Gingrich says GOP can gain if Obama wins
He hasn’t given up on John McCain winning this year’s presidential election, but former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says Republicans could gain future election victories, if Barack Obama wins next month, and Congressional Democrats expand their majority in the U.S. House and Senate.
Speaking on WBAL’s “Kendel and Bob Show” Saturday, Gingrich said he sees potential parallels between this year’s election and the 1964 presidential election.
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Gingrich pointed out that in 1966, Republicans gained a number of Congressional seats, and then won back the White House in 1968.
Gingrich said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid represent the “most liberal leadership Congress has ever had.”
Gingrich adds that if Obama as president enacts an agenda similar to those of the Congressional leaders, he suspects, ” an enormous Republican comeback in 2010, and probably a new Republican president in 2012.”
Gingrich said that if Obama, as president works with Republicans and conservative Democrats, he risks alienating the labor unions and activist groups that have supported his campaign.
Gingrich said the race is much closer than polls indicate, and he says McCain can still win, if he stresses differences with Obama over how to improve the economy.
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“I think that if he drives very hard, at the idea that you don’t want politicians taking your taxes to give away to their friends…I think the country would in fact repudiate the idea that Senator Obama would want to ’spread the wealth,’ ” Gingrich said.
Gingrich led the Republicans to their takeover of Congress after the 1994 election.
Among the freshmen Republicans elected that year, Robert Ehrlich, who was later elected governor, and who now co-hosts the WBAL talk show with his wife.
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Audio clips of the show are available here.
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[...] on October 20, 2008 Jeff Quinton over at Inside Charm City would like to point out this astute observation by Newt Gingrich (by way of WBAL.com): He [...]
Pingback by Gingrich says GOP can gain if Obama wins : Stop The ACLU — October 20, 2008 @ 8:42 am
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[...] Quinton over at Inside Charm City would like to point out this astute observation by Newt Gingrich (by way of WBAL.com): He [...]
Pingback by Gingrich says GOP can gain if Obama wins ~ Lockergnome - Chris Short — October 20, 2008 @ 8:43 am
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Hi, Jeff – hope you are well. Thanks for the heads’ up.
I agree with Gingrich that it “could” happen, but it seems unlikely.
If Obama wins, he will win with probably 49.5%-53% of the popular vote, unlike Clinton. Nader and Barr combined do not exert the influence that Ross Perot had in 1992, not even close. Similarly, the House and Senate are likely to be more Democratic in 4 months than they were on January 20, 1993. And in the case of the Senate, there are few “easy picks” for the GOP.
Second, Bush I was not well-hated for his military activities; people thoroughly hate Bush II. Objectively, Bush I was much more popular at his low-water mark than his son has been for most of the last twelve months.
Third, and perhaps most tellingly: if 2008 looks like 1964, you will see a decapitation of a large volume of Republican power in the Senate and House in terms of personnel. Gingrich himself was a very solid leader and there is no similar figure in either house who is likely to survive. We don’t see the Kemps, the Kasichs, etc., any more; it’s all theocratic and militarist braying now. The fiscal conservatives are gone and demoralized, especially after this socialist takeover of the financial sector.
I don’t think that the GOP will recover psychologically in 12 months enough to put together a battle plan if Obama wins; I think recriminations, payback and disorder will reign for most of the next four years. But I might be wrong, as I have indeed been quite wrong before.
Comment by Bruce — October 20, 2008 @ 11:28 am
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[...] Yesterday’s post about a Newt Gingrich interview drew the following response from Bruce of Crablaw: I agree with Gingrich that it “could” happen, but it seems unlikely. [...]
Pingback by Gingrich response — October 21, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
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[...] wrap this up, perhaps an Obama win wouldn’t be all that bad for the GOP. At least that’s what Newt Gingrich says. I know Newt is a history buff and his reasoning is sound, but there’s a big difference in [...]
Pingback by monoblogue » Blog Archive » Odds and ends no. 14 — October 30, 2008 @ 11:54 pm