Posted on 03/16/2012 3:46:57 PM PDT by Steelfish
MARCH 16, 2012 Tampa Tempest Newt Gingrich Plots Convention Chaos. By Robert Costa
As he waited for the returns on Tuesday, Newt Gingrich didn’t pay much attention to the soft flicker of Fox News. Instead, as he sat with his family and a few aides in a suite at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Ala., he was quietly glued to his BlackBerry, thumbing his way through e-mails. He was mostly cheerful, according to those in the room. He reminisced about campaigns past with his daughters. He reviewed his schedule; he bantered with his wife, Callista; he settled on a purple tie. As he sipped a Diet Coke, he casually prepared for his evening speech.
The takeaway from the relative calm was clear: This was just another night in another city. He’d make his extemporaneous remarks, his aides would pack their bags, and within a few hours, they’d board a plane and head to the next battleground.
“He never discussed dropping out, not even a whisper,” says one Gingrich staffer. “It was business as usual.” His youngest daughter, Jackie Cushman, concurs. “It was never tense,” she says. “People forget that he’s been running since 1974. He doesn’t get anxious.” Downstairs, the scene was more apprehensive. There was a dwindling crowd of Newt enthusiasts. After the networks declared Rick Santorum the winner of both Alabama and Mississippi, Beltway scribes began to write the campaign’s obituary. (snip)
Days later, that consensus remains. Gingrich is committed to staying in the race until the convention, according to his advisers. He believes that there will be chaos within the party come August, and that — with a bit of luck, a clever floor strategy, and a powerful speech — he could build a winning coalition.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Why didn’t Santorum drop out of race in January , when he was lagging behind Paul in South Carolina and Florida? Eh?
“Chaos? More like restoring sanity to the GOP. I can already feel buyer’s remorse starting to set in, maybe Newt can save these Santorum, Romney voters from themselves.”
Exactly.
Reportedly Newt said that he BELIEVES there will be chaos within the party come August”.
That is damn different from the title implying that he is actually “plotting” chaos, but LOL— we are FOR chaos within the party.
Santorum supporters have fallen in, by default, with the very faction of the party who have performed all these tricks against conservatives in the party.
I am astounded that they don’t see that. None of them can name a time that Santorum stepped away from ingratiating himself with the GOP-E on anything EVER. Time after time he did the lavatory work for them.
THAT is not a record with which to lead conservatives. He offers NOTHING to conservatives but routine conservative campaigning that dies on the vine once he gets where he wants to go, NEVER to be heard of again.
A record full of sheesh moments. A. Full. Record!
The negative attack ads by that Obamcare-writing Massachusetts liberal and his PACs are disgusting.
I hit the like button hard, unfortunately it’s one on the corner of my desk.
Well said, finally! Newt has been found to have baggage enough to sink a fleet of ships! With stratospheric unfavorability ratings and a Grand Canyon-size gender gap, there’s not a snowball in hell’s chance he could defeat Obama.
Puhleeze! The gallup poll is not reflecting the actual state results on the ground where exit polling data shows that as much as 57% of Newt’s voters would pull the lever for Santorum if Gingrich were not in the race.
Santirun isn’t all that clean...sued by a PA school dist!
Yes, I was in high school in 1964. We studied the Goldwater run. I admired him then. That grew to outright love of the man.
First voted for President when Richard Nixon won.
Have always been Republican even when TX was solid Dem (conservative).
Have been to 2 State conventions (NM & TX). Never the national convention. But this year I would like to be there.
I expect to attend the TX GOP convention in Ft. Worth in early June. We shall see where it goes from there.
Clean?
Obozo smells like a sewer plant in the heat in South America.
What I want is for Obozo to be evicted.
Whatever it takes.
