How exactly does this help Newt? On the other hand it does help Romney.
It helps Newt because even in LA, with today's saturday's loss, newt won a major statewide tea party straw poll, almost the same as the primary results... newt 50-something, then romney, then santorum...
And some fields in the campaign have decided the socons are not going to be moved from santorum no matter what... their electoral choices derive from he's only been married once and he's a good family man.
But there is starting to be an appeal made to fiscal conservatives in the tea party re rick's dubious fiscal conservatism... and it is doing pretty well, and was reflected in that tparty straw poll today...
I've already seen two youtube vids of santorum supporters switching to Newt... I don't know if they are authentic, but this is where the case for Newt is being made... and maybe towards some thoughtful Christians, who can look at Newt's body of work, and see how much true effort and thought he has put into the subject of religious liberty in America, they are not just talking points to him.