So, What The Heck Is Going On With Newt Gingrich?

For 16 years, Newt Gingrich has performed a solo performance art piece where he dances right up to the line of running for president, only to pull back at the last possible moment. For reasons that surpass my ability to understand them, this has only increased his overall mystique with the political press, which enables him to repeat this performance every four years.

But on Tuesday, it looked as if Gingrich was going to finally jump into the race, joining Herman Cain and Fred Karger as the third person vying for the 2012 GOP nomination to form an "exploratory committee," and the first man in the field who could be considered a serious contender. All day long, those that claimed to have knowledge of Gingrich's plans told everyone who would listen that the "exploratory committee" was a go.

Of course, there was always reason to be skeptical, and late Tuesday evening, the story that Gingrich was planning to get into the race suddenly changed. As CNN's Peter Hamby tweeted last night:

no exploratory committee, but he will still "explore" RT @PoliticalTicker Gingrich team clarifies exploratory talk - http://bit.ly/esHqveless than a minute ago via webPeter Hamby
PeterHambyCNN

So, Gingrich was going down to Georgia to explore something, somewhere, tangentially related to running for president. Maybe some light spelunking? Perhaps related to something that Atlanta Journal-Constitution "political insider" Jim Galloway identified as "a possible conflict" between "Gingrich's private affairs, involving [the Gingrich-founded nonprofit] American Solutions, and his public aspirations." Possibly! Four years ago, it was the founding of American Solutions that foundered Gingrich's presidential plans.

Regardless, after taking this walk-back to bed last night, this morning we awake to the news that Team Gingrich is now walking back the walkback:

Newt is still expected to announce exploratory phase, despite conflicting statements yesterday http://bit.ly/esHqveless than a minute ago via ÜberSocialPeter Hamby
PeterHambyCNN

And in Hamby's story:

"Gingrich is not traveling to Georgia to announce that he will form 'an exploratory committee' as stated in the Des Moines Register," Tyler said. "To be clear, while Speaker Gingrich is in Georgia on Thursday, he will NOT announce the formation of an exploratory committee."

Despite the conflicting messages emerging from the Gingrich camp, the former House Speaker is nevertheless expected to make presidential news following his appearance with Deal at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday.

He is still likely to announce his intention to explore running for president on Thursday in Atlanta, but it appears he will not file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to form an actual committee.

Politico's Alex Burns appears to have made some firm sense of this on Wednesday morning:

One Republican with knowledge of the situation told Score that Gingrich is likely to confirm his "intention to announce," but not actually unveil an exploratory committee. ABC reports Gingrich may use the term "explore phase" rather than "exploratory committee" - another way of stopping short of a full-scale announcement. The reason: Untangling the web of business and political groups Gingrich is involved in has proven complicated and he's not in a position just yet to take a more formal step toward running.

That "formal step" would be "filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission": a step that Gingrich does not appear ready to take. Which basically means that for all intents and purposes, Gingrich's quadrennial dance of the seven veils continues.

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Comments

[atomic]

08:04 AM on 03/05/2011

I think Gingrich uses the presidential run to drive up his speaking fees and keep his own label alive. Other than that he survives by acting out as a sensationalist ... he is not actually that capable. His end run games are always about getting attention. HE is like a giant 2 year old stuck in the me me me developmental phase .... Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani has the same stunted childhood syndrome as well as many in the Republican party. FOr some reason that party is where dunces coagulate into clots of ick.

[teabagflush]

09:53 AM on 03/04/2011

doesn't Newt look like a lesbian in male drag?

[PaulArt]

04:41 AM on 03/04/2011

There's only one word that comes to mind when one hears anything about Gingrich, 'FATUOUS'. Its totally inexplicable why intelligence and thinking have ever been attributed to this fellow. Destroying social institutions, totally lacking comprehension about what is good for Society, showing utter weakness in the flesh without any remorse, these are not the hallmarks of someone who is intelligent, thoughtful and charismatic. Labour sat out the 1994 race because they were totally pissed with Clinton - this was a major reason why 'Newts Nutters' won the house in 1994 by a large margin - but then you will never hear that from the MSM. Apropos 'intelligent' Republicans, have you ever heard a Republican ask the question, why are Doctors paid so much in this country? Or, Why is Medical Education so expensive? A lot of the best Doctors in this country moved here from India(before the AMA put a stop to this) - you want to check how much it costs to make a Doctor there? Its a fraction of the US cost even allowing for quality differences. Republicans don't talk about this - because of the power of Unions, in this case the Union for Physicians - the AMA(American Medical Association). The AMA has been the albatross around our necks since the time of Trueman. We will bring medical costs under control when we defang the AMA and make them learn the lesson that Public Union employees are learning right now.

[HooYoo2say]

04:37 PM on 03/03/2011

So let me get this right. Newt Gingrich is going to Atlanta to possibly explore the exploration of exploring the possibility of forming an exploratory committee to explore his options of campaigning for the Republican nomination for President. That's why Newt is not the man for the job. All that beauracracy can only be conjured up by a former long time fixture in DC. It's no wonder nothing ever gets done on the hill. They probably organize an exploratory committee to reach a conclusion whether they should take a bathroom break. While the committee is carrying out this task, congress probably takes recess to explore the hot spot happy hours.

