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?
Not a Romneybot. There is actually a third candidate, and I am for that guy.
Right now I've had it up to here with theocracies of any shade. Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, give to God the things that are Gods. Hail Newt and let the muslim find a mosque with a golfing green, and let the mormon god ride his white horse back to the temple.
This thing has come down to a race between Newt and the establishment liberal. Unless Newt keels over with a heart attack, or finds another wife, Santorum isn’t going anywhere. All he can do at this point is hurt Newt.
Life.
Get one.
It’s not that simple. What I take issue with is his obsession with something SOMETHING to disagree with. Note the whole Moon Colony thing of Newt’s. Santorum came out, knee jerk, stating Newt was “crass”, and pandering, and irresponsible, wanting to spend tax payer money. He called Newt’s SS plan a “new entitlement”, even though it’s privatization. I can go back through a list where this guy CONTINUES, from step ONE, to turn anything his opponents say or do into some kind of proof that they aren’t conservative or fit. It goes into the level of being more than just critiquing your opponent, but inventing issues just for the sake of standing out. THEN he has the hypocrisy to put himself out there as the Values candidate.
That is why I dislike this guy intensely. I’ve spotted this stuff since Perry and Cain.
TODAY?
It has been particularly bad today.
Sometimes Conservative principles, not enough. What does Rick want/think he is going to gain here; save abetting Conservative implosion by his staying in.
You really have no idea? I think I can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that Rick would be pulling votes from Newt rather than Romney.
Not saying whether Rick should drop out or not - that's his call. But I find it odd that you'd say "who knows" on this one.
Santorum won Iowa very clearly. Paul wasn’t much of a factor. The Mitties stole the win though and killed Santorum’s momentum. It was a very dirty trick, since the only wins that Romney has managed are in states with questionable registration practices.
Get out, or accept the blame when Mith loses to Ubama.
What if one was dissatisfied with BOTH Mitt and Newt, and votes for Santorum? Is that a vote away from Mitt, or Newt?
I have three extended-family members in South Carolina. They all voted for Santorum, knowing he was behind, etc. To them, it was about voting for the best guy to align with their values, etc., not about “strategery.” It is sometimes a tough call when your “best candidate” may be drawing votes in such a way as to indirectly help a TERRIBLE one.
That's going to happen no matter who the GOP nominee is.
Did newt actually tell him to get out of hs way, or is this more Santorum hyperbole?
Me too, dragonblustar.
A really grating personality, IMO.
The man - no matter how much you ‘like’ him; could not finish an articulate sentence in a debate; or give ‘full’ answer! Sorry; but we do not need a Prez who depends on Ativan to be coherent. Or, needs to. . .
The statement was made that no one could know who Santorum pulled votes away from. I challenged that.
If Santorum were to drop out, do you believe the individual that would have picked him would vote for Romney instead? I say no. What say you?
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