Gingrich opens up big leads in South Carolina and Florida [NBC/Marist poll - TEA PARTY POWER]

MSNBC ^ | Dec 11, 2012 | By NBC's Mark Murray

[Jim Robinson]

"In a new NBC/Marist poll, Newt Gingrich has surged into the lead in Iowa, but Mitt Romney's big lead in New Hampshire remains. NBC's Mike Viqueira and David Gregory report."

Newt Gingrich’s surge in the polls isn’t limited to just the early presidential-nominating contest of Iowa. According to new NBC News-Marist polls, the former House speaker has now opened up commanding leads in South Carolina and Florida -- two states that historically have played important roles in deciding the eventual Republican nominee.

Fueled by the support from conservatives and the Tea Party, Gingrich is ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by nearly 20 points in South Carolina. The winner of that state's primary has gone on to capture each GOP nomination since 1980.

And he leads Romney by double digits in Florida, whose primary ultimately ended up deciding the party’s pick in 2008.

“You can see why the Romney people are getting a little itchy,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of Marist College’s Institute for Public Opinion, referring to the Romney campaign’s recent attacks on Gingrich. Gingrich ahead “any way you slice it”

~~snip~~

Tea Party power

According to the two polls, Gingrich performs especially well among the most conservative primary voters.

Among Tea Party supporters -- who make up about half of all likely primary voters in South Carolina and Florida -- the former House speaker leads Romney by more than 30 percentage points in both states (51-20 percent in South Carolina and 57-22 percent in Florida).

Gingrich also enjoys huge leads among “conservative” and “very conservative” voters.

[Jim Robinson]

Forgot to mention, that as a Reagan protege and with his successful years in the congress and as Speaker he knows how to maneuver the DC and congressional minefields a lot better than someone like Romney who allied himself with Ted Kennedy to get his moderate (socialist) agenda through.

[RegulatorCountry]

Guess we’ll have to settle for Newt.

Not a single primary vote has been cast. Just a tad premature.

[Yankee]

Liberals have been touting this stupid poll, because is seems to show that Obama leads either Gingrich or Romney in South Carolina.

That’s laughable in my mind.

A look inside the data tells you how they cook the data.

1)It’s a “Registered Voters” poll which tends to favor Democrats.

2) Democrats constitute 33% of those surveyed, versus 30% Republicans. I don’t know what the breakdown of registered voters in SC is, but I doubt that there are more Dems than Republicans. I doubt registered Democrats are even close to the number of registered Republicans

3)After screening for turnout expectations Democrats only account for 2% of Likely Voters versus Republicans who constitute 65% of Likely Voters

That’s a massive “enthusiasm gap” and renders the “Registered Voters” results worthless, IMHO.

If anything it points to Obama getting blown out of the water.

[mamelukesabre]

I just checked intrade. Newt really is gaining and mitt is falling. I don’t put much faith in these silly polls, but intrade is different. I trust intrade a little more than the others.

I’m not voting for newt in the primary. If I vote in the primary at all it will be for santorum...haven’t decided if I’m going to show up or not.

[toddausauras]

“I wonder what the media is going to try and spring on him to shut him down?”

Some would answer the infidelity stuff but unlike with Cain EVERYBODY already knows about Newt’s past so it won’t work.

[Georgia Girl 2]

If Tokyo is depressed you know Newt is on the right track. He ruled that debate last night. Between that and announcing he will ask Bolton to take over State he has really done himself some good. Its beginning to look a lot like Newt.

[APatientMan]

“In short, we’re desperate and he’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

Your opinion holds a lot of weight with me, Jim. Unless Palin gets back in (too late I’m told) - Newt will get my vote.

[luvie]

Yes, I do still “luvw”. I consider him more conservative that the pre-primary-candidate Gingrich, who has done quite a makeover I can support Gingrich, though, whereas I could NEVER support Romney!

[SumProVita]

I’m Tea Party....and I’m supporting him.

His answer last night to Diane Sawyer regarding the “Palestinians” settled it for me....

...along with his quip aimed at Romney...regarding Romney’s fear of stating that same truth due to... timidity!

Priceless!

