Gingrich Seeks to Absorb Santorum Backers

wsj ^ | 041012

[Fred]

That didn’t take long: Newt Gingrich has “humbly” asked Rick Santorum supporters to channel their support (read: money) to his campaign.

The Gingrich camp, deeply in debt after dismal performances in recent primary races, released a statement minutes after Mr. Santorum’s exit from the Republican primary this afternoon, saying, “Rick has waged a remarkable campaign. His success is a testament to his tenacity and the power of conservative principles.”

“I humbly ask Senator Santorum’s supporters to visit Newt.org to review my conservative record and join us as we bring these values to Tampa,” Mr. Gingrich’s statement continued. The former House speaker’s website, like most candidates’, puts its funding pitch front and center.

[pgkdan]

Won’t work Newtie. AFAIC You’d be even worse than Mitt. I’m sitting the rest of this race out. I’ll vote for whoever gets the nod but that’s it. I’m done.

[pgkdan]

What is “low” about it? It’s a heated campaign, for goodness sakes. Of course he’d like to pick up support!

A heated campaign??? How so? Gingrich's so called campaign assumed room temperature months ago. If he'd had the sense, humility and decency to drop out then we'd have a chance to beat mitt. But no...newtie's fat ego and creepy adulterous mistress / wife wouldn't allow that. He can choke on his hopes for support from this Santorum supporter!

[darrellmaurina]

I realize there's lots of bad blood between the supporters of the different conservative candidates. Maybe it's justified. Maybe it's not.

As I see things, there are now only five choices left for conservatives.

1. Listen to the calls of the Republican leadership and some conservatives like Herman Cain to “get behind Romney.”

2. Give up and go home, and either not vote or pull a reluctant lever with no enthusiasm and little if any campaigning for whatever candidate is left in the primary and general election.

3. Try to go third-party, most likely with the Constitution Party, either to send a message to the Republican leadership that they can't take conservatives for granted or as a serious effort to turn the GOP into the Whigs of 2012, but in both cases knowing there's no realistic chance of defeating Obama this year.

4. Get behind Ron Paul as a protest vote, since even he knows he has no chance at winning.

5. Get behind Newt Gingrich as the only conservative candidate left in the Republican primary who has any chance of winning.

#1 (Romney) and #4 (Paul) are outright verboten on Free Republic, and for good reason. #2 and #3 are giving up on the 2012 race, believing that either Romney or Obama are going to win this year no matter what we do.

I'm not a defeatist. Therefore, I think #5 makes the most sense.

Does anyone else have a better idea that actually has a chance of beating Romney and then Obama? I don't.

Let's try to forget the bad blood. For those who can't, I understand why some people sincerely cannot in good conscience work for Gingrich. If that's your view, please at least choose option #2, stand down, and let those of us who still want to defeat Romney try to do so.

That job is going to be hard enough as it is.

[Nateman]

And president Palin re-elected in 2024 !

[Pinkbell]

This is a Gingrich thread? I’m just stating why Gingrich is not going to get my support. While Santorum was running, Gingrich supporters felt it necessary to come on nearly every thread and post negative comments about Santorum.

[newzjunkey]

Santorum quits and your "conservative" response is to sit in a corner and cry about it, rather than unify behind the last remaining opposition to Romney?

Santorum should've exited before FL but with a task to complete for the establishment, he refused. With more then 30 days of no traction, he refused. When Newt had more than 3 delegates for every 1 of his, he refused. By March the damage was done.

Now that Romney's fat lady is warming up, with his job done Santorum bails out to save his dignity before losing Pennsylvania and ending his chance at "his turn" or the future nomination.

Santorum's followers have to choose: are they active conservatives or drop-out Romneybots?

[dandiegirl]

I guess the debate is still on. Newt should debate anyway. I haven’t heard that it’s not.

[hinckley buzzard]

Squalid but predictable that all the pathetic santorum mopes will show their true colors as sore losers and hypocrites. Bitter clingers. You bet.

[hinckley buzzard]

Newt’s done, and thanks to Newt, Santorum is done and I will let the liberals decide who wins the “progressive run off” in the fall.

You sound like you have mental problems. Maybe too many days out of sight of land. You really might ought to sign off and go swab a poop deck somewhere till you come to your senses.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Santorum quits and your "conservative" response is to sit in a corner and cry about it, rather than unify behind the last remaining opposition to Romney?...Santorum's followers have to choose: are they active conservatives or drop-out Romneybots?"

Wow. The title of the thread is, "Gingrich Seeks to Absorb Santorum Backers". If that is Newt's goal, I would have to ask why his supporters are acting in direct opposition to it? Or do you think insulting and demeaning Rick supporters will help rally them to Newt's side?

[JCBreckenridge]

Newt got 5 percent in Wisconsin.

If he wants to demonstrate that he is a viable alternative to Romney, then he has to win some states.

The irony is delicious that the same folks that the Newt people were castigating for supporting ‘Santuckabee’, are now the same people that the Newt folks are wooing.

