American Renewal Project founder David Lane says he’s pulling for a veteran American politician to be Donald Trump’s Republican running mate in the 2016 presidential election.
“Even nearly 20 years since he departed Congress, Newt Gingrich is still the most feared Republican in America,” he wrote in a recent op-ed for TIME. “Why? Because the role of Republican leadership in the three coequal branches of government has largely collapsed since he left.”
Lane said Gingrich follows the advice of Ronald Reagan who rallied Americans behind not a third party, but a “new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people.” The former Speaker of the House, he said, “paints in bold colors.”
“The current Republican leadership is an unimpressive lot,” he added. “They seem to be placeholders waiting for principled leaders like the former Speaker of the House to emerge. President Obama’s hijacking of the constitutional power of the legislative branch—without cost or pain—would never have happened under a Gingrich-led Congress. The president’s unconstitutional executive orders and general overreach have put America in a constitutional crisis.
“Republicans across the spectrum agree that Newt would be Donald Trump’s best asset on the campaign trail this fall and a seasoned point-man in a Trump administration. Selecting Gingrich as Veep would send a message worldwide: that Trump is bringing ‘adults’ to the table with the intention to make America great again.”
Calling the former Speaker a “Churchillian figure,” Lane said his selection as running mate would “telegraph the caliber of people” Trump would bring to his administration, offer insight into his potential Supreme Court nominations, and demonstrate the type of military leadership he would elevate, if elected. It would say, he added, “Under a Trump/Gingrich administration, American exceptionalism would again return to the forefront of world leadership.”
He also noted Gingrich’s imperfections—past marital infidelity and divorce—as well as his seeking of forgiveness. But he also noted the former Speaker is ideally suited for the campaign role of a running mate.
“Since one of the premier responsibilities of the VP is to campaign for the party and to take down the opponent, Newt’s political skill and historical insight would be a nightmare for Hillary Clinton,” he said. “Newt’s response to a question about Bill Clinton at the Aspen Ideas Festival this weekend was just the opening salvo if Gingrich is selected as Donald Trump’s VP candidate in the next week or so: ‘Trying to get Bill Clinton to be responsible is comparable to teaching [my dog] Pride how to read. It’s impossible; it’s just who he is. He’s one of the most charming people I’ve ever known, he’s astonishingly brilliant, and there’s a screw loose.'”
Lane and the rest of America won’t have long to wait to see if his hopes are fulfilled. According to reports Tuesday evening, Trump—who has been meeting with potential running mates this past week—is expected to announce his pick next week, just before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
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