Much to Andrew’s chagrin, Newt Gingrich will not be running for president in 2008. Newt sited campaign finance restrictions for his absence from the already crowded republican field:
Gingrich, who previously said he was considering joining the race, told Fox News the McCain-Feingold campaign law would have forced him to leave his American Solutions political organization if he declared his candidacy.
“I wasn’t prepared to abandon American Solutions, even to explore whether a campaign was realistic,” he said.
Newt also said he would not be a Vice-President and would not endorse a candidate.
He said Republicans’ chances of beating the Democratic nominee were “very, very slim” unless they could distance themselves from the Republican record in Washington.
They can distance themselves by promoting ideas like smaller government, less entitlements, the Fair Tax…things like that will get the base motivated. But there is little trust anymore that what they say will be what they do. There has to be more than rhetoric. Show us how you will do what you say you will do.
