Gingrich: It's a 2-person race for GOP nomination

Aikens Standard ^ | 2/1/2012 12:39 PM | Shannon McCaffrey

[Red Steel]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)-- Trounced in Florida, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Tuesday used the defeat to declare that he alone is the conservative alternative to GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.

Gingrich ignored the fact that the other two candidates in the race -- Ron Paul and Rick Santorum -- chose not to run aggressive campaigns in the state.

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Gingrich's defiant pledge to continue on against Romney sets the stage for a bitter brawl for the Republican nomination that could last for months. Gingrich supporters Tuesday night hoisted signs that read "46 States to Go."

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"I just want to reassure everyone, we are going to contest every place and we are going to win and we will be in Tampa as the nominee in August," he said.

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Gingrich now heads to Nevada, which is set to hold caucuses Saturday. Romney won Nevada when he sought the GOP nomination in 2008 and has had a campaign team there for months.

Gingrich's fortunes could rest on Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator who remains in the race despite weak showings in South Carolina and now Florida. He was a distant third in both contests. Santorum continues to pull conservative and evangelical support that would likely move to Gingrich if he left the race. Tuesday's results could increase the pressure on Santorum to drop out.

[Yaelle]

Yes, I also wonder what the race would be like if NEWT dropped out. How many of Newt’s supporters would / could vote for Santorum vs Mittens? I sure would rather vote for Santorum over any of the others, and I think he has the brains, temperament, and conservative beliefs to be a good President.

[DJ MacWoW]

I think he's on his side.

Hope your day is wonderful.

[Yaelle]

I feel that only those who have also had a child die in their arms, with older children at home, should comment on the Santorums’ decision to take their precious baby boy’s body home to share with his mourning siblings and have a funeral for him there.

I hope to never be able to make an intelligent opinion on how other parents grieve their dead babies.

[Yaelle]

Rick voters are not the same type of people as Newt voters on one subject: they don’t like Newt, or they’d vote for him. I’ve enjoyed him talking back to the msm machine at the debates, and I like the way facts trip off his tongue. If only they were the only things tripping off his tongue.

[DM1]

I read today that if Santorum did drop out his supporters may go evenly between Newt and Mitt
not sure what the reasoning behind that is or if it is even accurate but i suppose that could happen whereas if Newt dropped out most of his support would probably go Sanotorum.
interesting

[Yaelle]

brokered convention = Romney insiders give him the win.

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Then why bother with Newt at all?

[napscoordinator]

You too. Again I can’t wait for this primary to be over whether it be Newt or Sanotrum. I don’t care let’s just get it done. lol.

[Yaelle]

I believe that is true. If we make one mathematical set, “People who are voting for Gingrich or Santorum,” and try and create other sets with in it, I’d be curious what they would look like. How big is the set, “Want Santorum and do not like Gingrich”? And would these people vote for Romney or stay home if Santorum wasn’t in it? Or would they vote Gingrich entirely? I feel like the set “Want Gingrich,” if denied him, would all vote Santorum over Romney at this point.

Interesting.

[Bikkuri]

Conserv?! I think not..

[Brellium]

I believe that is true. If we make one mathematical set, “People who are voting for Gingrich or Santorum,” and try and create other sets with in it, I’d be curious what they would look like. How big is the set, “Want Santorum and do not like Gingrich”? And would these people vote for Romney or stay home if Santorum wasn’t in it? Or would they vote Gingrich entirely? I feel like the set “Want Gingrich,” if denied him, would all vote Santorum over Romney at this point.

Interesting. It would be my belief that we would see a mix of those; some people vote for the Newt, others vote for Mitts, and others stay home.

It all depends on how much of the religous conservative vote San is getting. I would actually expect Mitt to get more votes from Santorum than Gingrich. Romney seems to be the nicer canidate and had been staying above the fray, for all his faults he seems to be the most electable.

I doubt the evengelical vote will go to Ron Paul, so the question becomes does it go to the nice carsalesman in a nice suit with a nice haircut, or philanderer who openly has disparaged the other canidates and has said he would not vote for one of them if they indeed become the canidate (even as much as I distaste Ron Paul).

For all the talk Gingrich is giving about going for a brokered convention he really seems to be intent on alienating the other canidates with his antics.

[DJ MacWoW]

I agree.

[DJ MacWoW]

For all the talk Gingrich is giving about going for a brokered convention he really seems to be intent on alienating the other canidates with his antics.

HIS antics? You mean all the attack ads in Iowa that were flat out lies?

Oh wait. That was Romney.

You mean all the attack ads in Florida that were flat out lies?

Oh wait. That was Romney.

You mean all the attack ads that look like Romney's in Nevada?

Oh wait. That's Santorum.

[hosepipe]

[ Rick voters are not the same type of people as Newt voters on one subject: they don’t like Newt, or they’d vote for him. ]

I don’t especially like Newt either.. but he is all we have..
Rick cannot inspire.. he is just a good ol boy..

I like Ron sometimes but his political Tourettes makes him crazy..
He doesnt know when to shut the hell up..

NOPE!.. Newt is all “we” have.. Newt, Willard or Ron we can still lose..
American WOMEN elected an in your face Marxist last time..
And republican women are breathing heavy for Willard.. at least in Florida..

At least Newt is speaking the most UN-PC things so far..
I say elect Newt even if he makes a few billion dollars on the deal..
It would be worth a few billion... to get rid of the grifter..

[hosepipe]

[ He lost by 14. That is not a few. Where did you learn English or Math? ]

Newt will get 155 in Texas..

[HKMk23]

Word is that Santorum has thrown his lot in with Romney...

I hadn't read that, but I had this gut-level he might do that with his history taking sides against conservatives like Toomey.

Have you got a link to the story? I'm in Cubicleworld, at the moment with very little latitude to Google around.

[DJ MacWoW]

It was a comment on a thread last night. I think it was based on a speech that Santorum was giving in MO(?). There wasn't a link. And I didn't hear the speech. I only saw what the poster shared. Unfortunately.

It was also based on ads that Santorum is running. They are all negative ads against Newt. NONE on Romney.

[Reynoldo]

Here's a couple other statistical observations -
1. based on RealClearPolitics Florida summary, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers all finished with a higher percentage of votes than the polls' average.
2. the first place finisher had more votes than the 2nd and 3rd candidates combined. An awfully strong first place?

[HKMk23]

It was also based on ads that Santorum is running.

Well, that's all the proof I needed right there. Thanks.

Looks like I don't have to throw Santorum under the bus; he's done crawled up under there all by himself.

[DJ MacWoW]

Unfortunately.

[napscoordinator]

Newt will get 155 in Texas..

If they even bother having it. Texas screwed up redistricting so badly that they might just cancel the primary. I hope Newt has a better plan that putting all his hopes on Texas.