What happened to Newt last night?
It served as a reminder of the essential trait of the Gingrich campaign: It is entirely dependent on the candidate’s impulse or mood…
Again and again over the course of the two-hour CNN debate, Gingrich either soft-pedaled his attacks against Romney or failed to make them altogether. Asked to explain it afterwards, Gingrich backers offered a collective shrug – it wasn’t the performance they needed heading into Tuesday’s primary.
His somnolent showing left other November-minded Republicans with a mix of shock that the famously hard-charging politician would go soft at such a high-stakes moment and relief that he may not be able to capitalize on his South Carolina win.
“Speaker Gingrich showed everyone tonight that he does not have the discipline to run a presidential campaign,” said unaligned GOP strategist Curt Anderson. “He clearly came into this debate with no plan and no strategy to win it. If he had won this debate tonight, he would have won Florida, and pandemonium would have set in within the Republican Party.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
Unprincipled, vindictive little man, typical fat bully; Gingrich!
dmann on January 27, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Conservative media has been on full assault against him.
liberal4life on January 27, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Bipolar disorder?
Doughboy on January 27, 2012 at 12:06 PM
Newt’s like a baseball player at the plate – some days you hit it out of the park – some days you get a single – some days you strike out.
But unlike those on the bench – Newt stays in the game and keeps swinging.
jake-the-goose on January 27, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Cakewalk compared to what your friends have in store for the nominee. Newt showed up to the first job interview in an Armani suit. However, when he was called back for a second interview he waltzed in wearing a speedo.
Kataklysmic on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Good thing Romney is electable.
Oh wait.
Rasmussen Reports 1/23 – 1/25 1500 LV 46 43 Obama +3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 1/22 – 1/24 RV 49 43 Obama +6
PPP (D) 1/13 – 1/16 700 RV 49 44 Obama +5
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Santorum went home today.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Newt’s his own worst adviser? The rest of them are re-hires of the ones who left him during the Iowa campaign, and a couple of former Bachman staffers. Not a lean, mean, well-oiled campaign machine. Remarkable that, with all the baggage, he’s done as well as he has against Romney’s. Which may say as much about Romney as about Newt.
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Might be getting a little late. If Mitt takes FL, the next half dozen states due for primaries are favorable to Mitt over the next month,…with only one debate along the way for Newt to heal himself….if he is so inclined on that particular night
a capella on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Newt has psychological issues affecting his behavior. Who would have guessed.
Paul-Cincy on January 27, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Those of you who think anyone won last night, or that you know what will happen on Tuesday, put away your crowns, pipes, cigars and champagne.
It ain’t over, by far.
Newt and Rick will unite.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Yeah, what was that about? I heard he “won” last night? The debate, if not the long game.
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:12 PM
And that would be a very deep game.
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Nothing happened to Newt. He gave great answers full of substance.
Romney acted like the spoiled little rich boy that he is. (And he lied a lot too.)
stenwin77 on January 27, 2012 at 12:15 PM
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Fools don’t get the temperature of the times. This zeitgeist is not for preppy boys. There might be anohter in the wings, but not now.
People would commit suicide with 4 more of Obama, or 4-8 with Romney, just watching the narcissism on disply.
Count the number of “Is” in prince Romney’s lectures from last night. He is Obama’s phantom, same personality type, passive-aggressive sniper narcissist – people sense them and don’t like them. They think all owe them and they are deserving of the title. Granted Mitt w/b better than Obama in a few ways, but he grates on the regular folks, at this time.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Someone else put it best —-> 5% Gingrich is much better than 30% Gingrich.
Hot Gas on January 27, 2012 at 12:16 PM
de rigueur, here ya go. I called it last night. It’s just step one.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:16 PM
Do you even want to see Newt’s numbers versus Obama??!??
Abby Adams on January 27, 2012 at 12:17 PM
I really did not see Newt falter. While he did leave some scraps on the table with respect to attacks against Romney, attacking Romney is not what I see as Newts greatest activity. Newt could have done much better, but then again, Romney did not do himself any favors, even with his applause lines that will come back later to haunt him.
Newt is going to have to win this on the ground, and I do not personally think his debate performances are what won him South Carolina, he was on the upswing even before the first of those Debates, they just gave him a few extra points in the end.
I still think Florida will go with Newt with a wide margin of victory. Call me skeptical of the recent polls showing him losing.
astonerii on January 27, 2012 at 12:18 PM
The Mormon will lose to you my lord. Don’t worry
liberal4life on January 27, 2012 at 12:06 AM
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:18 PM
Exactly. Doesn’t matter who it is. Obama wins re-election easily.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:19 PM
lorien, ignore l4l – it is not liberal, it’s a sockpuppet.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:20 PM
Family, remember his wife was at home caring for the children. Sounds like maybe an illness. I hope it is nothing serious. He has already had one major loss.
astonerii on January 27, 2012 at 12:20 PM
No it isn’t. Is it? My fun. It’s ruined
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:22 PM
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:22 PM
It gets paid for sockpuppetry or is just having fun. It is not liberal at all.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:22 PM
LOL. Thanks for that visual, appreciate it.
