime trying to change the future of your people, you're probably fairly weird. I think I was pretty weird as a kid.
PBSJanuary 3, 1985