Former Speaker And Georgian May Be Trump Running Mate
Donald Trump’s victory in Indiana yesterday signaled a lot of things about the direction of the Republican Party, but mostly it was about entering into the final stage of the presidential primary: acceptance of a presumptive nominee. For some of us, that’s going to be a little harder than others.
There’s thought and strategy behind picking a running-mate. John McCain gave us Sarah Palin (can we send her back?) to throw conservatives a bone and Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan to give hope for conservative budgeting practices and to get Wisconsin in play.
Trump’s rhetoric has been very strong and rabid. A running mate who can help balance that with a calm, intelligent tone may soothe the concern that Trump’s bombastic campaign tactics lead to a President-elect Hillary Clinton.
Interestingly enough, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who won Georgia 4 years ago in the 2012 GOP presidential primary, has been taking to the air to give some cover to Trump. Could former Speaker Gingrich be vying for the veep spot on the Republican ticket this fall? RNC Committeeman Randy Evans, and former counsel to Gingrich, shared an article from the National Review discussing that possibility on Facebook with the comment “It has some legs”. So, a definite maybe…..YMMV. From the article:
Gingrich may not be your traditional populist outsider — he was, after all, the speaker of the House of Representatives — but Newt still maintains a patina of “outsiderness.” If Trump is the embodiment of the populist fantasy of the outsider — with no political experience — who is thrust into power by an angry electorate with a mandate to turn Washington on its head, right all the wrongs, and “make America great again,” Gingrich could be Trump’s wise sidekick. Even Trump knows the outsider-reformist mission is next to impossible, and that is precisely why he is quoted in another New York Times piece saying that he wants a VP with “a strong political background, who was well respected on the Hill, who can help me with legislation, and who could be a great president.”
So, the former Speaker becomes Virgil to Trump’s Dante as they navigate the inferno of our political system. Kinda ironic, if this were to happen, for a man who built his campaign on being against #TheEstablishment to pick a man who was…..a part of said Establishment.
It’s not too far-fetched if Trump is wanting to occupy the White House. Trump has done a lot to alienate members of the Republican Party during the primary process. If he wants to get any part of agenda to see the light of day in the halls of Congress, he’s going to need someone on his team that can aid in navigating the waters. Gingrich might be able to accomplish that as well as being viewed as a peace offering to the #NeverTrump crowd.
Or Trump can be Trump, run his big bazoo, continue to alienate the electorate, and lose in November. Either way, just have your favorite adult beverage handy.
About Author
nsmith
Father. IT Geek. Former 14th District GOP Chairman (2015-2017). Former Walker GOP Chairman (2009-2013). Resident of Chamblee. American. Georgian. Conservative.
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Let’s discuss why this is important directly, bluntly, and clearly.
This rumor may be enough to revive this: http://newtjudgesyou.tumblr.com/
It was just last fall that Newt said, yeah, he’d serve as Speaker if asked. Newt as vp candidate is just as credible.
We’re so far out in left field it’s hard to even think about all this rationally.
Newt as president someday? Certainly not in 8 years as there is no way Trump gets a second term, right? Right?
If Trump fails does he run again anyway and lose, or does he bail? If he bails, can Newt rise above the failure and shame to run? I think Newt has a huge ego and there is no way he gets that close to being Prez without going for it.
Would Trump invite the president of Mexico in for a dinner? That would be awkward. But he can’t not, can he? Does he just say ” Haha, just kidding about that whole wall thing!”?
I still think that there is no way the real power brokers let him win this. He may be a businessman (allegedly) but big bankers must be pretty nervous just because of the uncertainty he brings. Not that I am a fan of big bankers, but a chaotic market probably hurts us all.
And how does Trump the (alleged) businessman reconcile with Trump the jingoist isolationist? Companies that trade internationally must be nervous too.
edit: I guess I should try to wrap my head around the concept that Trump might win, and he might be a great president, and he might win a second term, and we’ll all be happy and prosperous and there won’t be any Mexicans and everyone will use the bathroom God intended for them.
Newtie as VP candidate would be a bad pick. All his ethics problems would be discussed again and he doesn’t bring a state such as Ohio or a demographic or ethnic group with him. The only thing Newtie brings to a ticket is a lot of heavy baggage and the pseudo republican running for president already brings enough of his own baggage.
Reasons I dont see this happening.
1. Newt would be taking a pay cut…a BIG pay cut
2. Newt doesn’t want to be on the ticket that gets clobbered in Nov (it will get clobbered)
3. Newt is too old to run for Prez in 4 years on the earth shattering possibility of a Trump win
4. You cant have 2 huge egos on the ticket. Newt is smart enough to know that
The Douchebag Ticket.
Newt really isn’t nearly as smart as he likes to think he is but I imagine he will reason himself out of this.