Newt Gingrich Just Doesn’t Give a Damn

With the start of the Presidential election season just a few days away with the first event, the Iowa Caucus, Newt Gingrich has shown himself to be one front runner that hasn’t faded into the goodnight because of a little heat from the press.

Newt Gingrich, the Speaker of the House from 1994 to 1998 represents the ultimate success the Conservative movement has had in the US since the end of the Reagan Administration in 1989. Newt managed to pull of what was once thought impossible by bringing about a Republican takeover of the House of Representatives after 40 years of Democratic domination. Newt’s Contract with America and sweeping budget reforms managed to help pull off a balanced budget by the end of the 20^th century.

Today, Newt is running for the Presidency and has found himself, after a rough start, leading the pack going into the Iowa Caucus. As the front runner, Newt has faced some difficult questions about his background ranging from his apparent switching of positions when it comes to Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts Health Care Law of 2006 or his views on Global Warming to more personal attacks based on his three previous marriages.

Previously, all the GOP front runners with the exception of Mitt Romney have enjoyed a substantial lead before plummeting in a downward spiral due to the focus of a negative press. Bachman, Herman Cain, and Rick Perry all enjoyed front running status at one point, only to see their campaigns implode due to the scrutiny of the press. But so far Newt has weathered the storm primarily because he has the Conservative credentials and well earned moxie to mix it up with the press and answer his critics in a straightforward manner.

The personal attacks, such as his previous marriages seem to have faded quickly. The American public is generally forgiving of a candidate’s personal life and Newt has cited his religious conversion to Catholicism as a source of spiritual strength. In this regard, he has been quite successful in deflecting criticism of his personal life.

Newt’s conservative credentials did come under attack recently, most notably the revelation that in 2006 he endorsed the Romney Health Care plan for Massachusetts and now he has switched his opinion. When faced with direct questions, Newt has given direct answers. He changed his mind because Romney’s plan simply didn’t work and would not work on a national level. Newt’s straightforward style and impressive knowledge of both national and international events has sparked his unexpected rise in the polls recently where he’s challenging front runner Ron Paul in Iowa and could even take South Carolina, creating momentum for a run through the southern states in March.

Of course, Newt has had some issues with his involvement with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, the two huge mortgage holding companies that helped propel the “Great Recession” in 2008. Even though Newt had nothing to do with the collapse of those two institutions, the fact that he was paid money as an “advisor” has raised some eyebrows among even conservatives.

Given Newt’s past and his straightforward demeanor, even this may not be a problem when the Iowa caucuses are over with.