Posted on 02/13/2012 8:26:17 AM PST by VinL
The National Review wants former House speaker Newt Gingrich to call it quits.
The GOP presidential candidate has long had an uneasy relationship with the mainstream conservative press in general and National Review in particular, and he will likely dismiss the editorial as “establishment” meddling.
The paper’s harsh assessment is likely the tip of the iceberg, however, and Gingrich will be forced to defend his own relevance going forward in the campaign — never a good place for a candidate to be.
“[Former Pennsylvania senator Rick] Santorum has won more contests than Gingrich (who has won only one), has more delegates, and leads him in the polls,” the conservative magazine’s editors write. “It is not clear whether Gingrich remains in the race because he still believes he could become president next year or because he wants to avenge his wounded pride: an ambiguity that suggests the problem with him as a leader.”
The magazine notes that when Gingrich led in polls, he urged Santorum to drop out.
It isn’t the first time the National Review board has come out against Gingrich.
In a December editorial, the magazine begged Republicans to “reject a hasty marriage” to the then-frontrunner, criticizing “his impulsiveness, his grandiosity, his weakness for half-baked (and not especially conservative) ideas.”
The magazine also published an editorial from Elliot Abrams, assistant secretary of state under President Reagan, saying “Gingrich was voluble and certain in predicting that Reagan’s policies would fail, and in all of this he was dead wrong.”
So this suggestion is not a huge departure.
Gingrich could point out that the poll analysis is wrong — were Gingrich (or Santorum) to drop out, polling shows it would only help former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney expand his lead...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I agree with you. Romney wouldn’t be enough of a contrast with Obama to beat him. I was speaking of the “perception” of Romney as electable. Romney has been getting votes in the primary because people that want to beat Obama above all else have bought into the perception. That was Romney’s Achilles heel. If any other candidate overcame that perception, Romney would lock back in on his 25%, and never break that mark again. Romney’s in real trouble.
Santorum is the only candidate so far that has gotten more than 50% in a primary, and that was in Missouri where he got 55%. Newt wasn’t in that contest so Santorum got a good portion of Newt’s vote. Which shows what can happen if it was only a two man race.
Sarah is smart and I am w/her on this; both Rick and Newt should stay in as long as they can. For that matter, let ol’ Crazy Ron stay in, too ...if he is siphoning votes from anywhere it would likely be Mitt (and Obama).
Regards,
-Geoff
How would Newt dropping out help Romney? Do they still think he is the toughest guy to beat?
***********************
Not necessarily the toughest guy to beat— but the most difficult to deal with. That is, I’m sure the Romney Camp believes that they can either destroy Rick or offer him something-— he’s politically young, pragmatic and approachable.
So, with Rick, one way or another they feel they can handle him or deal with him.
With Newt— that’s just not the case.
Romney should drop out.
“It’s dangerous to have only one conservative candidate left.”
__________________
I think you answered your own question w/the second quote above ...and VinL refined it w/his summation.
Regards,
-Geoff
Spirito Sancto
FUNR
Romney should drop out.
It’s also just remotely possible that NR has recognized that their to-this-point-boy is in deep doo do and that Santorum is more electable and the most Reaganesque because he can bring together factions of the party and get the Reagan Democrats (which is why the polls out of Michigan are so interseting).
Perhaps they are having a real change of mind at NR?? It’s possible.
Blindly to assume that because they’ve been in the tank for Romney they will always be in the tank for him all the way down the drain
might
just
be
wrong.
FR folks need to see the handwriting on the wall. Newt is finished. Newties can still be spoilers to ensure that we get Romney. What we can’t get anymore is Newt. Newt is this cycle’s Huckleberry now.
Or they can close ranks against Romney. Which will it be?
I don’t think so. JLo and her stooges at NR have been in the tank for Romney for about six years. And the fact that he never could make it much above 20% last time around didn’t seem to make them think about switching. He was actually getting slightly higher poll numbers this time. For a while.
Cram it clowns.
The best strategy right now, would be to see Santorum compete as strongly as possible where he feels he can come out on top and for Gingrich to do the same. The one caveat would be for either camp to pull back hard in states where their competition will end up giving Romney the delegates. Any state with a predominantly regional split of delegates (like where they assign them by who did best in each congressional) should be competed for and hard.
What is most important right now is that between Gingrich and Santorum combined they gain 50%+ of the delegates. If there was a clear possibility for either of them to do it alone then the case could be made but not in this environment. Not yet.
My guy Rick will have to solidify his case first (similarly Gingrich would need to stop the bleeding and show some wins before Santorum would be back in a position of thinking about getting out).
This is “noise talk” and mostly promoted by Romney no doubt. I don't trust Romney and Ru Paul cutting a deal at the convention if they have a combined 50% or more.
LOL! Only if you’re a Romney supporter!!!
Time will tell. What if NR wants to win? Whatever made them back Romney in the first place? They thought he could win.
So, when it becomes increasingly clear that he can’t (we knew this long ago, but they’re slow on the uptake), they might just change their minds.
Keep in mind the Catholic background of NR. The neo-cons (Jewish) have dominated, yes. But there were also Catholic neo-cons (Weigel) and the residual Catholic conservatism may still be a work there. As long as they honestly thought Romney was more electable and Santorum was impossible, they went one way.
What no one has really pointed out yet is that what is fueling this Santorum surge is that a lot of people for months have liked his positions best but just plain thought he would never break out of single digits.
When he began to seem “possible” an awful lot of people backing other candidates they really weren’t enthused about, took another look at him.
And liked what they saw, compared to the dipsticks they were backing.
Include NR, who were backing Romney even though they know he’s a dipstick.
Sure, it’s easier to blindly assume NR folks are idiots. Don’t have to think very hard that way.
But sometimes it pays to entertain new possibilities. Perhaps the folks at NR aren’t idiots.
We should all be so lucky ;-)
Had dinner with a Tea Party activist and a local legislator last night. They both looked at me like I was crazy when I spoke of Newt or Rick’s “chances”.
They advised me to accept that Mitt is the nominee cuz they are positive that he will be.
Are we at FR the only ones who think Mittens nom. is not inevitable?
Are we in denial?
Please advise this battered but still standing Conservative!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.