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Why Gingrich Remains Most Likely to Win
thestreet.com ^ | 12/29/2011 | Anton Wahlman

Posted on 12/29/2011 6:20:16 AM PST by TBBT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Don't worry, Gingrich supporters -- despite the falling poll numbers in Iowa over the last week, your guy remains most likely to win the Republican nomination. Let me explain why and how.

First of all, let's stipulate that this race isn't about the issues anymore. Newt Gingrich's positions are mostly similar to Mitt Romney's positions, both of whom are to the left of most of the other candidates, such as Perry and Bachmann in particular.

A few days before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, people have come to peace with the candidates' ideological positions, and it's all about electability and willingness of primary voters to cast the ballot. The conventional wisdom is of course that Romney is the most "electable" candidate, and that is probably true in some sense. But only in some. Romney clearly has many fine merits, including years of being vetted, having a distinguished business background, a first-class family, and he is a generally very smart and polished man.

(Excerpt) Read more at thestreet.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: gingrich; newt; newtgingrich
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma

Considering Perry used to be a Democrat and campaigned for Al Gore, he might be the biggest flip-flopper of the bunch.


81 posted on 12/29/2011 1:33:08 PM PST by JediJones (Newt-er Obama in 2012!)
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To: NKP_Vet

I pray you’re correct. I want the establishment torn asunder, and Newt’s just the one who can do it.


82 posted on 12/29/2011 1:36:18 PM PST by cotton1706
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To: Georgia Girl 2

This field is terrible. Bachmann and Santorum (and formerly Cain) are the only credible conservatives in the bunch.


83 posted on 12/29/2011 2:07:37 PM PST by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: Impy

“This field is terrible. Bachmann and Santorum (and formerly Cain) are the only credible conservatives in the bunch.”

Well the argument about how conservative each candidate may or may not be is endless but with the exception of Ron Paul they are all qualified to be President. Any of them including Mitt Romney (who I do not want)would be 1000% better than the muzzie lovin commie and his band of fellow travelers who are running the show now. I think if you look back at 2008 now that was a weak GOP field.


84 posted on 12/29/2011 2:18:33 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2; AuH2ORepublican; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; GOPsterinMA

That’s not much of an argument. The rats in my alley are more qualified to be President than Emperor O!

In addition to mostly not being very conservative I don’t think this is crop are particularly strong general election candidates. Romney is polling the best against Obama but I think that’s mostly name recognition, he’s been running since he decided to quit the Governorship, and his lack of shooting himself in the foot. In a general election he could be hurt by conservative apathy (or outright hostility, I can’t get past his continued support for individual mandates on the state level) and the Mormon deal. He has the wiff of Tom Dewey to me.

Santorum I think is potentially the strongest. Catholic, history of winning blue collar votes.


85 posted on 12/29/2011 2:33:57 PM PST by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: Prole

When has Newt ever sought liberal votes?


86 posted on 12/29/2011 3:07:48 PM PST by JediJones (Newt-er Obama in 2012!)
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To: cotton1706

Gingrich is actually from Pennsylvania, lived here for his first 10 years. He’s mentioned it a couple times, but we need to hear more of that up in Pennsylvania. Southerners aren’t that well-received here, but he doesn’t seem like a Southerner at all to us. He fits right in.


87 posted on 12/29/2011 3:13:46 PM PST by JediJones (Newt-er Obama in 2012!)
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To: show
Because of the propotional delegate distribution, Newt could come in 2nd in the first 4 states and still come out the overall winner.

Here is one scenario where Newt doesn't win a single one of the first 4 states but still ranks in 1st place when all his delegates are combined...

Jan 3 Iowa caucus 28
Paul 7
Romney 6
Newt 6
Santorum 5
Perry 2

Jan 10 New Hampshire primary 12
Romney 5
Newt 3
Paul 2
Huntsman 2

Jan 21 South Carolina primary 25
Perry 8
Newt 6
Romney 5
Santorum 3

Jan 31 Florida primary 50
Perry 15
Newt 12
Romney 10
Santorum 2

OVERALL TOTAL:
Newt 27
Romney 26
Perry 25
Paul 9
Santorum 10
Huntsman 2

88 posted on 12/29/2011 3:28:45 PM PST by JediJones (Newt-er Obama in 2012!)
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To: JediJones
Go Newt !

January - Newt
February - Newt
March - Newt
April - Newt
May - Newt
June - unsure with California in the Mix

Go Newt ... ignore the current Rino Media and Liberal push polls which are created to pick the clear loser against Zero which is Romney.

