Here is a listing of some of the “pros & cons” of having Newt Gingrich as president of the United States.
Pro:
Elections – Newt Gingrich has successfully won 11 consecutive congressional elections in a row. He has also spearheaded the campaign strategies of many of the sweeping national Republican victories while he was running for his own re-election.
Con:
Out of office – Newt Gingrich has stayed in the public spotlight as a political analyst, speaker, and author (he’s written over twenty books); but many pundits point to the fact that Newt hasn’t been in public office since 1998. Looking at the rest of the field of Republican candidates, many of them are younger – and presently serving in office. Newt Gingrich could fall prey to the old adage of “it’s easier to get a job when you have a job.”
Pro:
Budget Balancer – The budget for the US is currently a mess and the debt is over 14 Trillion dollars. When Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House in 1998 the congress had successfully implemented spending cuts and government restructuring. In the 2010 midterm elections, one of the biggest issues was the skyrocketing US debt – and it led to huge gains in the House and Senate.
Con:
Check scandal – In 1992, Americans were shocked to learn that members of congress were writing checks when they didn’t have sufficient funds in their banking accounts. As it turns out the congressional bank was covering their overdrafts. Newt was one of the over 450 members of congress that had bounced checks.
Pro:
Excellent Speaker/Debater – People that have watched Newt deliver a speech comment on his ability to convey his points well. Many candidates in the past have been known to dodge issues and deliver a lot of “fluff”. Newt always appears calm and convincing to his viewers – having been a college professor has allowed him to gain experience working an audience at a young age, and being a TV analyst has given him the skill to “work the camera.” Also his knowledge of world and American history is remarkable.
Con:
Divorces – Newt Gingrich has had two divorces, and his third (and present) wife was the byproduct of an admitted affair during his second marriage. Many point to these divorces/affairs as a hindrance for Newt to get elected to President of the United States.
Pro:
Washington Experience – Newt Gingrich’s Washington experience has spanned over three decades. Many people see the values and beliefs that made him hugely successful in the 90’s have become even more popular now during this recession. With the emergence of the Tea Party movement (smaller government) and with his proven ability to get things done in Congress/Washington, the present political atmosphere makes Newt a worthy candidate.
Con:
No Executive Experience – (kinda contradicting the “Pro” above) Newt Gingrich has served on the legislative side of the federal government, but doesn’t have any executive background at the state or federal levels. Many voters believe that the best candidates for President of the United States are those with prior executive experience (Governors and/or Vice Presidents). An easy way for a voter to get an idea of what type of President a potential candidate would make is to look at how they ran their state – it probably will be a good indication of how they would run the country. 13 of the 19 Presidents of the last 100 years have been governor of a state and/or Vice Presidents. Recent Presidents with governor experience include: Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush.