Posted on 03/13/2012 1:59:37 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --- Obie Evans walked into tonight's GOP presidential forum at the Alabama Theatre in shorts, a tall floppy red, white and blue hat and two candidate stickers pasted on either side of his white sports shirt.
On his left side was a Rick Santorum sticker. On his right, a Newt Gingrich sticker.
"I really, really could not decide between those two," Evans said of Santorum and Gingrich.
Four hours later, Evans walked out of the old theater still with both stickers showing but his mind almost made up.
"It's not 100 percent, but I think I'm going to vote for Newt," said Evans, who lives in Minor in western Jefferson County. "I think he just showed a lot of fight tonight, a get-after-it-mentality and I like that."
Evans said he was impressed with Santorum, too, but that he felt the former Pennsylvania senator didn't show the fire in the belly quality that Gingrich did.
"Both boys said a lot of things I agree with, but it's the way Newt said it that I think has me going with him Tuesday," Evans said.
Tonight's forum came on the eve of Alabama's Democratic and Republican primaries. Voters at the polls today will also choose candidates for Congress, judicial seats and other offices.
And unlike in past election years, Alabama's primary figures importantly in the race for the nomination for president.
Both in the conversations overheard leaving the theater and in more than a dozen-plus interviews outside, the opinions expressed consistently, even among some Santorum supporters, were that Gingrich had probably out-performed Santorum in the forum.
"I came here tonight a Santorum vote and I'm voting for him tomorrow, but you have to give Gingrich credit. He had a lot of energy and he performed really well," said Sandra Williams of Alabaster.
If Gingrich's strong showing in the forum translates into votes in Tuesday's GOP presidential primary, it will be good news for Gingrich, an adopted son of the Deep South, whose presidential campaign has poured time and dollars into winning in both Alabama and Mississippi in an all-out effort to keep his candidacy viable against front-runner Mitt Romney and Santorum, who is battling Gingrich to emerge as the most conservative alternative to Romney.
Romney did not take part in today's forum. However, he and his wife were both in the state today. Romney was in a rainy Mobile where he celebrated his 65th birthday with a rally at a cafe with the comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Later in the day, Ann Romney made a quick trip into the state where she made stops in Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville. Santorum, before today's forum appearance, made a stop at one of Tuscaloosa's most famous landmarks, the original Dreamland Bar-B-Que. He closed his day with a late night rally in Montgomery.
But it was the GOP forum that, by far, drew the most interest. The 2,000 seats in the theater were packed out early to listen to the two candidates, who never appeared together for the event.
Instead, Santorum took the stage and talked for more than a half-hour. He stressed the kind of traditional values he would champion as president: Love of God, family, country, obedience to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence with a smaller federal government.
Santorum said Barack Obama's America has a very different set of values.
"They believe you get your rights from the government," Santorum said. "Their view is, 'You will do what you are told with your new rights.' The problem is, the government is not the source of rights. ... We know where they come from. It's in the Declaration of Independence. They come from. ... the creator. President Obama sees an America that is great because it takes money from some and gives it to others."
Santorum, as he has at other stops, hit Romney and Gingrich as men who have records in health care policy, in budget policy, in energy policy who make them not the best candidate to go up against Obama.
Gingrich began his talk as he always does, hitting Obama on the high price of gas and what he calls Obama's failed energy policy.
As president, Gingrich said he would open up offshore lands to drilling in addition to more government lands currently protected from drilling. He said he would immediately move to approve a new oil pipeline from Canadian to Texas. He hit Obama repeatedly for his call for more biofuels using algae and other materials.
"I believe that in the years ahead, maybe algae will be a good source of energy, but algae won't fill up your car's tank this summer, "Gingrich said as the hall erupted in laughter.
On Obama, Gingrich challenged him.
"I'll let him run this fall as President Algae in support of $10 a gallon gas and I'll run as President Drilling and supporting $2.50 cent a gallon gas and let's see who wins," Gingrich said.
Gingrich stressed his experience as what is needed to change Washington, and he stressed how important Tuesday's primary is to him.
"Tomorrow really matters," Gingrich told the crowd. "Experience really matters. I hope you will elect a leader who has that experience and who can beat Barack Obama."
Tom Rogers of Calera came out of today's forum just as he went in.
"I came in believing that Santorum best spoke to my issues, best expressed how I want the president to feel about freedom, about a faith in God you don't hide in public life and about the life of the unborn," Rogers said. "I leave tonight comfortable with Sen. Santorum and I'll vote for him."
Kitty Lester came into tonight leaning toward Gingrich but having not ruled out Santorum. She ruled him out after the performance by Gingrich.
"Sen. Santorum was fine in what he said. Didn't say a thing I disagreed with," Lester said. "But, did you hear Newt? Did you hear that fight in him? He's ready to debate Obama right now, tonight and beat him. Really, I didn't see a lot of difference between Santorum or Newt but there was a difference and it was Newt is ready to fight, fight and fight. ... He has my vote."