89 posted on 12/29/2011 3:58:40 PM PST by show
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To: JediJones

Also, Newt will WIN South Carolina and Florida


90 posted on 12/29/2011 4:01:05 PM PST by show
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To: Impy; Georgia Girl 2; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; GOPsterinMA
>> Newt was ousted as Speaker of the House partly due to a coup within his own party lead by.....LINDSEY GRAHAM & his RINO friends. *** <<

Man, these history revisionists rewriting Newt's career are getting as bad as the Perrybots who kept pushing the "Al Gore was a pro-life conservative to the right of most Republicans when Perry backed him" lie.

I was too young to remember what Gore was like in '88, but I was lurking on FR in '98 so continuing to push these fantasy stories is particularly insulting to freepers who remember the Newt era and what REALLY happened back then.

Let's me go on record with the actual FACTS (in case the Newticals try to claim they "weren't aware" of the truth later on)

1) There was an ATTEMPTED coup against Newt in '97, NOT '98. The coup FAILED miserably and those who tried to oust Newt as Speaker were taken to the woodshed and harshly dealt with so no one would challenge Newt in the future. The coup wasn't by the "RINOs" and the "establishment", the RINOs and establishment were on Newt's side during the debate -- the rank and file "moderates" lined up to defend Newt. Just read what DIABLO (and now Obama's Sec. of Transportation) Ray LaThug had to say about those who were plotting to oust Newt.

2) Newt stepped down as speaker suddenly in late '98 on his OWN accord, NOT because of any "coup". He certainly wasn't voted out by a rival GOP faction. His abrupt resignation came as a shock to everyone, including the GOP caucus. In fact, the House Republicans were blindsided by Newt's resignation and scambled to find a replacement... we ended up with 3 speakers in a week because House Republicans first plunked Bob Livingston as Speaker AFTER Newt had resigned, then Livingston declined the post after it was revealed he was having his own extra-matrial affair. Finally they plucked backbencher Dennis Hastert out of obscurity for Speaker. Most likely the reason for Newt's sudden resignation is because he was having his own extramartial affair with Callista during the Clinton impeachment (which he would have made him a laughing stock if the media found out), and because Clinton humilated him and the GOP managed to lose 5 seats under his "leadership" that year.

3) Lindsey Graham wasn't seen as a RINO until after his election to the Senate. He was strongly supported by freepers at the time of Newt's resignation and there was a "House Managers Tribute Dinner" held by FR in his honor , and even a FR page promoting the "House Managers" that Clinton was targetting for defeat, including a House Managers PAC that freepers donated to. If anything, it was the other way around -- Newt and the GOP establishment were embarrassed by the impeachment "distracting" them and disheartened by poll numbers showing the public was against impeachment, so they did not stand up for the house managers and offered little help. Hence, good conservatives like James Rogan were the victims of Clinton's wrath and defeated for re-election. This particular bit of history revision reminds me of Adam Andrejewski's "my dad was the patriot who took on RINO George Ryan" talking point, except history shows that George Ryan was considered a conservative icon in the late 70s due to his leadership in killing the ERA amendment.

91 posted on 12/29/2011 4:31:19 PM PST by BillyBoy (Illegals for Perry/Gingrich 2012 : Don't be "heartless"/ Be "humane")
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To: BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj

Was Graham even involved with that ‘coup’?

The leaders were Paxson (who quit and disappeared) Boehner (out of leadership till 2006) and Delay (who survived) right?


92 posted on 12/29/2011 5:00:32 PM PST by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: NKP_Vet

“My brother lives outside Charleston and he said that Haley’s honeymoon with SC is over and she’s a one-term
governor. The endorsement of the liberal Romney was the fial straw. The Haley endorsement will mean nothing for Romney. Gingrich was practically raised in Georgia and has strong ties to SC. He has an organization all over the state. Alot of well-connected contacts. Socially Newt is just as conservative as Santorum. SC voters know he’s Catholic now but for the majority of his life he was evangelical and they like him. Santorum is a Yankee and will not play well in the South, and I don’t care how conservative he is. And my brother said the debates killed any chance Perry had. Newt will clean up in SC. If he gets Rubio’s endorsement he’ll also win Florida going away. Rubio is a Tea Party favorite. No chance Rubio endorses the liberal Romney.”

Hey, just wanted to let you know how right you were with this reply awhile back!


93 posted on 01/23/2012 7:15:31 AM PST by cotton1706
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