[Mechanicos]

Tea Party Power my eye. Newts a Rino and NBC lies. Don’t believe it and not voting for him in the primary. I am Tea party and have not sold out my values to fake polls.

[mamelukesabre]

In short, we’re desperate and he’s exactly what we’re looking for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I dunno about “exactly”. I’d replace that adjective with “as close as we’re gonna get to”.

[sodpoodle]

It really was offensive and tabloid trashy for supposedly ‘neutral debate moderators’ to ask about personal, marital infidelity matters of one candidate and invite others to comment. A Presidential debate or group psychotherapy session?? Voyeurs!

But, making lemonade out of lemons - Newt handled it well and any more of that cr@p will be perceived as piling on.

[Mamzelle]

I don't think anyone knows Gingrich's warts better than We the Tea. We're a pretty informed bunch. We know he's got the flaws, and we're able and ready to cope with them. I find him better than McCain, and I ended up voting for McVain in the general election.

All I know is I'd crawl over broken glass to vote against Barack Obama, even if the Republican candidate's name is Spongebob.

I didn't get the candidate I wanted, but that happens to grownups a lot. I'll take what I can get and work with it.

[Jim Robinson]

I went back and reviewed his record. He’s far from a big government RINO. As a pro-life congressman he was a Reagan Coalition member and Reagan Revolution fighter. As Speaker he led his new Republican majority (the Republican Revolution) to pass the Contract with America, cut the deficit, cut the taxes, reform welfare, block Clinton’s agenda, balanced the budget four years running, and extended the Reagan economy through the nineties. Not a bad job for a RINO. As a historian and an appreciator of our Christian Founding and our founding principle that our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are a gift of God, he’s a natural fit for the TEA Party Rebellion.

[Hoodat]

Looks like 70+ percent of Republican voters in South Carolina and Florida have already made up their minds not to vote for a conservative candidate in next year's primary election.

[montag813]

Will this week finally be the one which sees the support floor for Mittens collapse? Could happen. Even RINO creeps must see after this debate that Mittens is completely unprepared to be president, and would be decimated by Obama as our nominee. When will they give it up?

[Aria]

Newt will wipe the floor with Obama in a debate and I bet Obama will be shaking in his boots. Should Newt win I look for the Obama team to make zero seem like the victim of mean ole Newt a la Hillary and Rick Lazio in their debate (which was laughable knowing what an aggressive witch Hillary really is). I think Obama will have to go for sympathy rather than competence - since he’s incompetent anyway.

One thing I know - he’s the smartest guy on our side - wish I were sure that he could beat zero in the election.

[Jim Robinson]

I went back and reviewed his record. He’s far from a big government RINO. As a pro-life congressman he was a Reagan Coalition member and Reagan Revolution fighter. As Speaker he led his new Republican majority (the Republican Revolution) to pass the Contract with America, cut the deficit, cut the taxes, reform welfare, block Clinton’s agenda, balanced the budget four years running, and extended the Reagan economy through the nineties. Not a bad job for a RINO. As a historian and an appreciator of our Christian Founding and our founding principle that our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are a gift of God, he’s a natural fit for the TEA Party Rebellion.

By the way, Gallup's polls last week said the same thing about Gingrich leading Romney and all others among tea party and Republican conservatives:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151355/Gingrich-Romney-Among-GOP-Voters-Nationwide.aspx

It ain't no fluke and it's not just NBC lies. Gingrich is killing them in the debates and the polls. Tea party folks and the conservative base are flocking to him.

[Hoodat]

I’m not voting for newt in the primary. If I vote in the primary at all it will be for santorum...

Santorum will get my vote as well. Too bad there are a bunch of so-called 'Republicans' who will blindly vote for a 'Government is the Answer' candidate like Newt Gingrich simply because he is leading in the polls.

[PhilDragoo]

Newt Gingrich and the "Invented" Palestinian People

Daniel Pipes, defender of Israel and an unsurpassed expert student and commentator on the Middle East regarding Newt Gingrich's recent dramatic clarification:

absolutely correct

In a stunningly simple confirmation of two (2) paragraphs, Daniel Pipes affirms Newt Gingrich's rejection of the imaginary people who did not exit until 1920.