Jon Drake of Prattville drove up for the forum undecided. He left wearing a Newt button.
"Santorum was really good but Newt rules," said Drake. "I want the guy who takes on the president to be just as convinced as Obama is that he's right. We need passion and Newt has it."
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Thanks! I was busy doing the same thing.
“But, did you hear Newt? Did you hear that fight in him? He’s ready to debate Obama right now, tonight and beat him. Really, I didn’t see a lot of difference between Santorum or Newt but there was a difference and it was Newt is ready to fight, fight and fight. ... He has my vote.”
Yesssss!
Hopefully, our present advocacy for Gingrich that we hope is heeded by Alabamians and Mississippians voting in Tuesday’s next installment of Newt’s I-85 Primary, won’t be betrayed before the sun sets on March Madness after the Kentucky Wildcats finally deliver a national championship to Coach Calipari.".....
I would very much like to see Gingrich take Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
At least he wasn't necking with Nancy on a luv seat on the beach about global warming—saying the Obamacare type individual mandate was a good idea, called Paul Ryan's budget Right Wing social engineering called socialist FDR (not Reagan) the greatest president of the 20th Century, screwed around on not one but TWO wives...
I can go on and on—and provide quotes.
Try not to make a pro-Newt thread just another Santorum hate fest,ok?
Here is something else the voters need to recall (since the GOP-e and the MSM has been working 24-7 to crush Newt):
Gingrich wins Union Leader endorsement "GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich received the endorsement of the influential editorial board of the New Hampshire Union Leader on Sunday, providing another boost to his surging campaign.
The endorsement gives the former House Speaker additional momentum after a month which has seen him vault to the top of national GOP polls.
"We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing," said the editorial by publisher Joseph W. McQuaid.
"A lot of candidates say they're going to improve Washington. Newt Gingrich has actually done that, and in this race he offers the best shot of doing it again," he added.
The Gingrich campaign said it was "honored to have the endorsement," calling it "an enormous boost to our campaign," reported NBC News.
The Union Leader endorsement is highly regarded in the early primary state. Candidates often meet with the editorial board and place great emphasis on securing its backing.
The failure to win the board's endorsement may be a setback for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign which has struggled to win support from Tea party-affiliated voters and the right-wing of the GOP base.
Drew Cline, editorial page editor for the Union Leader, spoke about the board's decision on CNN Sunday morning. Cline said that the board's "two favorites were probably Perry, Gingrich."
He added that the board, which failed to endorse Romney in 2008 as well gave "every candidate serious consideration."
However explaining his view on the difference between the two candidates, he added that "Romney's a guy who wants to be liked, a politician who wants to be liked. Gingrich is a politician who wants to be respected."...........
For Mr. Santorum will not initiate anything, Mr. Gingrich should do the followings:
1. Announce that HE WILL ONLY campaign in Louisiana, NY, Arkansas, TX, New Mexico, and Montana.
2. Encourage his avid supporters like myself to vote for Santorum in Missouri, Wisconsin, Penn., West Virginia, Cali., Kentucky, South Dakota, Nebraska.
3. Tell Ron Paul’s supporters that he will make Dr. Paul the Secretary of Treasury in his administration to reign on the Fed if he get elected.
4. Tell Santorum’s supporters to see them and Mr. Santorum in the brokered convention if they work hard for him in the states he will campaign.
There is no chance both Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum can force a brokered convention if they divide the conservative votes between them, in reality, divide delegates equally 3-way among them and Romney in all conservative states and yield all delegates to Romney in more liberal primaries. Please check the numbers here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2857828/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2857882/posts
They have to take turn to beat up on Romney to force a brokered convention where they can have a chance to fight another day. Otherwise, it is all over soon as Romney will have more than enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
I can’t stomach my priests having to give out Communion to lesbians or marry homosexuals in church and force my kids to sit there and watch, or to witness them kissing each others in public.
All the sexual promiscuities will take place if Romney nationalizes same-sex marriage as he did in Massachusetts.
I disagree. It is unwise to limit a campaign.
If either Santorum or Newt reach >50% in the state level or congressional district levels, he will collect ALL the allocated delegates leaving none for Romney.
If they both campaign for the same delegates at the same CD or state, they will never achieve >50% votes, therefore, the allocated delegates at that particular CD or state will be awarded proportionally to all three candidates plus Ron Paul.
Unfortunate!
And Newt is STILL in favor of the individual mandate and if he can't debate Obama on THAT really big issue he is a defeated man walking.
I'm a Santorum supporter and when he is unfairly smeared I defend him and I don't care when or where..
When I tried to link it said page not found.
Here's the top quote on the page:
Rick Santorum: "I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life, Until I Ran for Congress"
Long ago and far away.
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