My understanding was that the polling was saying that if Gingrich had left the race his supporters would not necessarily have gone to Santorum, and vice versa. So Gingrich’s strategy was to stay in the race to keep Romney from getting enough delegates to win in the first round of voting and force a brokered convention.
And I think that’s still the only strategy we have left available to us - and that it could be effective in getting Romney out. Especially if the GOPe is forced to obey the law regarding proportionate delegates and is kept from pulling the kind of shenanigans they did in Iowa, Maine, and Missouri.
At this point we can’t afford to be sniping at our allies, because we are engaged in a life-and-death war. Friendly fire is not an option, and surrender is not an option.
If the Gingrich supporters really wanted to force a brokered convention, they would have gotten behind Santorum.
Simple as that. Their strategy here was to take up as many conservatives as they could and prevent them from consolidating to a candidate that could defeat Romney, and throw critical states to Romney.
And that’s exactly what they accomplished.
Newt has only defeated Romney in 2 states, GA and SC, that’s it. States that he might have a chance on the ballot are AR, TX, KY, WV, and NC. That’s 5 states. Even if he wins all the delegates in all 5 states, that still doesn’t get the combined total of Gingrich/Santorum/Paul to stop Romney.
And it’s a big if that he will top Romney in any of those 5 states, given his showing elsewhere.