Newt Gingrich on Sponsorship, Polarization and Achieving Unity, “After the War” - This Week on The Divided States of Media

Pro Tip: When speaking about polarization with Newt Gingrich within seven days of a Presidential Election, prepare for a wild ride. Our thirty-five minutes together is all at once the shortest, most dense, and perhaps most consequential discussion we’ve had on this series.

At 77, Newt is at once the storied Republican Warrior, fighting an existential threat with this election as the fate of America hangs in the balance, and concurrently the softened Elder Statesman, calling conservatives to listen and seek common ground with the other side. In our short time, he offers his thoughts on the history of our divisions, systemic racism, and prescriptions for how businesses, media, and politicians can pull us out of our “cycle of cynicism and negativism.” Newt’s comparison of today to the pre-Civil War era, where the prospect of war became inevitable, is concerning, to say the least. As a historian and political practitioner, few people have known more about the occupants of our Highest Office. We explore our contrasting expectations of Trump’s behavior, George Washington’s position on parties, and the secret to Newt’s success in collaborating with Bill Clinton.

For extra credit, he regales us with a story about the time Richard Nixon gifted him a strategy that later resulted in the Republican Revolution, his position as House Speaker, and perhaps a clue that explains our union’s current state. If it makes you feel better, we also talk about podcasts. “For the country’s sake, it would be really helpful if starting in December or January, people could just listen to each other.” Chances are, something in this podcast will cause some to take offense, but conversation across differences is really the point, isn’t it? Whether you love or hate the man or his policy positions, this interview is an education.

-Dan

Highlights:

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• 2:10 – Newt contrasts our current state of polarization with 1967-1972
• 7:59 – Newt draws a distinction between partisan politics and anti-American partisanship
• 13:21 – On the subject of our differences, Newt expresses what he sees as the incompatibility of the worlds which Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi would create
• 16:59 – “I tried to convince them and failed totally”. Newt describes his repeated efforts in the last four years to encourage The White House and Congressional Republicans to find issues to work on across party lines
• 20:26 – Congressional Delegations as a model for the value of getting people out of their elements, to live alongside people on the other side, as a way to humanize and bring them together
• 22:41 – “Republicans have always been boring.” Newt shares a story about the advice he got from Richard Nixon that resulted in him achieving the first Republican majority in Congress in 40 years, and how Trump used similar techniques to win the office
• 26:00 – “10% less Trump would be 100% more effective”. Newt tells Dan that his expectation of Trump to rise above the negative press coverage he receives is an irrational fantasy, but concedes
• 27:42 – Newt gives advice directly to businesses on deciding what to sponsor, and the appetite for content that focuses on advancing the good, rather than pointing out the bad
• 32:04 – Newt speaks to Republicans about the opportunity after the election to really listen to the other side and find common ground for the sake of the country
• 33:34 – “After the war”: Newt has parallel advice for the media to make a significant positive impact on the country, and get out of our cycle of cynicism and negativism