October 5th, 2011

Would Newt Gingrich consider a VP slot?

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asks GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich if he would run as a vice president in 2012. A highlight from the interview is after the jump and a full transcript will be posted on CNN.com.

Please credit all usage of the interview to CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer


Highlight from Full Interview
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED

BLITZER: One final question. Give me a yes or a no.  If one of the other Republican candidates gets the nomination and asks you to be the vice presidential running mate, is it a yes from you or a no?

GINGRICH: Well, it wouldn’t be a no.

BLITZER: That sounds like a yes.  Anything? All right. I’ll leave it at that.

GINGRICH: I’m not going to —

BLITZER: All right. It wouldn’t be the first time that a candidate asked somebody with more experience, a little bit older. President Bush asked Dick Cheney. President Obama, as you know, asked Joe Biden. I wouldn’t be surprised necessarily if somebody else gets the nomination — I know you want to get the nomination — they turn to you and say, would you join me on the ticket?

So what I hear you saying is you’re open that. Give me a yes or a no.

GINGRICH: Look, Ronald Reagan once said he was very glad Gerald Ford did not ask him in ’76 because he didn’t see how a citizen could turn down a president in that setting. And I think Reagan had a lot of profound wisdom about that.

BLITZER: Mr. Speaker, as usual, thanks very much. And by the way, I heard that your wife Callista’s new book is a “New York Times” bestseller, a book on children. Congratulations on that as well.

GINGRICH: Yes. We’re very proud of Callista. “Sweet Land of Liberty” is going to premier in its very first week on the “New York Times” bestseller list, and we’re all thrilled for “Ellis the Elephant” and the children who seem to like it a lot.

BLITZER: Well, congratulate her, and thanks very much. We’ll hope to have you back fairly soon.

GINGRICH: Thank you.

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