Posted on 01/26/2012 3:46:03 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
TAMPA, Fla. — As the Republican race moves to a state defined by the extremes in recession-era America — where the underwater and unemployed live just a few miles from the 1 percent — a sharp class divide is emerging between the two top contenders.
Mitt Romney’s crowds look like something out of the president’s suite at a University of Florida football game — prosperous, trim, Tattersall-clad, and supportive but not rowdy.
Newt Gingrich supporters, with their spray-painted signs, American flag tees, flip-flops and fanny packs, more closely resemble a group that would fit in nicely playing a few bucks at the dog track.
Exit poll data and unmistakable anecdotal evidence from their events reflects an unfolding campaign in which Romney does best with voters that are a lot like him — wealthy, well-educated and lukewarm about the populist tea party movement. Gingrich is appealing most to Republicans who earn under six figures, make up the core of the middle-class and are worried about their economic prospects and furious at the establishment.
It’s the Tea Party and the cocktail party.
Tampa attorney Paul Phillips illustrates the gap. He came to Romney’s Tuesday morning State of the Union pre-buttal dressed for a business meeting, sporting a blue pinstriped suit and a smart polka-dot tie.
“I’m an educated elitist,” Phillips said before Romney spoke in a warehouse that has closed during the economic recession. “I mean seriously, I don’t view the tea party with a very good light. Most of them quote the Constitution and don’t understand it. It’s pretty scary, actually.”
Phillips, who said he received an invitation from the Romney campaign to attend the event, said he’s supporting the former Massachusetts governor because his background is clear of the Gingrich scandals that the Romney campaign has sought to emphasize....
(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com ...
Newt has that special quality that can get people moving and doing .... he can get the grassroots energized as evidenced in this article. We cannot beat Obama without motivated voters and a candidate who will drop the gloves and fight. Newt is the guy to do it.
Good post, Thank You !
Then why is he at a Romney event? Romney certainly has displayed no "understanding" of the Constitution.
Tea Partiers, on the other hand, probably spend lots of time reading the Founders' speeches and writings on the internet and are way ahead of both Romney and this man in their understanding of the ideas of liberty.
Paul Phillips and like minded individuals can get stuffed. The Constitution is quite easy to understand which makes it quite inconvenient for statists regardless of their party affiliation.
That’s how people like Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich get women to fall into bed with them....................................... I guess they wouldn’t if they were allowed to have 5 wives? Its going to get nasty, and by Nov. there will be mud slides from coast to cost. There will be so much mud thrown that we should invest in waders.
Rebellion is brewing!
he’s supporting the former Massachusetts governor because his background is clear of the Gingrich scandals that the Romney campaign has sought to emphasize....
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and I’m supporting the former Speaker of the House because his background is clear of the Romney scandals
Most of them quote the Constitution and don’t understand it.
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Meaning most of us are not groupie listeners to RomneyBot Glenn Beck ande his version of what is in the Constitution and his weird corruption of US History...
I use to be a Beck listener and even I think he's trying to make himself into some kind of messiah....
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