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.
Beware the Romneybots dressed in Santorum clothing!
First, in 11/2011, this guy piously harrumphed against Romney critics (Romney Critics Not telling the whole story http://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2007/11/11/romney_critics_not_telling_the_whole_story)
My encouragement to Romney's critics - is to follow their conscience and obviously vote their beliefs. Yet as your attempt to influence others in the process unfolds, my strong encouragement to each of you is to do so with integrity.
And so now, this man of integrity-tells Newt to be a man of principal and withdraw. Well first, this guy, who blogs on a national site, is in desperate need of an editor.
And 2nd, he needs a psychiatrist because the Freudian slip is revealing- its his guy, Romney, whos the man of principal.
Where was this guy when Rick came in a distant 2nd in SC Fla and Nevada?
The man of principle, Newt, is not going to withdraw. Hes going to stay the course to secure the nomination- or failing that hes going to make certain that the GOP-E/WallSt stooge does not get the chance to continue the subversion of constitutional America.
Fiat justitia ruat caelum
Using this logic, nobody should run for the GOP nomination except the RINO candidate.
Newt is the only hope we have IMO.
Even if Romney or Santorum or even Paul win the nomination we still havent got anything.
Santorum is a fiscal socialist and Newt quitting now will be a disaster. Santorum is part of the Rove Establishment and entered the race in order to be Mitt’s VP. He would have quit after SC or FL but for the unexpected victory of Newt in SC. Now it looks like he has to pretend that he is against Mitt and will be the VP nominee only as a result of a brokered convention.
Santorum is a fiscal socialist and Newt quitting now will be a disaster. Santorum is part of the Rove Establishment and entered the race in order to be Mitt’s VP. He would have quit after SC or FL but for the unexpected victory of Newt in SC. Now it looks like he has to pretend that he is against Mitt and will be the VP nominee only as a result of a brokered convention.
Santorum was a vanity run for VP and hes the very lucky recipient of Romneys vicious lies of smears of Newt Gingich who was otherwise running away with this election on his postive campaign of radical, and solid ideas and solutions which are sorely and desperately needed if were going to have ANY HOPE at all of saving and restoring our Republic!
This primary is ALL ABOUT STOPPING NEWT GINGRICH and I’ll have no part in any of that!
GO NEWT!!!
They can go to L. If Newt drops out, I won’t be bothering with the primary.
Now that Newt can approach shore again, full steam ahead, his massive ship of truth and clear cut ideas for truly restoring our country will push Santo's 'lil dinghy back out to sea.
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.
“This is a myth and lie created by Rick Santorum and perpetuated by the MSM as well as Fox to make Newt look bad. It was the MEDIA that put public pressure on Gingrich to make a statement as to his feelings about Santorum staying in the race. His stock response was Rick will have to make that decision. The closest he came was it would make things easier but Rick will have to make that decision. One morning on fox and foes, they interviewed Newt and asked the usual, Newt responded with the same. Then they had Santorum on next and their lead in was, let’s hear what Santorum has to say about Gingrich urging him to step down. It was the filthiest reporting, Newt was completely set up by Santorum and his news buddies.
The Romney campaign would like nothing more than there to be only one anti-Romney left. Right now, if they whack on Newt, Santorum pops up. If they start whacking on Santorum, Newt will probably pop back up. This primary has been too fluid to say a candidate who has won a critical primary should drop out.
Minion alert
What about Santorum getting the hell out of the race?
He is an embarassment for all the people who want the government out of their lives. He wants to censor the internet, to tell us what religion to embrace and what to do in our bedrooms. And now he’s pandering to Obama.
Do the honorable thing - GET OUT Rick!
Seems in our neck of the woods in South GA. Most are voting for Newt.
GO NEWT.
Romneybots aren’t pimping Rick when they’re losing to him in their ‘home’ state of Michigan, in Ohio and in Washington. Any sane Romneybot would be pulling for Newt to split the notMitt vote again so they could win 30-35% “victories.” The speaker really needs to work those regenerative ‘newt’ skills the next couple weeks or his nomination chance will be truly failed and the only way for him to make certain the GOP-E can’t win would be to graciously (he does gracious beautifully) endorse his former protégé and watch the stooges stew. Maybe he can find one more miracle, or maybe only his third strike. In either case we’ll know soon.
And if Sanctorum’s the President the govt will hand out free aspirin for birth control, and imprison women who have abortions.
You sound just like a liberal Democrat.
I support and will vote for Newt Gingrich.....or I will not vote at all.
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