However, given this week's edict that the press was pulling coverage off of Newt's campaign, he's going to be forced to get creative about how to gain media attention. See article here. Excerpt:
"This is how it ends for Newt Gingrich. On the day after the South Carolina primary, he had two busloads of reporters, bloggers and electronic media types following his every word. Tomorrow, he won't need two buses. He'll be lucky if the seats are filled on one.
Presidential candidates survive on the oxygen of media coverage. It's what keeps them going, enables them to keep raising money. Once the coverage is withdrawn, it's only a matter of time before their candidacies expire. Out of sight, out of mind, out of money."
Announcing this press conference is one strategy, and probably an effective one, to assure sufficient media coverage of Newt's speech tonight, rather than for him to allow wall-to-wall unanswered coverage of Romney's victory speech.
Newt could use his press time to unroll details of his new "Contract with America" tonight, which he mentioned on Hannity the other night he would be doing soon. He could take a good jab at Santorum by quoting Stephen Yates (Deputy Assistant to Dick Cheney for National Security Affairs for four years) formal statement today that: "I am deeply concerned that Senator Santorum so easily relinquishes space development to the Chinese and Russians."
At the outside margins of unlikely, but really fun, things that Newt could do tonight: given the statement from Stephen Yates, maybe Newt could be joined on-stage by Dick Cheney, who would announce his formal endorsement. And, my favorite fantasy about tonight: Newt could say, "I wanted to hold this press conference so that the entire media will know that I am publicly congratulating Mitt Romney on his victory in Nevada. By doing it this way, I can be sure that nobody gets their panties in a wad over missing a phone call." Yes, I went there. Newt would create a firestorm of media attention for making a joke about Romney and underwear. Newt could escape being portrayed negatively by that simply by saying, "I honestly didn't realize there was something about Mitt's religion that would create heightened sensitivity about such a commonly used phrase." Then he could refuse to comment on it any further. This would force the MSM to discuss why that was offensive to Romney. A lot of people don't know anything about this and have no idea what weirdness is going to come their way if Romney is the nominee. This puts it on the table NOW.
I truly have no idea what Newt's up to with this press conference tonight. I have noticed he's been looking tired the last few days, and I'm frankly a little worried. I'm praying that Sheldon Adelson infused Newt with lots of $$ and renewed energy this week, and that Newt will come out fighting tonight.
Sorry for the ginourmously long reply! I hope your eyes aren't rolling back in your head now. :-)
“I have noticed he’s been looking tired the last few days,”
Really? Did you watch him at the Nevada Church last night?
He looked GREAT, RELAXED and came on strong!
So, I don’t know what you are talking about.
Honestly, I think you ought to be part of Newt’s national campaign team. You have really good ideas about his campaign strategies and tactics. Bravo on your #134 post!