Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich waves from his vehicle, Florida January 13, 2012.
Posted on 01/14/2012 12:19:44 PM PST by TitansAFC
DUNCAN, S.C. -- As soon as Newt Gingrich wrapped up his remarks on Saturday night at a forum hosted by the Republican Parties of Greenville and Spartanburg counties, it was Rick Santorum's turn to take the stage.
But Gingrich ensured that the spotlight remained on him.
As the former Pennsylvania senator began his remarks to hundreds of GOP activists gathered inside a high school cafeteria, Gingrich drew most of the media on hand to a nearby hallway where he held a press conference apparently timed to steal Santorum's thunder.
Gingrich took a pass when asked how, over the next week, he would contrast his record with Santorum's.
But even before taking a question, the former House speaker -- who just last month promised to run a “relentlessly positive” campaign -- launched an all-out barrage against Mitt Romney, laying into the former Massachusetts governor’s record on abortion, the Second Amendment, taxes and job creation.
The message Gingrich was trying to convey was clear: that the real battle in South Carolina was between himself and Romney, with the other candidates playing bit roles.
“If we end up splitting the conservative vote, we’re going to end up nominating somebody with whom 95 percent of the people in this room are going to be very uncomfortable,” Gingrich had told the crowd, clearly referencing Romney, whom he has labeled a “Massachusetts moderate.”
Gingrich has some recent numbers to back up his belief that he is the Romney alternative best-positioned to turn back the national front-runner’s momentum in South Carolina. According to the latest RCP Average of Palmetto State polls, Gingrich trails Romney by less than 5 percent, while Santorum and the libertarian-leaning Ron Paul are 12 percentage points behind. Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman continue to spin their wheels in the mid-single digits.........
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Ping!
Newt is doing the right thing by attacking Romney and not Santorum. Conseratives should at least give him credit for that.
Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich waves from his vehicle, Florida January 13, 2012.
Good strategy. We need a bulldog to win this and Santorum is a golden retriever puppy.
I was there, Newt was great. Santorum was pretty weak by comparison. Candidates who didn’t attend this event were foolish.
I’m unaware of any polls that have shown Santorum ahead of Gingrich in South Carolina.
How can he ‘seize’ what he has always had?
Which is why he’s fallen to second from leading in SC?
Yep...puppy
bigtime
I wouldn’t have thought a Penn State alum would be caught on camera wearing another Big-10 school’s sweater-vest.
Isn’t he 2-0 so far against Newt?
The sweater vest makes me want to puke.
Do you wear a sweater vest? does anyone on FR wear a sweater vest?
WTF?
Absolutely. As much as I like Santorum, Gingrich is the fighter we need to pound Obama back to Kenya.
You have my envy.... I would have loved to had been there. I just watched Newt on video and he was awesome.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/303686-1
GO NEWT GO.......
Santorum wouldn't have a chance up against Obama's billion dollar lying, deceitful, mud slinging campaign, whereas Gingrich would take Obama to the woodshed at every turn.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.