The New York Times called the Florida GOP presidential primary for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at the moment the polls closed in the western part of the state.
As of 8:29 pm EST, with 63% of the results reported, Romney leads former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 47% to 31%. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has 13.2% of the preliminary count and Texas Congressman Ron Paul 6.9%.
The Times reported that Santorum, the winner of the Iowa caucuses has started running ads in Nevada targeting Gingrich’s Tea Party support, saying the Speaker’s policies, including support of Wall Street bailouts mirror those of another former Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and President Barack Obama.
Buoyed by his stunning victory in South Carolina, New Gingrich is preparing for a nomination process that could extend into the summer.
Calls have gone out to conservative activists throughout New Jersey looking for grassroots networks to get out the vote for the former Speaker of the House in the Garden State’s June presidential primary.
The Gingrich campaign is advertising on cable television in New Jersey.
But the Gingrich campaign may be getting ahead of itself. After leading the polls in Florida immediately after his South Carolina victory, Gingrich has fallen back to second place, behind Mitt Romney, in the Rasmussen Poll conducted last night.
According to Rasmussen, Romney has restored his lead in Florida back to where it was before Gingrich’s South Carolina win on Saturday. Romney is supported by 39% of likely voters to Gingrich’s 31%. Rick Santorum is favored by 12% and Ron Paul has the support of 9% of those expected to vote on Tuesday. Only 7% are undecided.
Yes, there was a GOP presidential debate last night. Mitt Romney tried to go after Newt Gingrich. Gingrich brushed off the shots, calling them lies, and referred the national audience to his website for his rebuttals.
The entertainment value has been on the under-card; the battle among the front runners’ surrogates. Chris Christie called Newt Gingrich an “embarrassment to the party” and an “influence peddler.” Sarah Palin responded by calling Christie a “rookie” with his “panties in a wad.”
Palin went on during her appearance on Fox Business to call Christie an embarrassment, citing his use of a State Police helicopter to attend his son’s baseball game last June.
Christie doesn’t think much of Palin. He kept her out of his 2009 gubernatorial campaign and let it be known to 2010 Republican congressional candidates that she was not welcome in New Jersey if the GOP candidates wanted his help on the trail.
But Christie can’t restrict Palin on the national stage and he can’t respond to her in-kind. Gender sensibilities prohibit Christie from commenting on Palin’s underwear or taking another personal shot at her. A woman can get away with taking a shot like that against a man, but not the other way around. Palin, and Gingrich, know that.
For his own political future, and for his present role as a Romney surrogate, Christie needs to come up with a way to neutralise counter-punches coming from Palin. He needs to do so in a way that increases his standing with both women and men, while diminishing Palin’s.
A telephone survey conducted Sunday of likely voters in the Florida GOP primary has Newton Gingrich leading Mitt Romney, 41%-32%, according to Rasmussen Reports.
Two weeks ago Romney lead by 22%.
Romney is leading among those who have already cast their votes by 11 points. Gingrich leads by 12% among those who have not yet voted. 14% of likely voters have already cast their ballot.
Governor Chris Christie went on Meet the Press this morning and called Newt Gingrich an embarrassment to the Republican party.
“I think Newt Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time,” Christie said. “Whether he’ll do it again in the future I don’t know, but Gov. Romney never has.”
“We all know the record, I mean he was run out of the speakership by his own party, he was fined $300,000 for ethics violations. This is a guy that’s had a very difficult political career at times and has been an embarrassment to the party. I don’t need to regale the country with the entire list again … but sometimes, past is prologue.”
What do you think MMM readers? Is Newt Gingrich an embarrassment to the Republican party or will Governor Christie being singing a different tune come August?
I was curious about why Gingrich’s first wife’s name was omitted from many news reports about his marriages this week. I thought she died of cancer.
I always thought it was curious that Gingrich would ask his wife for a divorce while she was “in the hospital on her dealth bed,” as legend has it. Why wouldn’t he just wait for her to die? Then he could be a widower rather than a grossly insensitive cad.
