Gingrich Run Looking Unlikely

Newt Gingrich was on Fox News Sunday this morning (he seems to have monthly appearances on that show). He confirmed rumors he had dinner recently with Fred Thompson, and also said that he would likely not run:

WALLACE: Of course, people wonder whether you’re going to get into the race or whether you’re going to stay on the sidelines.

There was a report the other day, and this is the level of political reporting these days, that the Gingriches had dinner a couple of weeks ago with Fred and Jeri Thompson at the Thompsons’ house and that you discussed policy.

So I don’t care so much about the menu. Are you going to endorse Senator Thompson for president?

GINGRICH: Chris, I love this business, and I know why you enjoy every Sunday morning. We’ve now gone from the systemic crisis of the French Fourth Republic to did we have dinner.

Calista has given me permission to tell you that yes, we had a very nice dinner with Jeri and Fred and with Bob Livingston. It was a delightful discussion. They’ve been good friends for many years.

And I think that Fred will be a very formidable candidate. And I start with — American Solutions is offering all of its polling data and all of its ideas to every candidate in both parties. We literally delivered our last poll to every candidate in both parties.

Fred Thompson will be a serious candidate. I think the Republicans have three major choices in Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. I think any of the three will be…

WALLACE: And not John McCain.

GINGRICH: I think Senator McCain has taken positions so deeply at odds with his party’s base that I don’t see how he can get the nomination.

But I think that either Mayor Giuliani or Governor Romney or Senator Thompson would be a very formidable opponent for what I expect will be a Clinton-Obama ticket, and I think that there’s a possibility that will work.

After we’re done with our workshops at American Solutions in September, if there is a vacuum and if there’s a real need for somebody to be prepared to debate Senator Clinton, then I would consider running. I think we’ll know that in October.

But these three are serious people. They’re working very hard. And if they can fill the vacuum, I don’t feel any great need to run.

Gingrich could still be a VP possibility. But he seems content to be the idea man for the right at this point, and will only run for President if the situation is dire. His position politically is really similar to Al Gore’s in that regard - both are unlikely to run, but have not ruled it out in any definitive sense.

I’m not holding my breath for either, though.

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