Santorum camp asking conservatives to pressure Gingrich to drop out

MSNBC ^ | March 6, 2012 | Andrew Rafferty

[LonelyCon]

Rick Santorum's campaign is calling on conservatives to pressure Newt Gingrich to abandon his bid for the White House, a senior adviser told reporters tonight.

Senior campaign strategist John Brabender said the key for the campaign going forward will be creating an opportunity to challenge Mitt Romney one-on-one, though Brabender maintained the Santorum campaign would not directly call on Gingrich to drop out of the race.

"We're never going to call on anybody to get out, but what we are calling is on Tea Party supporters and conservatives is to rally behind the only candidate that has demonstrated over and over again that he's the one who can compete against Mitt Romney," Brabender said.

"The real key right now is, can we get an opportunity to get a one-on-one shot with Mitt Romney," he said.

[LeopoldvonRanke]

And conservatives take another hit. Newt needs to go.

GA is done, and he isn’t going to win anymore states, anywhere.

He’s made his point, he can win his home state, but what else can he win? He was third tonight in Tennessee and third tonight in Oklahoma.

Santorum is now the favourite to win all the upcoming states over Newt.

[mckenzie7]

Santorum needs to drop out and back Newt.

[newzjunkey]

Once again nothing's ever Santorum's fault.

Just as he did for Michigan, Newt didn't campaign for Ohio and Santorum couldn't beat Romney one-on-one.

[Piranha]

Among states that Romney won, in Michigan and Ohio the total of Gingrich/Santorum votes exceeds Romney votes.

Romney’s votes are greater than the combined Gingrich/Santorum votes in Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia (where only he and Paul were on the ballot), Washington, and Wyoming.

Newt has won Georgia and South Carolina.

Santorum has won Colorado, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

[mylife]

In other words, Newt Is closing on Rick with delegates.

[MestaMachine]

Oh, for crying out loud! Newt frikking CEDED every state but Georgia to santorum and santorum choked. Stop it!!!

[org.whodat]

MSNBC, yes a real trusted source.

[trappedincanuckistan]

So much for Rick’s “big night”.

Does this account for Rick’s problems in Tenn and Ohio?

How about the fact he may not get 20% in Georgia?

[txrangerette]

Santorum has delegate problems in Ohio.

Full slate there?

Uh, no.

[Antoninus]

Unfortunately, Gingrich is now toast. He should drop out and endorse Santorum. If he did that, Romney's path to the nomination is much more difficult.

If he stays in, the "not Romney" vote remains split.

[mylife]

Good point.

[Piranha]

Sorry, Santorum has won Tennessee, not Kentucky.

[advertising guy]

Newt is about to find more than enuf coal to run a 4 wheel drive train.....Santorum is gonna go back to playin Icabod Crane tryin to rope sheep.

[Born to Conserve]

It’s Newt, or I just don’t care.

[montanajoe]

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

Well put...

[txrangerette]

Where else can he win besides GA?

What is South Carolina...chopped liver?

[napscoordinator]

The weird thing with next Tuesday, MIssissippi and Alabama is this:

1st place gets 32 delegates

2nd place gets 29 delegates

3rd place gets 26 delegates

And that is combined for both states. It has been a very weird primary with the dismal amount of delegates given out.

[org.whodat]

There is no such thing as an uncommitted on the first vote. Party rule.

[LeopoldvonRanke]

That’s the third state that Newt Gingrich has thrown to Romney.

Newt has only delivered two states, and cost us three. He’s a liability.

[trappedincanuckistan]

Santorum might’ve won the % vote in Ohio, but still would have lost the delegate count to Romney because of delegate problems.