NO, that is not Newt’s message. He still wants to win and gather as many delegates as he can for leverage in a possible brokered convention. Vote for Newt, and pray he wins. He is my obi-wan-konbi. Our only hope.
“Our goal first is to keep Romney well below 1,000,” Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said an hour before Gingrich addressed a small crowd of disappointed supporters gathered at the Wynfrey Hotel. “It doesn’t have to be 1,000, or 1,050 — it has to be below 1,100.” If Gingrich succeeds, Hammond continued, “This will be the first time in our party in modern politics that we’re going to go to the convention floor.”
from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2858883/posts?page=51
Newt’s message to the voters is, if we don’t keep Romney below 1100 (probably to make it beyond contestable legally), everything is over. In other words, do whatever is necessary to keep Romney below 1100. That means Newt’s spokesman is saying he supports voting strategically in winner take all votes, and not blindly supporting Gingrich. The goal is not as many votes for Gingrich as possible now, but a brokered convention. I think that is the only position any Conservative can take now.
Yes, Newt still wants to win, but if you don’t get Romney below 1140, or better 1100, it can’t happen under any circumstances. Newt will never win outright. It just won’t happen at this point. Neither can anyone else. It is Romney or a brokered convention.
For the record, I am not a Gingrich supporter, nor am I positive on Santorum. I have no horse in this race other than a support of Conservatism.. The only one I can’t stand is Romney - my goal is solely his downfall. I fully believe Santorum cannot win outright, and cannot win a brokered convention due to lack of percevied charisma/ability to win (I happen to agree with that assessment). He is done. I am unsure of Newt’s chances in a convention, and don’t care. Anyone but Romney.
IMHO we all win by creating a brokered convention, which is our only option at this point outside of Romney. Vote for Newt in any non-winner-take-all vote. That’s fine. But don’t risk letting Romney have any winner take all win, especially since whoever you vote for will likely not win outright anyway.
I think this is what Newt wants to say above but can’t say directly due to campaign finance rules. Again, if you’re not in a winner take all state, carry on as you were. But if you are, you will decide whether it is Romney, or a chance at something better.