Here’s the disagreement. With Gingrich staying in the race, Romney captures states and he adds momentum and delegates. Thus Gingrich reduces the delegates to Santorum and enhances Romney’s tally so that the prospect of rolling into the convention with slightly less than Romney’s tally is at best fanciful. For all practical purposes, Gingrich’s “southern strategy” went up in flames, and as Carl Cameron reported on FoxNews on Super Tuesday, the Romney camp is all too “happy” that Gingrich continues to be in the race.
Why do you all suggest this Newt-coming-to-Rick business? Newt laid very gentle on Rick in ALL debates up until Rick was dying after SC and joined in with the ads of Romney against Newt going into Florida.
I can promise you Newt sent an olive branch to Rickster weeks ago.
Rick Santorum will have to be mortally wounded politically, before his light switch engages. Newt is salvaging his own damn delegates by staying in and holding a number of thOSE delegates FROM Romney FOR Santorum!
Frat boy has no clue. Rick will mouth himself into the campfire before he ever reaches JUNE. This is not Newt’s first rodeo.
Rick is a self absorbed pol who has no political instincts, except to campaign to the Right and legislate from the Left with the GOP-E.
Rick also has no job.
Newt, on the other hand, has a pleasant life and needs none of this but for his passion to endlessly try to save the Republican Party from itself which he has done with historic success having the record to prove it.
(Back when RECORDS meant something.)
And you don’t think Gingrich is all over the place, erratic, and unstable? And hence being labeled as a “Hindenberg waiting to explode.” Santorum is now ahead of Obama in four crucial states, he’s attracting blue-collar voters, Reagan Democrats and has the potential for turning in some Rust-Belt states in the red state column. Gingrich has bitten the dust, his “southern strategy” is reduced to ashes, so what’s his point? The electorate simply isn’t buying his pie-the-sky $2.50gal/gas in two years and permanent lunar-based colonies in eight years. There comes a time to pack it in. Bachman, Cain, Perry all got the message.
And you’re nervous aren’t you? You see it. Rick is done.
Too freshman to dig in with Newt, missed all the signals, can’t carry the water alone after all, is getting exposed as the neophyte he is, and the end is in sight scheduled for the Romney romp in June.
It’s over but for the theatre.
Newt will remain a legend. Rick?
Not so much.
Who the heck gives one iotta what Obama thinks about anything whatsoever......it's no secret the grassroots, and faithful people of our country are fighting for conservatism and the elites of the Rep. party are fighting to control the same ol' Rino crap. Further 2 months is plenty of time If you're NEWT....he's already to go with a strategy....there won't be any lack of that...you can bet on that! The problem is it would be an issue for SAntorum.....he's had his hands full simply keeping up with what his plans "might" be let alone how he's going to get them implemented...........he has nothing on the track....Newt' already has it all in motion....
Newt SAID...from the get go....this would go to convention....He said....this would not be a traditional primary election....So yes.....Newt's on top of the show.
Well what did you expect Romney would say...."I'm hurt"?
There's so much phony propaganda being spewed .....you have to discern when something stated is to divert, confuse and confound or they really mean it. But any time Romney says anything you cannot trust it .....it's wind in the air...an always has been.
A chaotic GOP Convention, backstabbing, blood on the floor, a media frenzy and feed-fest, and with no more than 60-70 days to election a lack of a campaign strategy, schedules, pick of a VP etc. Wow! Obama’s dream come true.
* * * * *
You know, I’ve been thinking about this scenario . . . and I’m starting to think it’s not a bad thing, no matter *who* takes it (though Romney is looooooooowwww on my list, he is at least marginally better than Barry). Think about a contested convention: The MSM will be focused on this for days on end. They will not be able to resist it, to discuss GOP talking points, etc. — with at least the possible result that even the most lackadaisical GOP voter will be energized by all that is going on. We need a massive turnout in November. Maybe nonstop discussion of our convention by the MSM will help achieve that for us.
I'm not being snarky here, but it seems like someone must be buying it with Obama announcing the release of reserves.
Gingrich is now on stage displaying all of the qualities of an erratic and crippled boar thrashing around the land..”
LOL, Steel.
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.