Posted on 03/26/2012 5:16:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Newt Gingrich confirms with this statement what everybody already knew: His purpose in the race at this point is less to secure the nomination himself (or even to spearhead a movement, like Ron Paul) than to thwart Mitt Romney. Same ol’ story:
Gingrich told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he won’t get out of the race until former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) – who Gingrich described as “the weakest frontrunner in modern times” — secures the 1,144 delegates necessary to clinch the GOP nomination.
“I think the morning that he gets 1,144 that are locked down, then I think he can claim to be the nominee,” Gingrich said. …
“Obviously, if (Romney) becomes the nominee, I will support him. . . . If he doesn’t win the nomination, then it’s going to be wide open and then we’re going to have a conversation for those 60 days,” he said, referring to the length of time between the last nominating contest in June and the national convention in August.
Asked about Santorum’s viability in the race, Gingrich responded that “he doesn’t have a guaranteed lock any more than I do or Mitt Romney does.”
Is it even feasible to stop Romney anymore, though? The day after the Mississippi and Alabama primaries, The Examiner’s Tim Carney wrote an excellent piece that asked the question, “Can the non-Mitts improve by 17 percent?” According to the delegate math at that point, the non-Romneys had to win at least 55 percent of the remaining delegates to stop Romney from securing the nomination. As Carney pointed out, that might not sound like a lot, especially divided among three candidates — but it required them to perform better than they had up to that point. Up until March 14, the non-Romneys had won just 44 percent of the vote.
So, what has happened since then? Missouri began its caucus process — but we won’t know the exact results until June. Romney won Puerto Rico and Illinois. Rick Santorum won Louisiana. Not bad for the non-Mitts, eh? Actually, it is. Romney took 70 of 91 delegates, which means the non-Mitts took just 21 or about 23 percent of the available delegates. That’s a far cry from the 55 percent they need to capture to stop Mitt.
What whiplash I have from my own opinions about this race! One day, I want the challengers out so I can attempt to reconcile myself to Romney. The next day, like today, I sympathize with the challengers. As I wrote this morning, it is perplexing that we’ll mostly likely end this eventful primary season by selecting for ourselves a candidate who, as Rick Santorum says, is “uniquely disqualified” to hit Obama where it hurts — on Obamacare. Probably I feel that way today because, with the hearings on Capitol Hill, I’m reminded of the many weaknesses of Obamacare.
For all that I might be able to sympathize with Santorum and Gingrich on the substance of the race, the reality still is as it was: Mitt Romney will in all likelihood be the nominee.
And I’ll keep donating so long as je does.
I’m done with Rick. starting to look like a stalking horse.
This headline makes Newt look like a stalking horse.
Good. And Newt should stay in until Romney hits 1180, as some of those delegates can be challenged on the floor because of rule violations and other procedures.
Here’s hoping the Supreme Court invalidates Obamacare, so it doesn’t matter in the election.
I’m done with Rick. starting to look like a stalking horse.
Drop the sauce. Seriously, he has just won his tenth state. He is doing incredibly well. I bet Newt would LOVE to be in Santorum’s position. How many states has Newt won???? The difference in delegates between Newt and Santorum is very significant. Newt hardly has any at all and let’s not even begin on the popular vote. The problem I have with Newt is that people are not voting for him AT ALL. And you think suddenly they are going to vote for him in the General? That does not make any sense. Sure I like him, but let’s get some realistic thinking here. In the general, Newt will get a total of 23 electoral college which is what he got in the primary.
wonder what got 'em...
just when you thought the presidential suit couldn't get any emptier...from socialized medicine's pimp to it's baby-daddy.
I wish voters would vote their hearts, that is what the primary contests are for. Romney is so boring and Santorum is just not able to relate the right tone, as he seems angry all the time. Mr. Newt was accused of that angry tone, but I never once saw it. I still think Santorum will slip up one too many times, and supporters that are fearful of Romney will come over to Mr. Newt.
I wish voters would vote their hearts, that is what the primary contests are for. Romney is so boring and Santorum is just not able to relate the right tone, as he seems angry all the time. Mr. Newt was accused of that angry tone, but I never once saw it. I still think Santorum will slip up one too many times, and supporters that are fearful of Romney will come over to Mr. Newt.
A Hail Mary by Newt or a Hail Sarah is our only chance/salvation.
I am with you. It is Newt that is always capturing Obama’s attention with his comments and Newt that is rattling Obama’s cage.
In my opinion..the Speaker is the best candidate running for president since Reagan and look at the greats that support him. You know the list from Art Laffer to Thomas Sowell to Ollie North and etc.
5...4...3...2...1..santos drive bys..
Newt is right-until Mittens has it-Newt stays in.
Please God keep this man going.
I think we need to get ready for a brokered convention and pick a candidate we can all get behind. One candidate, not Sarah or Paul Ryan or whatever, a single candidate that WE want to draft. Multiple loyalties was our first mistake, don’t need to repeat it.
I believe we could do it. If those morons in WI can organize recalls and ows can get people all over the country to join, we can pick our own candidate to draft. The media would love a new story to latch onto so if we start putting out the word that, if we get to a bc, we’re going to draft x, it would be huge.
But time is running out.
He needs to stay in to keep MYTH ROMNEY from buying the nomination, same as Gingrich.
Unlike Gingrich though, he would run as the mormon bishops VP in a heartbeat, because he is a degenerate megalomaniac blowhard chump.
Nice. You clearly are a dictator who can’t handle others having a different opinion. All I have seen you do is bash those that don’t agree with you. Well at least in the end, you will LOSE. There is nothing that I find more deserving than seeing you LOSE.
Time for another Newt campaign donation.
I hope he stays ‘til the bitter end.
Whats going on now is pointless Bread and Circuses.
I agree. Since 1988, they have been picking our candidate and it does suck, but we FINALLY have a great conservative...two of them and the two groups argue with each other (yep me included) and aren’t going to get either candidate. I don’t care what people say. If we go to the convention without a candidate, Paul is going to give him delegates to Romney and get him over 1140. It is depressing but I thing the media and GOPe are going to win again....UNFORTUNATELY.
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