By the 1990s, Democratic control of the House of Representatives had gone on so long that most people in political circles took it as almost a basic fact of life. Congressional incumbents always enjoy a large advantage in fundraising, name recognition, and access to the media. In addition, the congressional districts had been drawn to ensure that most incumbents would not face a real race. For these reasons, when House Republican whip Newt Gingrich (the second-ranking House Republican) spoke of his plans to gain a majority, it was usually assumed that he was just trying to boost morale among the faithful. Few people thought that he was actually serious.

Gingrich was an aggressive and innovative politician who quickly moved up in the Republican leadership structure by challenging the party's complacency in the House of Representatives. Prior to Gingrich, the Republican leadership had largely accepted its status as a permanent minority party, usually seeking out compromises as a way to gain influence in an institution where the majority has almost absolute control.

Gingrich went in the opposite direction, seizing every opportunity to make a political point. He was the first to discover the value of C-SPAN cable telecasts of sessions of Congress, often making impassioned speeches to an empty chamber; these speeches reached a substantial audience of hardcore political junkies through the new cable television network.