Politics Inside


Republican Revolution


Newt Gingrich’s new bestseller reveals rise of modern-day GOP.


BY JOHN GIZZI


it’s my 43rd book,” newt Gingrich tells Newsmax, referring to March to the Majority: The Real Story


of the Republican Revolution. With his past works


dealing with policy and history, as well as fi ction (including a few volumes of Gingrich’s own “alter- nate history” — what might have happened), the former speaker of the House has exceeded the combined works of two of the most acclaimed political writers of the 20th century: Allen Drury (25 books, including Advise and Consent) and Fletcher Knebel (14 books, including Seven Days in May). Gingrich’s latest book recalls


notable Americans he dealt with as he led the Republican Party to its fi rst majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 — which made him speaker and an interna- tional fi gure. Whether they are colleagues on


the right such as Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp, or political arch-foes


30 NEWSMAX | AUGUST 2023


such as the late Speaker Tip O’Neill or Bill Clinton, Gingrich says he learned valuable lessons from each. Now, with input from Joe Gay-


lord, a former executive director of the National Republican Congres- sional Committee, he shares what he learned with Newsmax:


Newsmax: Were there any opportunities to win a majority before 1994?


Gingrich: What hap-


pened after Watergate was horrendous. The number of Republicans who lost in 1974 took


the party down to 144. Then, the pri- mary fi ght between Ronald Reagan and President Gerald Ford in 1976


split the party and debilitated the momentum. By the time I arrived in the House


in 1978, the leadership was exhaust- ed and demoralized. I suggested that since we had


been out of power for 24 years, we ought to have a plan to become a majority. They said, “That’s a great idea. Why don’t you head it up?” So, I ended up as chairman of a new planning committee — before I was even sworn in! We invented GOPAC (political


action committee) training tapes. We had 55,000 people getting a tape every month. We created the Cam- paign Academy and Joe Gaylord taught 90,000 people. It’s important to remember that


“The Contract with America” literal- ly stands on Ronald Reagan’s shoul-


Gingrich’s latest book recalls notable Americans he dealt with as he led the Republican Party to its fi rst majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 — which made him speaker and an international fi gure.


ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES


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