Posted on 01/18/2012 8:44:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Have the tea partiers found their man to challenge President Obama?
The leader of South Carolina’s chapter of the Tea Party Patriots says they have — and it’s Newt Gingrich.
In an interview on Wednesday with The Daily Caller, Joe Dugan, who is also the chairman of the local Myrtle Beach Tea Party, said he sees increasing signs that conservative activists in the Palmetto State are beginning to coalesce around the former Speaker of the House.
“My sense is there is a growing coalition behind Newt Gingrich,” said Dugan, who organized a state tea party convention last weekend that both Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum attended.
Dugan personally supports Gingrich and said the board of the Myrtle Beach Tea Party has endorsed the former House speaker’s campaign.
He also made it clear that the tea partiers he knows are not fans of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is leading in many polls here ahead of Saturday’s primary.
“We don’t want somebody who is a moderate,” Dugan said, “that will try to compromise with Democrats to perpetuate the crises that we are encountering in this country.”
But no one candidate throughout the Republican primary has been able to consolidate the support of the tea party movement. National polls show that there is no clear “tea party” candidate — a recent CBS News/New York Times poll shows Romney and Gingrich essentially tied when it comes to tea party support nationally.
But if that is changing, it was symbolized Tuesday night when former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said on Fox News that if she was voting in the South Carolina primary, she would support Gingrich.
On Wednesday, a leader with the Tea Party Express organization told TheDC that Gingrich seems to have the most buzz among tea party activists heading into South Carolina’s primary. But he said there still isn’t a tea party consensus candidate.
“We poll continuously to monitor our people, and they have bounced from candidate to candidate as the national polls have shown as well,” strategist Sal Russo told TheDC. “Each of the major candidates has taken the lead in our poll for a period of time. Right now it is a pretty close race with our people. Gingrich leads, followed by Romney, Paul and Santorum.”
Russo said, “We had thought there would be a developing tea party consensus after our September debate and tour, but obviously that has not happened.”
Tea Party Express chairwoman Amy Kremer recently said the organization would endorse ahead of Saturday’s primary, but Russo told TheDC on Wednesday that “our goal is still to endorse if a consensus begins to develop, but we haven’t seen it… yet.”
Russo said it’s possible they “will just be supportive of all of the candidates and keep our focus on the Senate and House for the time being.”
“The gratifying thing for us is that all of the remaining candidates have appealed to tea party voters and each of them has significant support,” he said. “So I consider it a victory if we have multiple acceptable candidates.”
No thanks. I don't take anyone seriously who, on one hand claims Newt isn't pure enough to vote for, while on the other hand thinks voting for Donald Trump is a swell idea. You're the one pushing the liberal agenda, not us Newt supporters.
Maybe not. Romney is almost as bad as Obama.
If Newt or Romney win, I am going third party. McCain was the last skunk I will vote for. Never again.
We are out of time...These fake conservatives are not going to fix what needs fixing. Romney will side with the democrats without a fight.
Newt will cower in the corner once the democrats apply the heat. He is a wimp and will become the lap dog of Nancy and Harry even before the new curtains are up in the oval office.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pR5nI6Sp4I&feature=related
Yeah, Newt the conservative...Fighting for conservative causes.
Listen to him. This is who you want on “our” side?
Then go third party, drama queen, and quit pestering us while we focus on vaporizing zero.
That’s harsh CS. After all, would a wimp send out his daughters to face the ex wife interview pain ? That took real courage .
You fraud. You run around pushing candidates like Donald Trump while accusing those favoring Newt of pushing the liberal agenda.
Explain Trump’s following donations:
11/8/2010- $2,700-Democratic Party of Delaware
10/21/2010 -$2,400- Anthony Weiner (D)
9/20/2010- $10,000 – Democratic Committee of New York City
2/18/2010 – $2,000- Anthony Weiner (D)
4/7/2010 -$1,000 Charles Schumer (D)
3/26/2009- $2,400 – Harry Reid (D)
8/11/2009 -$2,000 – Bill Nelson (D)
5/20/2009 – $2,000 -Charles Schumer (D)
Explain why Trump belives that America should implement Canadian style universal health care. Explain why Trump sided with the far left on the attempted impeachment of Bush. Explain why Trump favored Crist over Rubio.
You don’t know who you are voting for then...The videos I have posted prove that Newt is not a conservative. Plain and simple.
I would vote for trump to help destroy the GOP once and for all if need be IF they elect another liberal republican in the form of Romney or Newt. The GOP is worthless in it’s current form and either needs to be cleaned from the inside out or destroyed so that a REAL conservative party can take hold and take back the country from the establishment republicans and the whack socialists.
Principles over Party!
Newt has done more for Conservatives and this country than any other running for President....and this based on his love for this country and despite those who sought to take him down.
The examples you failed to mention but alluded to have already been addressed and put to rest. So your beating on a dead drum.
Newt is far from a liberal....how you can say that is really astounding especially in light of his record of achievements for conservativism.
You never answered my question. Are you claiming that those favoring Newt are using the Free Republic to push the liberal agenda?
The time for pedicures and scrapbooking is over. Shut up and focus on defeating Obams.
I have made a number of posts of video of Newt saying things that are not from the mouth of a conservative.
So many of you have the wool pulled over your eyes that you can’t see the truth.
My final words on it here...Newt is something but it’s not a conservative. A conservative does not get in bed with the likes of Pelosi or say the thing he has said in all those videos I posted..Newt is about Newt and power. Elect Newt and we get another GWB..Big Government republican who thinks big government can be made to work if only they control it.
Noone here really cares what you think about Newt. There’s really nothing you can say that Glenn Beck hasn’t already preached to his choir. You’re not going to change any more minds being an ass on Gingrich threads. Why don’t you try agitating in favor of a candidate instead of against one?
No not too late. Newt has real conservative accomplishments. he may not be perfect nor even close to what I wished we’d have but he is what we have and I believe he will fight not only Obama but also liberalism. He is now leading Romney in South Carolina in the latest poll. His ex wife speaking isn’t likely to have a huge impact. She’s spilled her guts before and it isn’t like there is likely to be a lot of new material. If someone doesn’t know Newt’s failings now then they are just lazy.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/gingrich-leads-romney-south-carolina/2012/01/18/id/424661
“My sense is there is a growing coalition behind Newt Gingrich,” said Dugan, who organized a state tea party convention last weekend that both Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum attended.
Woo hoo!!
Speaker Gingrich-led Republicans….the result: * Voting on each of the Contract with America items * Four consecutive balanced budgets * Over $500 billion of debt paid off * Major welfare reform accomplished * 11 million new jobs for America * Unemployment falling to under 4%.
Iowa results due 8:15 in the morning.
Exactly! Enough is enough from those dorks.
Iowa results are well past their expiration date.
In any case, the Iowa Caucus is just a glorified straw poll. It does not select delegates.
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