My day brightened when I read that Newt Gingrich is “seriously” considering running for president in 2012. If he does, what Gingrich would that be.
Would it be a replay of his performance as Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. Would it be Gingrich the college professor. Gingrich the historian. Gingrich the fiction writer. Gingrich the political consultant. Gingrich the brains behind the nonpartisan 527 group American Solutions For Winning The Future. Gingrich the mouthpiece for Fox News. Gingrich the curmudgeon. Gingrich the Tweeter.
For these are the many faces of Eve, excuse me, Newt.
I always had a soft spot in my heart for Gingrich. Say 
what you want about the man, he has more ideas, more thinking out-of-the-box, more innovative ideas and more political savvy than any Republican in these United States thinking about running for president. Combined.
As one close associate said, for every one brilliant proposal Gingrich offers at the spur of the moment, nine are bizarre, stupid and, in computereeze, global deletes.
What worries me about Gingrich as president was Gingrich as House Speaker. “Contract With America” was cool. But he quickly lost his way. He cheated on his soon to be former wife. He lost focus. He became bored.
When Newt is on his game, he’s awesome. He has laser focus and an attention span that is measured in nanoseconds. And, when the mood strikes, he can charm the pants off his arch rival. Just ask Bill Clinton.
Where President Barack Obama is brilliant, academically and intellectually tuned in, Gingrich despite his diplomas is street smart.
His advise to Republicans for the Nov. 2 midterm elections, offer something substantive and stop running on a platform that just says no.
He called Obama a “disaster” who would go down as the worst president in modern times. I’m uncertain the speaker in this case is Gingrich the historian, Fox news analyst or future presidential candidate.
Newt’s DNA is such, the presidency he eventually would find boring.
Let’s review some of Gingrich’s proposals just for fun, 
keeping in mind they are subject to change between the time he said them and when he would serve as president in 2013.
Immigration: From one of his eight non fiction books “Winning the Future.”
“Along with total border control, we must make it easier for people who enter the United States legally, to work for a set period of time, obey the law, and return home. The requirements for participation in a worker visa program should be tough and uncompromising. The first is essential: Everyone currently working in the United States illegally must return to their home country to apply for the worker visa program. Anything less than requiring those who are here illegally to return home to apply for legal status is amnesty, plain and simple.”
Climate Change:
He supports steps to lower carbon emissions with tax breaks rather than cap and trade. He wrote a book on the subject: “A Contract with the Earth.”
Wall Street Bailouts: He was against it. Then “reluctantly and sadly” for it.
Terrorism: He’s a Bushie, including water boarding is not a torturous act. He believes the Obama administration criminal justice approach to keeping our nation safe from Islamic extremists is worse than the Clinton era.
Education: Gingrich frames it as a civil rights issue. He favors rigorous math and science instruction with students and teachers competing with other schools on the local, state and national level. He is an advocate for prayer in the classroom.
Health Reform: He’s against it. He characterizes the new law as leading America towards authoritarianism, totalitarianism and the destruction of democracy.
Just because I disagree with some of his proposals — oh, what the hell, most of them — doesn’t mean Gingrich is unqualified to do what he does best.
Talk a good game by throwing enough garbage, something is bound to stick.
Cross posted on The Remmers Report
Comments are welcome. Link to my blogsite or go to my email address at [email protected] . Remmers’ varied career spans 26 years in the newspaper business. Read a more thorough resume on The Remmers Report.
Jerry Remmers worked 26 years in the newspaper business. His last 23 years was with the Evening Tribune in San Diego where assignments included reporter, assistant city editor, county and politics editor.