Southern swing could help Romney by elevating Gingrich (What rick is seeing)

WashPo ^ | 3-7-12 | Blake

[VinL]

The South doesn’t like Mitt Romney very much.

The South is Mitt Romney’s best friend right now.

Those two statements, while seemingly at odds with each other, might both be true in the coming weeks.

While Romney has shown a complete inability to win Southern states (a quirky race in Virginia aside), a succession of Southern states holding contests in the weeks ahead could actually play right into his hands by elevating Newt Gingrich back to the level of serious contender.

And if that happens, Rick Santorum’s path to victory gets much tougher.

A look ahead shows how it might happen.

Gingrich has won both of the Deep South states that have voted so far — South Carolina and Georgia — and the remaining ones will all vote in the next three weeks.

The biggest contests next Tuesday are a pair of primaries in Alabama and Mississippi. The Louisiana primary follows 11 days later, on March 24.

These three primaries constitute about half of the major contests over the next month, so they will be focal points.

Does Gingrich win all of them? That remains to be seen.

What we know right now is that he has turned in very impressive victories in both Georgia and South Carolina, winning both by double digits. He also finished within six points of Santorum in Oklahoma — a kind of hybrid between a Southern state and a Midwestern one — which is a respectable showing given his lack of traction in recent weeks...

[VinL]

I don't give a cent about Romney- but if Newt takes Miss, Ala; La will follow, and potentially Rick Perry's Texas- then, it's a whole new ballgame.

And the wild card is Sarah- she first dipped a toe, then yesterday an entire leg, and hopefully, she will soon be all in for Newt. She stumps for Newt- then Rick better pack it in.

Newt will rise again.

[TitansAFC]

At this point, it is all about denying Romney 1144 delegates. That’s it, period.

Newt and Rick both help with that right now.

Rick winning KS and Newt the upcoming southern states would futher our cause. We can do this, and we will.

[bopdowah]

I’m absolutely convinced that Newt Gingrich is the junkyard dog we need to rip Obama a new one and send him slinking back to his Chicago slime pit with his tail between his legs. Newt has plenty of DC experience as Speaker, executive ability from his many enterprises, and a silver tongue that’s razor sharp! He’s fast on his feet, delivers it straight up with no hemming and hawing, and is often witty. His work with American Solutions was very impressive and as we’ve seen recently, Newt is able to put into words what the vast majority of Americans really believe. His fevered brain also has plenty of ideas for making government work better for taxpayers. Is Newt pure as new-driven snow? No - none of the presidential candidates are in line for sainthood. Whatever Newt’s “baggage”, it pales next to Obama’s habitual lying and outright corruption - and unlike Obama, Newt is 100% American! Newt is like Larry the Cable Guy: send him to DC and he’ll “Get ‘er done” for all of us. Newt has “Been there, done that! Junkyard dogs are not show dogs, but they’ll save your bacon!

I am so damn mad at what Obama and his bootlicking kleptocrats have stolen from us - and you should be too - and I want someone to represent me! Newt Gingrich is that man! Sic ‘im, Newt!

[trappedincanuckistan]

Deny Romney delegates! Take it to a brokered convention (where Santorum’s unbound delegates can get behind Newt!)!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Yep, deny Romney 1144 and the game starts after the first vote at the Convention.

[Red Steel]

Yup, Santo sees losing in the South.

[duffee]

My wife has been saying “Newt Will Rise Again in the South” that was her mantra before South Carolina. We are in Mississippi and will see Newt in Southaven Thursday night. All of our family has either voted for or will vote for Newt, they are in Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

[Vigilanteman]

Seven reasons for Rick Santorum

1. Who has won the most states without the benefit of their own money, last election's organization or a billionaire casino sugar daddy?
   
2. Who is everybody's second choice when he isn't their first?
   
3. Who can get both the Romney people and the Gingrich people, who hate each other, to vote for him?
   
4. Who has the best record on immigration?
   
5. Who has the best plan for repealing ObamaCare? And is the only GOP candidate who didn't help write or approve legislation which helped spawn this fiasco?
   
6. Who has the best plan for expanding the American economy and strengthening American families?
   
7. Who is the closest thing we have to the "generic Republican" which polls show consistently beating Obama and is most likely to make the election about Obama's sorry record rather than about himself?

[riverdawg]

“Newt has plenty of DC experience as Speaker, executive ability from his many enterprises ...”

Well, two out of three ain't bad. Newt's many “enterprises” were mainly shells for funding his book-writing operations.

[Mangia E Statti Zitto]

Okay-—what the heck is going on with the mainstream media today???

Here’s a somewhat balanced piece about Newt’s chances in the South. And all afternoon during the top of the hour Fox Radio news breaks, they played great clips of Newt campaigning! Now mind you, in the run up to Tuesday I didn’t hear one word about Newt, let alone clips. I figured if they said anything about Newt today, it would be people encouraging him to get out.

Since I don’t trust these people at all, what do you think they’re up to?

[ngat]

“At this point, it is all about denying Romney 1144 delegates. That’s it, period. Newt and Rick both help with that right now.”

Rick Santorum’s campaign manager disagrees. He was on the radio news today demanding that Gingrich pull out of the race.

Why is that?

[ngat]

“I figured if they said anything about Newt today, it would be people encouraging him to get out.”

They were. Rick’s campaign manager was just played on a radio report demanding that Newt get out.

[Bailee]

Entire Leg. Maybe we can get Todd to push her the rest of the way.

Course then if Newt goes on an wins the Nomination. What does he do with here. Will be a waste of talent to put her in the VP spot.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

THAT”S OUR STORY AND WE’RE STICKING TO IT!.........GO NEWT!

[parksstp]

I think you know the answer to that question.

Divide and Conquer.

The Newt supporters failed math class. Apparentally, in a state like MS where getting over 50> of the vote wins all the delegates, instead of Santorum winning them all by Newt dropping out, they think it would be better for Newt to stay in, which keeps everybody under 50% and the delegates proportionally allocated. Just like what happened in OK and TN.

Mathematically, it is looking more likely impossible to stop Romney from getting to 1,144 if he keeps picking up delegates in places he shouldn’t be getting them in. I have the state charts. He could very well be at 1050-1100 by convention time, allowing remaining undecided Superdelegates to throw it to him.

The race MUST go 1-on-1. If not, Romney is the nominee. It’s that simple.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

And Sarah Palin said to Santorum’s campaign manager; “OH, BOO-HOO! Quit whining!” (I LOL’d over that one. she is great!)

[moonhawk]

It seems fairly simple. He thinks that will help ensure Rick’s victory.

i disagree, but to each his own.

[CharlesWayneCT]

ROmney will pick up 17 or 18 delegates in Georgia.

If Santorum had just gotten 4000 more votes in Georgia, Romney owuld have only gotten 13 or 14 delegates.

4000 votes, even if they were just 4000 gingrich supporters going to Santorum, would have cost 4 valuable delegates for Romney.

[moonhawk]

Secretary of energy.

[moonhawk]

If Rick had concentrated on Ohio, he might have one there.