WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Newt Gingrich weighs in on presidential race

Newt Gingrich weighs in on presidential race

By Melanie Ruberti - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - The former US Speaker of the House was in Savannah on Thursday to talk about healthcare and spoke out about the battle for the White House.

His platform is now healthcare. While former republican speaker Newt Gingrich isn't running for office, he is using his political stature to change the way healthcare is delivered in the US.

"Electronic prescribing is much more accurate," Gingrich explained. "It will save a lot of lives. It's much more efficient. It allows you to get to a drug store and know your prescription is already there."

E-Prescribing is just one of the new health initiatives Gingrich proposed to medical professionals at Armstrong Atlantic State University. As the head of the Center for Health Transformation, his goal is to have a paperless electronic health system in place nationwide by 2012.

And it's no coincidence he picked an election year to talk about it. "I think either candidate that picks up the ideas could gain a great deal of interest in their ability to solve health challenges we have," he stated.

Just months away from the presidential election, Gingrich is keeping close tabs on the race. He believes the White House is still very much up for grabs.

"If you had asked me a month ago, I thought Senator Obama was doing a great job," Gingrich said. "I don't know what's happened, but somehow, they're just off stride."

Gingrich says while Obama's campaign may be losing some steam, McCain's is progressing forward thanks his pick for VP.

"Senator McCain, to his credit, did a brilliant job of bringing Governor Palin to the country's attention," he exclaimed. "And she's done extraordinarily well. I'm very encouraged by it."

No stranger to the political scene, Gingrich knows the next few weeks are critical to Obama and McCain's campaign.

But whoever takes office in January, he hopes they'll take a critical look at changing the face of healthcare in America.

Gingrich says if McCain doesn't win the election in November, he'll consider making a run for the White House in 2012. But for right now, he's content on working with the Center for Health Transformation and pushing his health initiatives though congress.