“Santorum should’ve exited before FL”

He had one state and so did Newt. Newt has never lead in the state count at any point in this entire primary.

“By March the damage was done.”

Santorum won 10 states. 10. Gingrich won 2, but cost Santorum four, meaning that Gingrich’s participation at best netted Romney 2 states.

If Gingrich had withdrawn after losing Florida, Santorum would have won 15 states, and would have topped Romney in the delegate count. Then we’d be talking about Santorum taking PA and the remainder of the South.

But now we’re left with Gingrich. So, congratulations. You got what you wanted and best of all, no more Santuckabee. But as I said earlier, you might not like what you get.

[JCBreckenridge]

Personally his campaign smells of loser, wouldn’t you agree?

I’m not sure what Santorum supporters net by supporting Fiscal liberal Gingrich over fiscal conservative Paul.

[JCBreckenridge]

And that’s exactly why I’m not going to support Gingrich either.

Actions have consequences.

Also, Gingrich is a Wilsonian, by his own admission.

[JCBreckenridge]

“5. Get behind Newt Gingrich as the only conservative candidate left in the Republican primary who has any chance of winning.”

What chance does he have, when he’s getting 5 percent in Wisconsin?

Show me how you can get to 1155 with Newt? I don’t see it. He’s never even lead in delegates, at any point of the race.

Here’s what I see happening.

Romney gets 70+ percent from here on out, in every state, a la McCain. He hits 1155 before Texas.

The only choice for conservatives now is 3, not 5.

[BillyBoy]

>> Guys and gals, I heard part of Levin’s show last evening. He said a clear no to Newt’s call for support against Romney. He wallowed in Santoriumism. He knocked Romney <<

Mark Levin gets it. You don't, txrangerette.

If the no. #1 issue for Newt and his supporters was "stopping Romney", they would have thrown their support to Rick Santorum weeks ago when it was clear he was the only conservative competative with Romney, and Newt couldn't win a single state besides his own after S.C. The only thing "getting behind Newt" will do now is help Newtie retire his campaign debts. For hardcore Newt supporters, it's ALWAYS been about stroking Newt's ego and giving the "master professor" public speaking time to "educate" people -- NOT "stopping Romney". The choice was Liberty or Tyranny, and the Newt supporters choose Tyranny rather than have to vote for a conservative not named "Newt".

[darrellmaurina]

134 posted on Thu Apr 12 2012 12:43:28 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by JCBreckenridge: “The only choice for conservatives now is 3, not 5.”

Santorum only dropped out a couple of days ago and that is a potential game-changer. Let's give Gingrich time to come up with a plan. He's done the impossible before by becoming Speaker of the House so maybe he can come up with a plan this time that works. It's a slim chance, but a slim chance is better than none.

If you want to go third-party now, rather than back Gingrich while Gingrich still has at least a slim chance of winning he Republican race, that's your call.

We've already got people on Free Republic promoting the Constitution Party. Ron Paul supporters in my area are making sounds of revolt. If Paul goes to the Libertarians (where he probably should have started anyway) and a serious effort is made to promote a Constitution Party candidate, between the two they may actually win a few percentage points nationally and more in some places. In a close race that's enough to make a difference in some states.

I think third-party bids are usually a waste of time, but this year could be different. The problem is that any third-party bid this year is going to make Obama’s re-election nearly certain instead of extremely likely.

[JCBreckenridge]

“Let’s give Gingrich time to come up with a plan.”

Gingrich doesn’t have time. That’s the problem. We’re already more than halfway through the primary season and Romney has a commanding delegate lead.

How does Gingrich plan to overcome Romney in the head to head? He beat Romney in Georgia, and South Carolina, that’s it.

“He’s done the impossible before”

He was leading in all the republican polls in December, and translated that into a win in South Carolina and Georgia. If he’s accomplished the impossible, it’s going from being the frontrunner to polling behind Ron Paul.

“It’s a slim chance, but a slim chance is better than none.”

We have limited resources. What’s the return on investment for Gingrich? On Monday he was insisting that we should all get behind Romney for the good of the party?

By backing a third party, it costs us nothing, and we ensure the field is clear for 2016. Backing Gingrich is just throwing good money after bad.

“that’s your call.”

I see no way he wins another state, let alone takes the nomination.

“If Paul goes to the Libertarians (where he probably should have started anyway) and a serious effort is made to promote a Constitution Party candidate, between the two they may actually win a few percentage points nationally and more in some places.”

You seriously underestimate the revolt against Romney by the party. Romney is not going to beat Obama, and pushing Paul as a libertarian option is far better than pushing Gingrich, who had given up on Monday anyways.

Gingrich is trying to sucker us into covering his bills.

“The problem is that any third-party bid this year is going to make Obama’s re-election nearly certain instead of extremely likely.”

True, but there are worse things. One of pro abortion, pro gay marriage parties has to die. Killing the Republicans off is better then supporting them at this point.

If Gingrich wants to run for the presidency, he should announce that he’s leaving the party.