Posted on 01/31/2012 12:46:02 PM PST by Maceman
As I reported this morning, Newt Gingrich is pleading with Florida voters not to "waste" their votes on Rick Santorum, asserting that he alone is the only conservative alternative to Mitt Romney with a chance to win. Given the state's polling picture, that's not an entirely unreasonable argument to advance, but Newt has taken his rhetoric a step further by calling on Santorum and Ron Paul to drop out of the race and unite behind him. Newt floated the same suggestion in South Carolina, which went over about as well as his latest attempt to clear the field:
Rick Santorum on Tuesday morning pushed back against calls to drop out of the GOP presidential race in order to unite the conservative vote. Santorum told Fox News that people like fellow GOP candidate Newt Gingrich shouldn't tell other candidates to "get out of my way." Gingrich, earlier in the morning, called for conservatives to unite behind one candidate. In the past, he has suggested other GOP candidates drop out of the race in order to avoid splitting the vote. "My message is everybody should run," Santorum told Fox News. "I don't think people should be telling other folks to get out of the race and get out of my way. If you want to run a race, run a race. You don't ask someone to quit just because you think you're the better candidate. I think I'm the better candidate but Newt has every right to run."
If Santorum had really wanted to twist the knife a bit, he could have mentioned the latest data from Gallup, which shows that Gingrich is the Republican nominee worst suited to compete with President Obama in crucial swing states. According to the survey, Mitt Romney narrowly leads Obama among registered voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Santorum and Ron Paul each poll within single-digits of the incumbent in these states. What about Newt?
But Obama leads Gingrich, 54%-40%. The president's standing against him has risen nine points since early December; Gingrich has fallen by eight. Gingrich fares less well than Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who trails Obama by seven points, 50%-43%, and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who also trails by seven points, 51%-44%.
Based on this snapshot, Santorum could make the case that if conservatives want to defeat both Romney and Obama, Newt should be the one getting out and backing him -- although the former Senator's quote suggests that he'll do no such thing. Also mentioned in my piece this morning was the indignant carping from Gingrich and his surrogates about "profoundly false" attacks and "gutter politics" emanating from Camp Romney. How would Newt characterize this robocoll from his own campaign, targeting elderly and Jewish voters in Florida?
um...no.
“Romney might, might win against Obama.”
I do not believe that Romney can beat Obama. You are voicing the Republican Light message that I got from a GOP “insider” today.
It just might be the case that the answer to who can beat Hussein is none of the above. Sad but true.
“I can say is that Rush isn’t sure that Santorum voters would go to Newt.”
Rush doesn’t seem to know Jack Squat lately. He’s all over the place and grasping at straws IMO. He has no way of knowing how this would play out.
Nice teeth caps, Mittens.
Let’s see: Fake veneers, fake hair, fake candidate.
Newt got trounced in Florida. Time for him to get out.
Santorum’s daughter has a fatal birth defect
Her life will be short
As a parent who lost a child, I say he needs to get out of this ego trip as a campaign spoiler, go home, and spend her remaining days being her Dad
ZOT YOU
If you actually answered the question I asked, can you point me to the post in which you did that? I'm sure not seeing it. All I saw was very politician-like non-answers.
If Newt dropped out, where would his votes go?
I expect many would go to Santorum. Some may go to Paul. They wouldn't go to Romney.
Obviously, your question is VERY hypothetical since Santorum will very likely drop out soon. He simply doesn't have the level of organization and money it would take to stay in. His contributions are going no where but down given his showing in the last two primaries.
Thanks. I hope Rick drops out after his poor performance yesterday. And I hope once he does, the foaming-at-the-mouth hatred for him stops.
Thanks for the information on Fox News lieing on Newt. They are on a mission to sink him with every word. I am truly shocked at their constant derogatory comments against Newt and am not surprised they would lie as well.
Gingrich should have spent more time with HIS daughters instead of his mistresses.
Your original post was disgusting.
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