Posted on 01/31/2012 12:46:02 PM PST by Maceman
As I reported this morning, Newt Gingrich is pleading with Florida voters not to "waste" their votes on Rick Santorum, asserting that he alone is the only conservative alternative to Mitt Romney with a chance to win. Given the state's polling picture, that's not an entirely unreasonable argument to advance, but Newt has taken his rhetoric a step further by calling on Santorum and Ron Paul to drop out of the race and unite behind him. Newt floated the same suggestion in South Carolina, which went over about as well as his latest attempt to clear the field:
Rick Santorum on Tuesday morning pushed back against calls to drop out of the GOP presidential race in order to unite the conservative vote. Santorum told Fox News that people like fellow GOP candidate Newt Gingrich shouldn't tell other candidates to "get out of my way." Gingrich, earlier in the morning, called for conservatives to unite behind one candidate. In the past, he has suggested other GOP candidates drop out of the race in order to avoid splitting the vote. "My message is everybody should run," Santorum told Fox News. "I don't think people should be telling other folks to get out of the race and get out of my way. If you want to run a race, run a race. You don't ask someone to quit just because you think you're the better candidate. I think I'm the better candidate but Newt has every right to run."
If Santorum had really wanted to twist the knife a bit, he could have mentioned the latest data from Gallup, which shows that Gingrich is the Republican nominee worst suited to compete with President Obama in crucial swing states. According to the survey, Mitt Romney narrowly leads Obama among registered voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Santorum and Ron Paul each poll within single-digits of the incumbent in these states. What about Newt?
But Obama leads Gingrich, 54%-40%. The president's standing against him has risen nine points since early December; Gingrich has fallen by eight. Gingrich fares less well than Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who trails Obama by seven points, 50%-43%, and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who also trails by seven points, 51%-44%.
Based on this snapshot, Santorum could make the case that if conservatives want to defeat both Romney and Obama, Newt should be the one getting out and backing him -- although the former Senator's quote suggests that he'll do no such thing. Also mentioned in my piece this morning was the indignant carping from Gingrich and his surrogates about "profoundly false" attacks and "gutter politics" emanating from Camp Romney. How would Newt characterize this robocoll from his own campaign, targeting elderly and Jewish voters in Florida?
What is this, the Gingrich Entitlement Forum? If Gingrich wants Santorum voters to vote for him, he should go out and try to convince them he’s a better choice, not demand that Rick drop out. He’s not entitled to those votes just because he wants them.
Absolutely. The process is poisoned by the unlimited amounts of money one candidate can spend to crucify another one. Newt never asked Rick to leave. But he knows he has the best chance to defeat Romney and he’ll get more of Rick’s votes than Romney. This is all for nothing. If Romney can spend 20 million in one state to destroy one person, this election process is a joke.
Rush said this today also. It's just ridiculous to think Santorum voters would go to Mitt. Santorum is “supposedly” the “real” conservative left in the race. This would mean his supporters are strongly conservative. They would then of course switch to Romney??>?>?? HUH???? Romney, the abortion candidate? Romney, the I've NEVER even been a conservative, candidate.
Don't make me laugh. You must have forgotten your “sarc” tag.
Rush can say some really dumb things sometimes, this was one of those times.
I have no idea where the other Santorum voters will go. And I'm pretty certain my vote will count for squat, since I vote in PA, and the race is usually decided by the time it gets here.
My guess is that most of the FReeper Santorum would go to Newt (if the anti-Santorum crowd can tone down the vitriol enough to make it palatable to vote for him), but if Rick is this establishment guy that I have been hearing about, other voters will go to Romney because he is more "electable", or some crap like that.
bet you didn’t like that snotty nosed kid in grade school who would tell the teacher on you either, or the one that brought the teacher the apple!!! No, me neither.
