Newt Gingrich Assesses His Potential 2012 Presidential Primary Competition

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich provided a candid assessment of some of the potential GOP presidential candidates that he could face in the 2012 primary cycle if he, as he is increasingly expected to, announces a run for the White House.

During an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, he appeared to give the upper hand to a trio of former governors: Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Alaska's Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.

"Romney's the front-runner in fundraising, Palin is the front-runner in celebrity status and Huckabee is the front-runner in polling data," he told the Dispatch. "All three of them should feel pretty good about where they're positioned right now."

Gingrich also clarified that he'd make "an announcement one way or the other in very early March."

The former speaker's comments come as he fits in a visit to Ohio in between other trips to the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

As The Hill reports, Gingrich's foray into the battleground state is probably not a coincidence:

Speaking to reporters Thursday, former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said his message to the party's nominee in 2012 is: It's all about Ohio.

"It's hard to see Obama getting reelected or a Republican winning election without winning Ohio," Gillespie said. "I would start there if I were advising our nominee."

Earlier this month Gingrich told insiders that he was laying the groundwork for a run for president in 2012, and planned to make Georgia his homebase, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Comments

[Victoria 29]

07:25 PM on 01/31/2011

Newt & I am a conservative is living in some kind of fantasy world. He can NOT seriously believe that any Conservative would vote for him. Hey Newt we are SOCIAL Conservatives to, we have not forgot all your affairs, leaving dying wive among your many other negative actions.

[Big Jake]

06:33 PM on 02/01/2011

I'm glad to hear that! I don't like Newton either

[rvtgr8]

02:10 PM on 01/30/2011

Newt is somebody that has more potential to sneak into the nomination than you might think. I myself have talked about his family values baggage and the problems associated with the incidents where He had 84 ethics violations leveled against him as Speaker of the House. He was reprimande­d in the House by a vote of 395 to 28 and was fined $300,000. That said, the Republican Party has become dependent upon the Earl Grey zealots of their base. The power structure knows that they can't win Independent voters with MB, SP or a Libertarian type. They will eventually have to run the risk of offending their base to appear to the middle that they are reasonable. They need someone to debate Obama. Despite the elephant in the logo, the Republicans count on their voters to have a short memory and rely on the folks at Fox to ignore his past.

[LisaO8]

04:28 PM on 01/29/2011

This picture of him reminds me of a pedo. priest!

[Big Jake]

06:31 PM on 02/01/2011

Yeah, I can see that...fanned and faved!

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

04:02 PM on 01/29/2011

Those FAMILY-first folks will be lining up to vote for Newt, he loves families so much he's had THREE.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

04:00 PM on 01/29/2011

Newt let me simplify your decision process, anyone who dumped a wife undergoing cancer treatment, AIN'T EVER GOING TO WIN AN ELECTION. You wouldn't be voted in for city counci,l let alone the most powerful job in the country.
 
tip of the hat to HuffPo that is the scariest and  least attractive pumpkin head photo ever.

[Nagarjuna]

03:34 PM on 01/29/2011

Newt has all the warmth and charm of a Komodo dragon.

[Wallysmom]

02:18 PM on 01/29/2011

Gingrich is another of those candidates trotted out by the Republicans for 2012 that is so polarizing and so off the charts insane that it would certainly clinch the re-election for the President. Based on his most recent tirades and positions, Gingrich should seriously think about vaporizing.

[ohiotechie]

02:08 PM on 01/29/2011

Well if the country is swirling the drain thanks to W, ol' Newt will be pulling the handle to flush us all into oblivion... Goes for Palin as well for that matter....

If any of these people get into the WH you might as well stick a fork in us... we're done....

[WheelsOnFire]

01:28 PM on 01/29/2011

What's to assess, Newt?

It's zero . . . zip . . . nada . . . zilch

[Godfearing]

01:22 PM on 01/29/2011

Is Newt going to tell the Pro-Life faction of the Christian Republican Tea Party Birther movement that he was Pro-Choice when he decided to have a Vasectomy?

[Combustus]

01:20 PM on 01/29/2011

To borrow the lyrics from the Charlie Daniels song :
The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind: he was willin' to make a deal.

This pretty much sums up Newty's ambitions and intent...

Earlier this month Gingrich told insiders that he was laying the groundwork for a run for president in 2012, and planned to make Georgia his homebase, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

I predict that the only groundwork Newty will accomplish is digging a hole to to finally bury his egotistical, self righteous, political ambitions.

[Rangergirl]

12:44 PM on 01/29/2011

Zero people wanting to get into the republican race have any ideas for this Country. THey all just want the power....They all really stink. Not a single good candidate has yet entered the fray

[Big Jake]

06:37 PM on 02/01/2011

You have got that right, fanned and faved for a great summary of Republican wannabees...

[the griff]

12:43 PM on 01/29/2011

What can I say?

[Extreme Irene]

12:31 PM on 01/29/2011

As long as newt can find $ucker$ to donate to his Pac, continue to see Newt bloviating about his desire to to be Prez. His "Contract with America" was more Contract with big business.

[zatonoichi]

05:31 PM on 01/29/2011

Remember, it wasn't a "Contract WITH America", it was a "Contract ON America".

[nothingchanges]

12:07 PM on 01/29/2011

This article is very informative................it shows why our government fails to work.

"Romney's the front-runner in fundraising, Palin is the front-runner in celebrity status and Huckabee is the front-runner in polling data,"

No one even considers who is the most qualified to run the country.......... just who is best positioned to get elected.

Our election process has devolved into a "beauty contest", we shouldn't be too surprised with the results.