You're not getting it. I am a Newt supporter, not a Romney or Santorum supporter. If Newt stays in the race, Romney wins in June. The ONLY chance to throw it to the convention is for either Newt or Rick to get out. There's no other way they can deny Romney enough delegates except by one of them increasing their margin of victory to trigger winner-take-all and threshold rules. Then when it's at the convention, Newt will have his big chance. You don't need to lecture me about Newt's qualifications. I've donated to him and support him. That's why I don't want him to keep splitting the anti-Romney vote and therefore hand Romney the nomination in June.
You shouldn't assume Newt supporters would go to Santorum. More likely they'd split between Mitt and Rick. A Gallup poll today shows that very thing - Romney and Santorum tie as Gingrich voters' second choice.
Here on FR, most of us who support Gingrich would likely grudgingly, some very grudgingly, move to Santorum - but that doesn't look to be the case amongst the majority of Newt's supporters in the real world.
What perhaps you don't get is that many of us feel both Romney and Santorum are awful. I'd rather Newt stay in and pray for a miracle (one of either Romney or Santorum self destructing) than support Mitt or Rick. In my mind Gingrich is the only reasonable alternative we have. So far, GOP primary voters don't agree. Fine. I will vote for the eventual nominee, but I don't like either Romney or Santorum. Romney is a terrible candidate and would likely lose narrowly. Santorum is marginally better if he can keep from yammering on about how contraception is "not okay" and avoid declaring war on porn - but he'd lose in a massive landslide and I see no reason to rush into supporting a sure loser.
If Newt drops out and his support splits between Romney and Gingrich it would only help Mitt win faster - and that is what I think would happen. Even polling that exists which shows Santorum capturing more of Newt's support doesn't tell the whole story. In a strictly 2 man race the dynamics completely change, Santorum gets even more scrutiny and may just implode faster under the spotlight.
The whole thing really just sucks and is seriously depressing. If I really believed that Newt had some chance of being the nominee in a brokered/contested election by dropping out now, I might go along. I simply don't believe that. I think if Gingrich gives up, Romney only wins faster. As of now, I'd prefer to draw things out and hope either Romney or Santorum blow up their campaigns by saying or doing something idiotic - and it is a distinct possibility for either of them. I'm clinging to hope here!