You mean in the year, a lot of Republicans lost their seats? He fundamentely thinks Newt and Romney are not as suited for the Presidency, why should he oblige people telling him to drop out? He is the most conservative and is being told to drop out to save conservatism. Maybe if Newt and people worded shit differently, Santorum wouldn’t be so defensive. Telling him he’s a fake conservative and needs to make room for someone he feels as an inferior conservative is not the most political way to get things done. Publicly embarrassing someone and expecting them to do what you blasted them to do is nonsense.
Anyway, now that, that rant is done, I am starting to come to the same conclusion. The hate being soewed against the man though, makes me have to defend him. Gingrich has the momentum from the conservatives, I hate and have judged people from this site for putting ideology aside for a candidate that can win, but to stop Romney that is what unfortunately needs to happen.
Also, for anyone thinking I hate Gingrich or hold any ill will, negative. I have and still do very much like the sound of a Gingrich/Santorum ticket. Gingrich’s grandiose ideas for America, with Santorums strong family values foundation is very appealing to me.
Only poblem is, Newt never directly told Santorum to get out. He never directly asked Santorum to get out. In response to a reporter’s question what Newt said was:
“I’m respectful that Rick has every right to run as long as he feels that’s what he should do,” Gingrich said. “But from the standpoint of the conservative movement, consolidating into a Gingrich candidacy would in fact virtually guarantee victory on Saturday, and I’d be delighted if either Perry or Santorum would do that. They have to make that decision.”
So Santorum is lying.
I’ve answered your question, now let me ask one: If Newt dropped out, where would his votes go?
Yeah! If only he had backed Dede Scozzafava instead, he could be a "true conservative" like Newt!
Santorum's a vile big government socialist... but if he drops out, we'll give him a cabinet post and maybe even the veep slot! You guys amuse me.
Santorum endorsed Arlen Spectrum. Arlen voted FOR Obamacare..they needed 60 votes to pass it and Spectrum was that vote. Check out Santorums pro labor voting record, check out Citizens Against Govt Waste website..they dubbed him as porker of the year over earmarks and they are a taxpayers site that is bipartisan. NO SANTORUM!!! Newt is the man that bucked Bush 41 on tax hikes, fought as speaker for a balanced budget ammendemnt. Go HOME Rick...take care of your child and family..and IF Santorum was so good after all the earmarks he supported..the folks of PA wouldnt have got rid of him in a landslide.
LOL. Nice one!
How many votes has dede cast? Now how many and for whom did Specto/Santorum cast votes....? Want to talk about humor?
One of those earmarks was for predator drones, which the DOD wanted to discontinue.
But have it your way.
Newt also supported TARP, the wallstreet bailout, the individual mandate and sponsored 418 bills side by side with Pelosi. Arbitrary facts don’t mean anything. Calm down.
Newt is right. Santorum and Paul should get out or we are going to end up with Mitt Romney as our nominee and potential president. Who is going to rejoice over that?
See Post #84
How did Newt vote for that? he wasnt in congress..duh. Little Ricky voted to fund the National Endowment of Arts and increase their funding....also for congressional pay HIKES Reform
Voted for funding for the legal services corporation.
Voted twice for a Congressional pay raise.
Voted to impose a uniform Federal mandate on states to force them to allow convicted rapists, arsonists, drug kingpins, and all other ex-convicts to vote in Federal elections.
Voted for the Specter backup plan to allow campaign finance reform to survive if portions of the bill were found unconstitutional.
Voted to mandate discounted broadcast times for politicians.
Voted for a McCain amendment to require state and local campaign committees to report all campaign contributions to the FEC and to require all campaign contributions to be reported to the FEC within 24 hours within 90 days of an election.
GO HOME SANTORUM..TAKE CARE OF YOUR DAUGHTER
I wish Perry and his millions in campaign funds would drop back in. He’s the one who did the heavy lifting against Romney in the earlier debates. As the governor of the great state of Texas, he had more of a right to stay in than any of them. He could have turned it around in Florida.
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