COMMENTARY | Recent polls show the Newt Gingrich is slowly gaining favor with the Republican Party and may be a strong candidate for the presidential nomination. Based on his radical statements of the past and evidence he is sticking to that path, I strongly believe he is not on top to stay. Even “Saturday Night Live” parodied him as not really wanting to be president. Though other candidates have built a reputation for their extreme right views, Gingrich has gone on record for statements such as the homosexual community is to blame for the infamous terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Rather, his success is due to the failure of others. Rick Perry has suffered two recent bloopers in public speaking. During his speech in New Hampshire, he seemed like he had too much to drink and adopted mannerisms others have described as “gay like.” Wednesday’s Republican debate proved to be too much for Perry when he could not finish his sentence on the three branches of government he would get rid of if he were to become president. This is not the first time Rick Perry has had trouble speaking at a Republican debate.
Herman Cain has multiple sexual harassment allegations against him. Four women have come forward claiming he asked for sex in exchange for offering them a job during his time as the CEO of Godfather Pizza. These allegations sway citizens from giving him their vote, especially because he cannot decide whether he admits to settling the lawsuits or not. He continually denies these claims yet admits there was a settlement out of court with the women accusing him.
Once everything dies down, Newt Gingrich will fall behind the two front-runners possibly coming in a distant third. If I had to guess who the two top runners would be, I would say Herman Cain and Mitt Romney. Michele Bachmann has been a favorite for Republican voters in the past, but the media portraying her husband as metrosexual hurts her chances with anti-gay conservatives.
I don’t think Republican voters trust the Tea Party candidates enough to get them to the presidential election. Their anti-gay stance put them far away from my vote. Ron Paul has some good ideas, but I don’t think he has a strong enough presence for the presidency. Among the strong-willed extremist candidates, he seems meek and easily silenced.
SOURCES: Gingrich tied with Romney in National Poll, Cain leads
Rick Perry ‘Oops’ Moment: GOP Candidate Tries To Get Past Blunder
Herman Cain seeks to salvage reputation as scandal continues