Gingrich gives approval to McCain presidential run
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/02/09/art.newt0209.gi.jpg caption="Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich encouraged conservatives to support John McCain's presidential bid Saturday."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich gave his approval to Arizona Sen. John McCain’s White House bid Saturday, telling a conservative crowd that political victory was more important than ideological purity.
“I think it’s a totally honorable thing to say 'I support the candidate but I oppose the policy,'” he told activists gathered for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
Later, he made his view more explicit: “As a citizen, I would rather have a President McCain that we fight with 20 percent of the time than a President Clinton or a President Obama who we fight with 90 percent of the time.”
He said he had traveled to Idaho last weekend, when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama attracted a crowd of at least 16,000 in Boise, and that the ability of a Senate Democrat to attract a crowd of that size in that solidly-red state was “inconceivable.”
“On Super Tuesday, there were 14.6 million Democrats who thought the presidential nomination was worth voting for, and there were 8.3 million Republicans” who felt the same, he said. “That is a warning of a catastrophic election.”
He said there was “something happening” in the country that conservatives did not understand, and “I believe we need to change or expect defeat.” But he said a Republican win this fall was still possible.
It was a timely nod for McCain's candidacy. The likely GOP presidential nominee, who has struggled to win over his party's conservative base, was repeatedly booed during his own CPAC speech on Thursday.
Gingrich – who made a grand entrance Saturday to a recording of “Stars and Stripes Forever” – received a far different welcome from the conservative crowd. “We need you, Newt!” called one member of the audience.
The former Georgia congressman had weighed his own 2008 presidential run before abandoning the idea late last year. In the 2007 CPAC presidential straw poll, only Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani earned more first- and second-place votes.
He did not say Saturday whether he officially endorsed or would actively support McCain.
–CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
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Newt who? Oh Lord. Talk about irrelevant. Why don't you tell me what Michael Dukakis has to say while you're at it.
So since a lot more Democrats than Republicans are voting in the primaries and all the excitement and momentum are with the Democrats then I guess your polls showing who does better against McCain are meaningless? A lot of women support Hillary and are very motivated to vote for her. Women are in the majority in the country and have been in the majority voting in the primaries. So, looks like Hillary should easily win come November.
If having Newt's support doesn't sink McCain, nothing will.
Best choice for McCain's VP would be Condi Rice rather than Huckabee.
Does he actually think he is going to get the VP slot? It would be a sure lose for them in November. Newt is just as hated and any Clinton.
McCain, Huckabee, Guilliani and now Gingrich. All the need now is Lieberman and the Israelis but Lieberman is already backing McCain.
To the self-identified ideological conservatives out there: Your movement is in real trouble; the country has had enough of your brand of political correctness.
gingrich also wants to censor the internet and our freedom of speech.
not a good person to be endorsed by 😉
OMG!!! This whole primary year has been crazy and is getting worse! Newt is not someone you want next to you on any political stage.