This article is part one of an eight part series on the Top 5 Reasons to Vote For and Against the four remaining presidential candidates
1. He is the torchbearer of the Reagan Revolution
Gingirch is often named one of the three most influential politicians in modern American conservatism after Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
We know Gingrich was one of Reagan’s young lieutenants during the Reagan Revolution. It is true Gingrich complained to Reagan during the 80s about many goals he felt were left unaccomplished. However, Reagan biographer Stephen Hayward wrote in The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution that during once such instance, ‘Reagan put his arm around the young Georgia Congressman and said in his typically gentle fashion, “Well, some things you’re just going to have to do after I’m gone.” ’
He did just that. Nancy Reagan said at a Goldwater Institute dinner honoring her husband that, “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of congress to keep that torch alive.”
2. He’s a fighter
There is little doubt that Gingrich took Reagan’s comment seriously – he has the battle scars to prove it.
Gingirch has fought his own party’s attempt to raise taxes multiple times. The most visible moment was his public objection to George H.W. Bush’s compromise on taxes.
He bent President Clinton to his will on the Contract with American, passing four balanced budgets and welfare reform. He fought Hillary Clinton on Hillarycare, Al Gore on climate change, John Murtha on the Iraq War and George W. Bush over immigration reform.
His record of fighting and winning is long. We can be sure that if he is the nominee he will effectively fight Obama.
3. He is the most accomplished conservative politician today
The American Conservative Union gives Gingrich a lifetime rating of 90 percent. We know that he is a conservative, but more than that, anyone would be hard pressed to name an American politician alive today that has done more for the conservative cause than Gingrich.
4. He is electable
One of the main traits primary voters look for in a candidate is “electability.” For many GOP primary voters the argument over whether to choose Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich inevitably comes down to this.
Head to head polls taken when the election is more than a year out can hardly be considered reliable. On January 10, 1980 Gallup did a head to head poll that had Jimmy Carter at 63 percent and Reagan at 32 percent. The Globe and Mail said of Reagan, “He is too right-wing to appeal to enough moderates to win, and he is too prone to incredible gaffes.” That sounds familiar. We all know how that turned out.
Contrary to the prevailing thought this election cycle, candidates that run to the center (like Mitt Romney) have proved to be unelectable (George H.W. Bush’s re-election bid, Bob Dole, John McCain . . .)
5. He will present a winning message
The ultimate question is: Who would do a better job at presenting the winning message?
Watch this video from January in which Newt Gingrich lays out exactly how he will campaign against the President. It is a winning message.
