Posted on 02/19/2012 3:36:10 PM PST by VinL
Just after the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich--or his minions--put considerable public pressure upon Rick Santorum to stand down, to get out, to leave the race.
Santorum's response was simple. If he began to come in last in any series of races, he would do so. Santorum went on to explain that he had won as many states as Newt had at that point, so there was no need to go anywhere.
That was five states, 3 Santorum victories, and several instances of bottoming out by the Gingrich campaign ago.
The Gingrich people will not like what I have to say next, but it is resolutely true, and there is no argument against it, so here goes...
"If Newt Gingrich believes Mitt Romney is a worse choice for nominee than a real conservative would be, then he must leave the race now. Staying in the race until Super Tuesday hurts the conservative cause, aids Romney, and ultimately will re-elect Barack Obama."
There, it is said. It had to be. It is all true.
This week Billionaire Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson announced his intentions to continue to sink money into the Gingrich SuperPAC "Winning Our Future." This newest round of $10,000,000 would roughly match the $11,000,000 that allowed Gingrich his one state win in South Carolina. But even that is money poorly spent.
Gingrich had the chance to build on his win, but was unable to capitalize in Florida, and his absolute stubbornness in refusing to organize for the three state caucus strike-out that catapulted Santorum to front-runner status demonstrated some old inclinations about the former speaker that had been voiced by many former colleagues. Newt is flagging in polls nationally, ranking behind Ron Paul at times, and does not show a path to victory even if he were to break through on Super Tuesday using massive SuperPAC money to land somewhat mediocre media presence. (After all $10,000,000 across seven states won't even begin to touch a fourth of the penetration rate he had with $11,000,000 in South Carolina.)
Debates are now being universally panned, and the free media will not add up to give Newt new opportunities to "un-re-define" himself from himself.
I asked a few columns back if Gingrich was Churchill, for 2012, the answer seems to be "no!"
But that doesn't render him insignificant.
If Gingrich were to leave, and especially if he were to endorse Santorum, Mitt Romney's campaign would truly be on the death's door. Romney is trailing in Michigan, where he couldn't seem to connect with voters even before Santorum's sweep, and according to Rasmussen--the most accurate pollster in the past six cycles--he trails Santorum by 12 nationally, and by nearly 20 in the swing state of Ohio. Despite what her "right-to-be-wrongness" Ann Coulter says about Mitt's inevitability, Republicans--if they are smart--should always elect the man for nomination who wins Ohio. Because in the general election, it is the best indicator of who will be President.
Santorum has thicker skin than Newt and Mitt combined, and next to Newt, he's the best debater left in the bunch. But most importantly he is the sharpest contrast to Obama--in nearly every imaginable category.
Newt is steadily polling at 14% in the polls. Santorum has exploded in Michigan and Ohio, is nearly within the margin of error to Romney in Arizona, and almost the same within Gingrich in Georgia. Meanwhile in some states Gingrich finishes last, Santorum never does. But if you add 2/3's of Newt's total to Santorum's, Rick Rollin' would become the new GOP past time.
If Gingrich is a man of principal, he will allow the consolidation and much-more-baggage-free candidacy of Rick Santorum to zoom into an even further all-out lead nationally. If Gingrich stays in, it is obvious his feelings about Romney's danger and likely losing proposition as nominee will come true. And the former speaker would have only himself to blame.
If Romney is the nominee, Obama will be President for a second term. (His inability to take Obama on--on his biggest weaknesses, the target of his faith's racially questionable history and the twisted way the mainstream media will exploit that, his inability to not say things from an entirely silver spoon perspective, and his lack of distinction from Obama on many social issues--like subsidizing abortion, and creating "gay" marriage.)
The GOP's job at the moment is to pick the best candidate they can to beat Obama, and the one who is most-different-than him presents the best possibility.
Especially if that candidate wins Ohio.
Resident Obama will not be on the Dem Ticket!
Wow, quite a rant there.
How’s the Kool-Aid taste ?
Spot on!!!
First, many of those attacking Newt and pressuring him to withdraw are NOT part of the GOP-E. They are anti-establishment conservatives who see Rick as their best choice.
***********
I stipulate to that—
My only reply is, looking at it from their perspective (Rick supporters), they’re strategically wrong to ask Newt to withdraw at this point. If Newt can’t win, he’ll want to stop Romney. If I saw Newt going after Rick, I would change my view. But, at this point, he’s not run one ad against Rick-from what I read. Rick’s current opponent is Romney- having Newt attacking Romney, only helps Rick.
At one point, Gingrich and Romney were virtually in a one on one race. The results reflected Romney winning.
It bears repeating that either Gingrich or Santorum would likely be the best representatives for the Conservative cause.
As it stands now, Santorum is appealing to more Conservatives than Gingrich and Santorum has beaten Romney in Colorado, Iowa, Missiouri and Minnesota.
I could live with either one. Yet, I do see Santorum being a much bigger threat to Obama than Gingrich for several reasons. Santorum looks to be the better campaigner and does have a passionate stump speech. Santorum does have far less baggage and Santorum is seen (up to this point) as being more credible.
On the other hand, there is little doubt that Gingrich shines in most debates. But in the General Election, where there would be no more than two or three debates, is that enough to give Gingrich a win?