[Lobo912]

03:08 PM on 03/03/2011

Conflicting messages from Newt Gingrich? How unusual.

[ocenbrz]

11:14 AM on 03/03/2011

Can we say "Teddy Kennedy Syndrome"? He just couldn't stop screwing other women while in Office. Always wishing he could be President but he knows he won't win. Fox just doesn't have enough people willing to go on the air and say something odd or unusual, so they call up Newt to see what crazy thing he can come up with to say. This is one guy who just won't go away. His love for attention from the media and other women is just well..never going away. I just wish he would go work for some Corporation and earn a honest dollar for once.

Just like Clinton, people are not going to forget what he considers work while in office. Getting paid to chase skirts. Hopefully even the Republicans still have some standards left. Gingrich does not meet the ethical standards that the Americans demand of our Presidents.

[TRex86]

09:18 AM on 03/03/2011

Kermit the Fraud fancies himself very wise and well informed. While he knows that he would be the greatest president--at least better than Buchanan--he will gladly settle for the media spotlight and the easy money that comes from doing political infomercials on the right wing noise machine. This man stamped "opportunist" on his credentials 30 years ago. He hasn't changed.

[reviewingthesituation]

08:18 AM on 03/03/2011

He reminds me of a young woman I knew who was repeatedly engaged. She enjoyed all the engagement to-do: parties, the rings, drooling over bride magazines, etc. Everything but actual marriage. She never got to the altar as long as I knew her.

But in Gingrich's case, nobody seems to be asking for his hand in the first place. I haven't heard a single person of any party say they would vote for him if he ran. So, what's his game?

[Laurelea B]

08:16 AM on 03/03/2011

From now on, (on any site) in protest to the coverage, it might make a difference if everyone could simply start typing:

Boycott FOX

[HooYoo2say]

04:44 PM on 03/03/2011

I'm down wit dat.

[trainer3]

07:41 AM on 03/03/2011

I remember when he was first out of office, a television crew followed him to his new job, after he had been hired..somewhere, it was in an office building. Newt was upbeat as he was brought to his cubicle ("Here?" "No, down here." "Here?" "No, this way." and each potential office got smaller and farther away from the center of the Galaxy. It was sad to watch, merely because I am human. One would think that a man with so much name recognition would have at least one accomplishment. He said he was a revolutionary in 1994. Apparently, he is still revolving.

[JoBangles]

06:31 PM on 03/03/2011

More like devolving. He's much older now, but I suspect he's no wiser. Old Gilded Age lovers don't usually change their habits that much. He still blabbers on endlessly never saying much that makes sense, and he knows he is carrying too much baggage to ever be elected to the White House.

I think the GOP will run some young buck like the Koch Bros. man in Wisconsin or some other fresh face that does not have any skeletons in the closet or much excess baggage from past escapades. All the well known GOPers are just so too much yesterday. Those who are inclined to vote GOP will be looking past these guys.

[BruntLIVE]

07:27 AM on 03/03/2011

Newt is a angry conservative white man wishing for the glory days of the confederacy. He sees himself as Robert E Lee in a suit fighting against the supreme Black agitator....President Obama. The is the mindset of the Tea Party too, they are confederate rebels fighting a minority loving world.

[comebackeddie]

08:01 AM on 03/03/2011

Go send a fax and listen to your 8-track please.

[Laurelea B]

08:19 AM on 03/03/2011

Are you referring to what the editor who chose this story should do?

[HooYoo2say]

05:14 PM on 03/03/2011

Wow I wish I would have kept my 8 track......who knew that you can now receive faxes on 8 tracks in audio format. Now when my fax machine rings I can hear the contents of the fax and decide whether it's something that I need to respond to right away lol....without ever having to get up from my chair.

[levibatgirl]

09:21 AM on 03/03/2011

Spot on!

[1differentdrummer]

07:20 AM on 03/03/2011

He needs help with his mental health issues.

[Phytoresearcher]

07:08 AM on 03/03/2011

What is the point of this article? Why waste front page space on this babble.

[Ann Schaefer]

06:29 AM on 03/03/2011

SO WHO CARES? IS HE SAYING ANYTHING WORTH LISTENING TO? HE HAD HIS 15 MINUTES OF FAME.. NOW IGNORE HIM.PS. BOYCOTT FOX NEWS!

[trainer3]

07:49 AM on 03/03/2011

It's early...we have an ordinance, no loud power tools before 8 am.

[ugly american]

06:07 AM on 03/03/2011

Newt is hoping the public forgot what a dirt-bag he revealed himself to be back in the 1990's.
The difference between Newt and DeLay and their ilk and the Tea-Partyer's like Palin is that they actually managed to get serious credentials before they let the people find out who they really served.
These days the Republicans have no shame about waving it in the people's faces that they serve the ones who give them the most dollars.
Newt at least had a little class about money. His personal affairs were what made him a cad.

[flossophy]

06:28 AM on 03/03/2011

Funny, it didn't seem to hurt Clinton. Ironically, he's the most popular politician on the planet. How do you explain this glaring double standard?

[Himajin]

06:47 AM on 03/03/2011

For all his faults, Clinton isn't a sanctimonious prig; with all his faults and serial marriage, Gingrich is. A big difference, IMHO.

[reviewingthesituation]

08:20 AM on 03/03/2011

It was the economy, stupid.