Turns out that the first Mrs. Gingrich is still alive. Also turns out that the famous death bed request for a divorce never happened. Newt filed for divorce in July of 1980. The hospital conversation happened in September, 1980 when the Mrs. was recovering from surgery for a non-life threatening benign tumor. Mrs. Gingrich had been battling cancer since 1978. Source: FactCheck.org
The first Mrs. Gingrich is Jackie Battley. She was Newt’s high school geometry teacher. They dated secretly until they wed on June 19, 1962. The 19 year old Newt was at student at Emory University in Atlanta. Jackie was 26. Source: About.com
The other thing I didn’t know about Gingrich is that he had a different last name as a child. He was born Newton Leroy McPherson to his 16 year old mother, Kathleen, and his 19 year old father, Newton Searles McPherson. The McPherson’s marriage ended shortly after young Newton’s birth. Kathleen married Army officer Robert Gingrich a year later. Gingrich adopted Newt and gave him his name.
Robert rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Army. He served in Korea and Viet Nam. He also served in Germany and France, where Newt lived with him. Source: Wikipedia
If Gingrich wins the GOP nomination, America will be choosing a president between two products of broken homes who had different names in their youth and spent significant portions of the childhoods overseas.
Overcoming an 18 point deficit in the polls, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich soundly defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the South Carolina GOP presidential primary by 12%.
The Speaker ended the night with 40% of the vote compared to Romney’s 28%.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum earned 17% of the vote. Texas Congressman Ron Paul got 13% and Herman Cain, who dropped out of the race weeks ago got 1%.
The race for the GOP nomination moves on to Florida which holds its primary on January 31. Recent polls give Romney a 20%+ edge in the Sunshine State. As we saw tonight, there’s only one poll that counts.
From The First In The Nation Primary State Of New Hampshire…
Friday, January 6th“One Renegade Campaign Volunteer”
Having been to this wonderful state so many times, I was briefly introduced to the Primary Campaign process up here during the 2008 election season while on a trip picking up campaign collectibles. As a political junkie, I became enamored of what I saw. So, this year; because of the importance of defeating Obama, I decided to volunteer up here for a few days with the primary candidate of my choice, Newt Gingrich.
So, prior to leaving for New Hampshire on Thursday, I sent a note to Art suggesting that if I had time, I would pass on my thoughts about the process up here during the final days of this primary. So, despite the lateness of the hour, actually 12:15 in the morning after my day started at 8 am, subsequent to a 6 hour drive up Thursday night; here we go.
I’m going to remain anonymous though, as it’s the content that’s important; not the person writing it. There are some lessons to be learned from New Hampshire. Most of them will be random thoughts as they come to me.
Where Do I Begin?
First of all, New Hampshire voters take their primary SERIOUSLY, VERY SERIOUSLY. I can not even think of when I have seen this kind of Republican fervor in blue New Jersey. Perhaps it has something to do with it being the first in the nation primary, or it having to do with this region being one of he cradles of our democracy, voters get involved.
There’s lots of Town Hall style meetings schedule across the state and seem to be well attended. One event for Newt this evening produced a crowd 20% larger than expected. People listened intently and asked great questions. Nearly a third of the crowd stayed to ask other questions of Newt or make a comment.
A county fund raiser with multiple Presidential candidates was similarly “sold out.”
Here’s one other novel thing about New Hampshire campaigns…
It’s called a “sign wave.”
Betcha you are scratching your head, now, wondering what in tarnation is that?
Well, 10 or so volunteers get together and wave their candidates campaign signs at intersections and roundabouts in their towns, most often at rush hour. The first time I saw that was in 2008 in Keene, N.H. at about 6:30 am when a bunch of Hillary supporters were on the main square. Sometimes, they are just regular signs. Many times, there are three or 4 signs stapled to a 1 x 3 so that they can be seen from a distance in traffic.
