Free Republic

Richard Winger over at Ballot Access News has an EXTREMELY interesting post (link via here) on the mess that the Virginia Republican party has found itself in over… access to the ballot in Virginia. For those coming in late, background here and here: the very short version is that the VA GOP only certified Mitt Romney and Ron Paul for its primary ballot. Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich both had too many signatures tossed; Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, and Michele Bachmann didn’t even try. Of the seven candidates, one (Romney) had more than enough signatures (15K) to bypass the verification...

Gingrich’s revolt highlighted a rift that persists to this day within the Republican Party, between a pragmatic establishment open to deal­making and a more rigid conservative base that prefers purity over compromise. That split has benefited Gingrich at times during his political career, including in his current bid for president, as he is tied at the top of the Republican field with Mitt Romney, the establishment choice.

Can't post article as they are a Righthaven client, though the copyright troll is all but bankrupt due to lost court case and bummed up agreements, but here the authors are basically saying that a "Newt Bomb" is exploding all over Romney's chances in Nevada. Link http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/newt-ering-romney-in-nevada-136201318.html?ref=318

WEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) — For "Anybody but Romney" Republicans in a key conservative region of Ohio, Newt Gingrich has been picking up support as an alternative to the former Massachusetts governor. The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, followed closely by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Ohio's presidential primary is scheduled for March 6, one of the biggest prizes for Republicans among about a dozen states voting on "Super Tuesday." Mitt Romney hasn't excited some of the...

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee predicted Sunday that Mitt Romney will win the Iowa caucuses despite not having spent much time or money there. Huckabee, 56, made the prediction in an appearance on "FOX News Sunday," but warned Ron Paul could still pose a serious challenge to the former Massachusetts governor. "I would probably say that Mitt Romney will end up winning it today," Huckabee told host Chris Wallace. "Now, I think, again, Ron Paul, because of his organization, that is where Mitt is at a disadvantage. He doesn't have the devotion," he went on. "If the weather is good,...

With just days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, Republican presidential candidates have gone into high gear in a last-ditch effort to win over the state's Republican voters. Having surged recently in Iowa polls (although the latest poll puts those numbers in question), Newt Gingrich is the headline-maker these days, and we know you have a lot of questions about how his plans and policies would benefit you and your family if he were elected president. That's why CafeMom is hosting a "Coffee Break" between moms, Newt Gingrich, and his wife Callista, at Java Joe's in Des Moines on Friday, December...

Virginia 2011 Independent Candidate for Legislature has Big Impact on 2012 Presidential Primary December 25th, 2011 There are currently many news stories and blog discussions about the Virginia presidential primary ballot access law. Some large blogs, such as Red State, have over 300 comments about the story. Some defend the current Virginia ballot access laws on the grounds that in past presidential elections, a fairly large number of Republican presidential primary candidates managed to qualify. But what has not been reported is that in the only other presidential primaries in which Virginia required 10,000 signatures (2000, 2004, and 2008) the...

Can't post Bloomberg, but they say others also have plans that would challenge balance of power, including Perry, Bachmann and Paul. Not surprisingly, Romney seems to be about the only one willing to go along with the status quo. Wouldn't want to rock the boat or cause a constitutional crisis. As a true blue establishment RINO, he'd rather just play it safe and go along with the liberal activists.

For Republicans, it's Gingrich vs. Romney

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is maintaining his commanding position atop the field of Republican candidates for president in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire, according to a new poll published in Christmas Day editions of the Boston Globe. Romney leads with the support of 39 percent of likely GOP primary voters in his adopted home state, according to the poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, are tied for second place, each at 17 percent. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman runs fourth with 11 percent,...

In His Debut In Washington’s Power Struggles, Gingrich Threw A Bomb Bob Woodward December 24 On the evening of Oct. 4, 1990, Newt Gingrich and his then-wife, Marianne, were enjoying a VIP reception at a Republican fundraiser when they were suddenly hustled over to have their picture taken with President George H.W. Bush. “I thought it was a bad idea,” Gingrich said in a series of interviews in 1992 that have not been previously published. Days earlier, Gingrich had dramatically walked out of the White House and was leading a very public rebellion against a deficit reduction and tax increase...

I’ve always been of the opinion that the idea there is such a thing as a Republican “establishment” is something of a myth. The GOP hasn’t really had anything approximating a ruling elite since conservatives nominated Barry Goldwater​ and booed Nelson Rockefeller off the stage at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. The idea that Wall Street honchos or intellectuals running national magazines have any power over Republican voters and the party apparatus is based on a misunderstanding of how contemporary American politics works. The only thing that approximates an establishment is the family who produced two U.S....

I just started a new facebook page as a place for grassroots conservatives to urge Virginia to allow the leading Republican contender for the presidency onto the Virginia ballot. Gingrich is the Republican leader nationwide and in Virginia! It's absolutely ludicrous, if not criminal, for Virginia to deny the conservative base and tea party favorite a spot on the ballot while they promote their elite ruling class RINO! Do not allow Virginia to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of conservative grassroots voters who would mark their ballots for Newt Gingrich! Adding insult to injury, they don't even allow write-ins on their...

Here's what it says on Newt's facebook wall: Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leads the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls in a survey of Virginia voters released Wednesday. But former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would fare better than Gingrich in a general election contest with President Barack Obama, according to the Quinnipiac University poll. Gingrich leads Romney by a margin of 30 percent to 25 percent among Republican voters, with none of the other GOP candidates topping 9 percent. In a head-to-head test, Gingrich tops Romney by a margin of 47 percent to 39 percent. Virginia will hold its presidential primary March 6. More than half of the...

~~snip~~ "A Gingrich campaign official prior to the move by the Republican Party of Virginia said the problem is how the rules are set up, arguing that the party is, for apparently the first time, cross-checking the addresses that signature-givers gave against the electronic voter database file for accuracies. A name without a proper address match was tossed, the official said."

Mr Bozell took issue with the fact Mr Matthews said that Mr Gingrich 'looked like a car-bomber' in a video clip this past March. Mr Matthews repeated the comparison several times, adding that he thought Mr Gingrich has 'got that crazy Mephistophelian grin of his. He looks like he likes torturing.' Feud: Mr Bozell brought up his remarks when he was talking about an insult Chris Matthews (pictured) made in March Feud: Mr Bozell brought up his remarks when he was talking about an insult Chris Matthews (pictured) made in March Mr Bozell then argued that similar comments would not...

Gingrich's campaign, having failed to qualify for the Virginia primary ballot, released this statement, decrying the entire process and promising to run as a write-in candidate: “Only a failed system excludes four out of the six major candidates seeking access to the ballot. Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates. We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice.”

With the holidays approaching, families gather to share their love, support, and traditions. American Thinker interviewed one of Newt Gingrich's daughters, conservative columnist Jackie Gingrich Cushman, about her dad. She was honest, forthright, and in admiration of her famous father, who is currently running for president. What three adjectives describe Jackie's father? Jackie answered that he is persistent, cheerful, and tenacious. "Persistent" applied especially after Newt lost the election for Congress in 1974 -- the next day, he started preparing for a run in 1976 and lost again, but he eventually won in 1978. Jackie commented to American Thinker that...

While some GOP leaders could face a political bruising from this week’s payroll tax debacle, one top political analyst believes that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich can turn the issue into a political plus. “He could say ‘I took action. I didn’t kick something down the road for two months and leave it up in the air,” insists InsiderAdvantage head and pollster Matt Towery, who also holds the distinction of being Gingrich’s first debate coach. Gingrich’s decision to allow the federal government to shut down in 1995 rather than accept a compromise to keep it open eventually led to a...