The dream is over.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will not run for president in 2008 after determining he could not legally explore a bid and remain as head of his tax-exempt political organization, a spokesman said Saturday.

“Newt is not running,” spokesman Rick Tyler said. “It is legally impermissible for him to continue on as chairman of American Solutions (for Winning the Future) and to explore a campaign for president.”

Gingrich decided “to continue on raising the challenges America faces and finding solutions to those challenges” as the group’s chairman, Tyler said, “rather than pursuing the presidency.”

Can American Solutions be that lucrative a gig that it’s not worth giving up for a run to be leader of the free world, or did the initial foray into talking to donors reveal nothing but “Ah, no thanks”? Sadly, we’ll never know.

Well, on the bright side for those Republicans looking for a saviour, I hear Ted Nugent is available.

2 Responses to “No Newt For You”

Ha ha, I was dead on. Though it doesn’t happen often, it’s certainly not the first vindication of my predictive powers — long-time readers of this site will recall my famous “Things look bad for Mondale” comment posted on TRF in October 1984.

Damn! I can’t express how much fun a primary race with both Alan Keyes and Newt Gingrich would’ve been. Oh well…

Oh, and Sleep Thief, you may have called this, and Mondale, but you’ll never live down your claim that “Willkie’s going all the way”.

Something to say?