Mind you, it’s really cold when you wake up here in they morning.
Try asking some of our County Committee people in Monmouth County to do that in more reasonable weather. Bet you they will look at you like you’ve got horns growing out of your head.
But, they certainly do it here.
Volunteers also come from all over. I’ve met several people from Pennsylvania and New York. One intrepid volunteer, and I guess well off volunteer even flew his twin engine plane from San Francisco to Iowa to volunteer for a week; and then on to Manchester, N.H to help out here. One wonders if we do this for the thrill of a Republican campaign that we don’t often see in blue states such as these.
Saturday, I’m advancing two events and then heading off to the big debate Saturday evening. I hope to be inside for a bit to pick up on what I feel the candidates are about. Yes, perhaps from my jaded view point; but without the twist of the media.
One last thought for the evening. Before you ever complain about putting out campaign signs; just imagine how difficult it is in New Hampshire this time of year; trying to plant your thin wire frame into frozen soil.
I know. I did it, at least 50 times today.
New Hampshire natives, adapt, perseveres and overcome. Perhaps that’s another lesson for all of us. It’s a shame more of us couldn’t come up here and learn something about real campaigning.
Why former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer requested to meet the Bayshore Tea Party Group yesterday remains a mystery. If he wanted money, he never asked for it. He touted the fact that he won’t accept donations over $100, and that his average donation is $55, but he never asked. He boasted that he’s raised “a third of a million dollars.”
Asked why he was spending a Saturday in December in New Jersey rather than Iowa or New Hamsphire, Roemer responded, “I’m not in Iowa because it costs $2 million to compete there and I don’t have $2 million. I am in New Hampshire. A lot of people are going to be surprised by my showing in New Hampshire.”
Roemer’s conservative yet populist message would seem to be a perfect fit for the Tea Party crowd. But Roemer clearly wasn’t prepared to be questioned by the group of 20 Tea Party members who are obviously as well informed as they are passionate. He got himself in trouble with the group while embracing the Occupy Wall Street slogan of 1% vs 99% while decrying the influence of money in the presidential campaign. A debate ensued which devolved into bickering over whether or not corporations are people. A Tea Partier arguing that corporations are shareholders, employees and customers. Roemer arguing that a corporation has never been drafted into the military.
No one born after 1957 has been drafted into the military either.
Roemer eventually backed off the 1% vs. 99% slogan, apologizing for “using the language of the day” to make a point.
Roemer said he was competing for the GOP nomination, while acknowledging that he has been in touch with Americans Elect 2012 about a third party candidacy. That didn’t sit well with his audience either, who were concerned about a third party candidate helping President Obama get reelected and about Americans Elect’s funding from special interests. Roemer acknowledged that he hadn’t vetted Americans Elect prior to allowing his name to be attached to the group.
The former governor and congressman was particularly critical of Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, decrying the special interests funding their campaigns. He said Huntsman’s father is using legal loopholes to funnel $20 million to his son’s campaign. Roemer really doesn’t like Gingrich, with whom he served in Congress.
“There is no president amongst the current GOP front runners,” Roemer declared. There wasn’t a president at the Bayshore Tea Party Group office either.
At that’s too bad. There is a great deal about Roemer’s core message that is attractive.
He favors a flat tax; 17% of all income for all, individuals and corporations, over the first $50,000 earned. When asked about the fair tax, a national sales tax, Roemer said he could go that way too.
Roemer said he’s a fair trader, not a free trader. He would use tariffs and economic sanctions to bring balance to our relationships with China and Saudi Arabia. Tariffs on all oil importers, except Mexico and Canada, as well as the end of subsidies for unproven energy technologies, would be the keys to creating energy independence in a Roemer administration.
On foreign policy, Roemer said American should not be the world’s policeman. That he would emphasize economic sanctions to advance our interests, but would keep a strong military in the background. He was absolute that he would not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons.
