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Newt hopes to sway delegates after Utah
Politico ^ | March 22, 2012 | ALEXANDER BURNS

Posted on 03/22/2012 12:50:11 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign is pushing back on the idea that the former House speaker must win three more states in order to be nominated at the Republican national convention, arguing that he could compete in Tampa instead by peeling off delegates from his GOP opponents.

I wrote earlier that in order to get nominated on the first ballot, Republican National Committee rules state that Gingrich would have to win a total of five states – three more than he already has.

That’s not technically right. As Gingrich communications director Joe DeSantis just pointed out to me, the rules literally say that Gingrich must have a plurality from delegates in five states. That means he could theoretically get over the five-state threshold by courting delegates from non-binding states (say, Minnesota) where other candidates have won.

“We’re going to be making of efforts to be making a plurality of delegates in a lot of states,” DeSantis said. “There are a lot of states that are unbound.”

What’s more, those delegates could be up in the air even after June 26, when Utah holds the last formal nominating contest.

“There’s two months to affect who the delegates from the unbound states are going to support on the first ballot,” DeSantis said, referring to the gap between Utah and the August convention in Florida.

Of course, the point will likely be moot if Mitt Romney ends up claiming 1,144 delegates and mathematically clinching the nomination. But that really also depends on just how long and bloody a fight his opponents are willing to wage, and how much trouble they’re willing to go through on the off chance that Romney falls barely short of closing the deal.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: convention; delegates; gingrich2012; gopprimary
No one knows how this is going to go down.
1 posted on 03/22/2012 12:50:24 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Please say no to Mr. Etch N Sketch everyone who still has a vote....


2 posted on 03/22/2012 12:54:20 PM PDT by greatvikingone
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I don't care much how it happens, as long as these two are on the ticket instead of the tripe presently running::

Photobucket

3 posted on 03/22/2012 12:59:02 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascist info.. http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: Candor7
Gingrich: Some 'Brand New Players' Might Emerge At GOP Convention
4 posted on 03/22/2012 1:10:52 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: greatvikingone

Newt can still win!

All he need to do is pick up 79.3% of the remaining delegates to be selected to lock it up before the convention. Texas alone will get him almost 12% of the way there.

5 posted on 03/22/2012 1:20:25 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The five state rule only applies to the first ballot. Beyond that, it’s an open game.


6 posted on 03/22/2012 1:20:59 PM PDT by cotton1706
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To: Candor7; Cincinatus' Wife

One of whom’s husband openly endorses Newt and herself openly states she voted for Newt, but couldn’t endorse because of her Fox News contract.

Tripe, eh?

Not by your heroine’s standards.


7 posted on 03/22/2012 1:25:50 PM PDT by txrangerette ("HOLD TO THE TRUTH...SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR" - Glenn Beck)
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To: cotton1706
The five state rule only applies to the first ballot. Beyond that, it’s an open game.

Yes, but word is, the states' GOP extra delegates really lean on the released delegates to follow their lead (and those party members know where their bread is buttered).

I'm not saying it can't be done, but those delegates are where the votes are. They must be convinced that they won't be standing out there with their fannies hanging out -- that the base is really going to pressure the Establishment about this disaster called Romney; where there is such a visible ground swell they will see that Mitt may well not be the nominee.

But as you've noticed, the Bushes have started telling the GOP Base to get with the program. That tells me they are not happy with this primary being dragged out. Good!

Romney and his campaign keep tripping over their victories and giving sound bites to Obama's team. I figure 4 more months of this and he should be toast.

8 posted on 03/22/2012 1:31:19 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Candor7

I wanted to vote for Sarah, and she didn’t run. I wanted to vote for Cain, and he got bimboed out before my state voted. Every candidate I want to win, loses, so I’ve decided the best thing I can do to get America back to conservative values is to start pulling for Obama!!


9 posted on 03/22/2012 1:32:56 PM PDT by knittnmom (Save the earth! It's the only planet with chocolate!)
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To: Vigilanteman; Cincinatus' Wife

Who here is saying the nonsense you posted?

Name them.

Oh that’s right, you’re saying it, but you’re pretending that Newt supporters either say it or believe it, or that Newt himself does.

Sorry. All false.

This is about delegates unbound at the convention, not about what happens between now and then in primaries.

You are busted.


10 posted on 03/22/2012 1:37:49 PM PDT by txrangerette ("HOLD TO THE TRUTH...SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR" - Glenn Beck)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Pass the popcorn. They just put in the second reel.


11 posted on 03/22/2012 1:39:06 PM PDT by exit82 (Democrats are the enemies of freedom. Be Andrew Breitbart.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

If the Bushes think they have the power to tell the base to get in line, they have a screw loose. Jeb’s endorsement means nothing to conservatives. He’s just another skirt that weak-kneed people can hide behind.

Even if the establishment gets their boy nominated, they’ve had to work for it. They’ve had to manipulate in the open and show us all their insidious strategems (Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Florida, Virginia, etc.) They’ve had to spend millions to get their boy over the top and push and push and push and we’re still not with him. And still won’t be if he’s nominated.

If Romney gets the nomination, I hope he wins, but I won’t help him.


12 posted on 03/22/2012 1:41:55 PM PDT by cotton1706
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