In all the passionate but sometimes silly posts here between Gingrich and Santorum supporters, one huge thing is generally overlooked. Romney is currently on the ropes and still falling in most polls. This should be news which should be celebrated and give us further incentive to focus on finishing the job.
I encourage all to look at the bigger picture and concentrate on one battle at a time. Gingrich and Santorum are both far better than Romney.
Bullsh!t.
As Hoosiermama told me earlier today...Mitt spent roughly $20 mil in FL...most of which was negative toward Newt.
I agree. I think it’s strange how enthusiastic Gingrich supporters are to point out Santorum’s flaws and how blindly forgiving they are of Gingrich’s. I’ll vote for Gingrich or Santorum against the Marxist, but I think Santorum has a better shot at this point.
Said differently, I’d have voted for Gingrich over Obama, despite his personal failings and occasional big government embraces. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that Gingrich could win the nomination even if Santorum quit. I think Gingrich supporters break for Santorum, but I don’t think Gingrich gets the same percent out of Santorum supporters.
I have chosen to support Santorum, despite his flaws. I don’t like some of his fiscal record, true enough, but I do think he is a better contrast on healthcare than Gingrich or Romney. I also think he has less personal baggage Gingrich. And frankly, if the guy can’t win because our electorate will hold traditional American social values against him, we’re toast anyway.
Judging by some replies above, I am sure this post will cause somebody to accuse me of being a Romney supporter in disguise, but one thing’s for sure: if Romney gets the nomination, I write in a conservative for president. I give my word of honor I will not vote for Romney. I can understand that no established politician will have a voting record I 100% agree with, but he is so far off it’s a joke, and I hope the conservatives teach the establishment a lesson if that fiscal and social LIBERAL gets it. He may be a Moderate in Boston, but that’s a liberal where I come from.
With all due respect, my friend- I haven’t a clue as to what you’re trying to convey. Sorry.
Vin
Since the beginning of the primaries, Rick is finally gettin vetted.
He's a nice guy...but he's a light-weight.
This is Newt's time!
I too am a Newt supporter. What has happened to him over the years has been a great pain to me. I have met him and he is actually a very humble sensitive man. When he is fighting the opposition, he is a warrior who has incredible courage to go on; even though it must pain him to no end to suffer the lies and persecution for opposing atheistic Communism.
I have seen Rick Santorum. He is cut out of the same cloth as Newt, but does not have the depth of knowledge. Newt reads and writes prolifically. He has a photographic memory of everything he has read and has seen. He is a walking history of the world and knows the lessons of history. Rick Santorum is a good student of history and from what I have read, has valued what Newt has taught him. We should all value what Newt has brought this nation and oppose what the Left has fought to keep from being known. For the Left 2 + 2 = 5.
The Polish fought Communism with the slogan, “for Poland to be Poland, 2 + 2 must always = 4.” We know the evidence of history to be inalienable. Our freedom with a moral code from God wins it for mankind. Our founding fathers knew that much.
Romney and Bain bought the company in 2000, loaded KB Toys with millions in debt, then used the money to repurchase Bain stock. By 2004, 365 stores had closed.
KB Toys was dead in the water when Bain bought it. Walmart and Target killed it, not Bain. Quit getting your facts from HuffPo.
Lets see how Santorum does in the South.
Well said. The vetting was long overdue, but better late than never.
Gonna be getting uncomfortably warm in that sweater vest real soon.
From the way I have heard Rick stumbling around in interviews,(i.e. the one with Candy Crowley) he doesn’t handle even the most gentle questioning well.
BTTT
Thanks, Joe; you’re the only one who commented. Always distressing to start a tread based on a particular theme, and have it degenerate into a lot of nonsense. -:)
Yours too. Not one statement from gingrich telling Santorum to drop out. Several comments that its making it more difficult to beat Romney for both of them. Rick will have to make hs own decision, etc. Plenty of media speculation and interpretation. Lots of pleading to the media however from Santorum, “Tell him to stop telling me to quit.”
It really is irrelevant. At that time Santorum was going nowhere, he was 3 or 4 in all the polls. He should have dropped out and he will face the same dilemma real soon if he doesn’t stop rambling about social nonsense and stop avoiding talk about the dire circumstances this country’s facing.
I
“If he can’t withstand negative ads in the primary, how’s he going to do it in the election?”
I think it will be difficult for Newt to withstand the negative ads in the election-—particularly if mittwits staff go to bat for hussein. Right now, I’m just passing the popcorn as Santorum and Romney go for each others throats.
Currently Newt's legal team have sent letters to various radio stations in primary states, telling them that there are laws against false advertising, noting the false statements and promising to bring charges if these ads are played since they would now be doing so knowing that they are false.
The deceptive lies about Newt are very difficult to uproot from the political landscape. The may seem like little weeds to pluck up with a short sound bite, but they just grow back. Newt has a formidable job to fix the damage done to him.
Take, for instance, his marriage to his second wife, Marianne. The marriage was a convenience marriage, according to Marianne’s own words. It was for the kids. But what got things really nasty was when Marianne came under investigation by the FBI for arms dealing. That was something that Newt could not deal with for it would impact his position as Speaker. Do you blame him for the divorce?
For a lengthy report on Marianne’s involvement:
http://www.knowthelies.com/node/6844
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