Go RBNY on January 27, 2012 at 12:23 PM
astonerii on January 27, 2012 at 12:20 PM
No. Will unite with Newt.
Schadenfreude on January 27, 2012 at 12:23 PM
So looks like Newt is finished after Florida.
Wait, what?
National:
1/27 NBC News/WSJ Gingrich 37, Romney 28, Santorum 18, Paul 12 Gingrich +9
1/26 Gallup Tracking Gingrich 31, Romney 25, Santorum 13, Paul 13, Perry Gingrich +6
1/24 Rasmussen Reports Gingrich 35, Romney 28, Santorum 16, Paul 10 Gingrich +7
Minnesota:
PPP Gingrich 36, Romney 18, Santorum 17, Paul 13 Gingrich +18
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:24 PM
That is the only hope I see, but Rick needs to do it soon. I don’t doubt his passion for a second but he knows he cannot win.
Southernblogger on January 27, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Rush is reading from an American Spectator piece that really makes NRO’s hit piece on Newt look false:
NRO has some explaining to do.
Weight of Glory on January 27, 2012 at 12:24 PM
I have 2 theories on lib4life:
1) True blue lib here to troll.
2) A Mitt supporter attempting to get conservatives to grudingly defend him by saying things that are ridiculously over the top (this one is more far fetched, I know)
I am leaning towards #1 because I am 99% sure “social-justice” is lib4life’s sock puppet and SJ pretends to be a hardcore socon who hates Mormons.
Kataklysmic on January 27, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Another fun poll for the Romneybots:
Wisconsin Obama vs. Romney
Marquette University Obama 48, Romney 40 Obama +8
WOW! Talk about electable.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:27 PM
You’re right, he won because SC voters are completely batshit.
Go RBNY on January 27, 2012 at 12:29 PM
It would have to happen before Tuesday, in my opinion. February will be All Mitt All the Time and inertia simply may be too much for anyone to catch up, much less overcome. If we’re speaking of primaries.
In the general, yeah, someone’s head is going to be handed to him on a platter.
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:30 PM
I’ve noticed it will post a comment then completely contradict itself in another comment. (We democrats don’t care if Mitt is a mormon! then followed up later by Mitt’s mormonism alone disqualifies him for the presidency!) But I’ve assumed that more than 1 person comments on his account. We’ve had people like that in the past and it’s not an unusual phenomenon.
I’ve seen social-justice around, but haven’t paid enough attention to those comments to notice if they follow this one’s typing pattern.
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:31 PM
I was distracted with my 7 month old daughter last night. Was Rick really only going against Pual and Romney and skipped attacks on Newt? I always have trouble listening when Rick talks. I do not understand why.
astonerii on January 27, 2012 at 12:31 PM
Newt slept on the wrong side of the bed last night.
haner on January 27, 2012 at 12:32 PM
How’d you find out?
Esthier on January 27, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Which is funny because Romney has much better favorability ratings in that poll than Gingrich.
I think Romney still may be the best of a bad lot.
Abby Adams on January 27, 2012 at 12:33 PM
social-justice is the most obvious moby in the history of mobydom.
Go RBNY on January 27, 2012 at 12:33 PM
Great. So we lose 55-45 with Gingrich or 52-47 with Romney. I feel much better now.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.
I’m pulling for a brokered convention.
Abby Adams on January 27, 2012 at 12:37 PM
I caught a bit of Levin last night. He had on a guest, can’t remember the name, who worked in the Reagan administration as well and also said the allegations of Gingrich as a Reagan “hater” are 100% pure BS. But what would he know, he just worked in the WH directly under Reagan. It’s not like he’s a credible un-named source or anything.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Yeah, there’s always the chance that more than one person is using the account. Or that they are a paid moby.
Start comparing social-justice to lib4life and you will see what I mean. I think within a few hours of each other they had both posted something like “We can’t vote for Mitt because he is not a Christian” and also “The estblishment hates Newt and Palin and will be coming after them” or something similar. There have been other examples as well.
Kataklysmic on January 27, 2012 at 12:38 PM
Still pining for Jon
Don’t feel bad. I’m the other HA regular who liked Huntsman and thought he got a raw deal from both the elites and the conservatives. There’s always 2016.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:39 PM
My favorite is “Romney can’t connect with the middle class”.
angryed on January 27, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Who would you expect to come out of that?
And, could you imagine the country being willing to give the reigns to someone they probably hadn’t even have heard of before June or July?
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Funny, I’ve gotten the “fishing 4 fun” feeling from a lot of his posts. And then there are a couple of others– Romney enthusiasts (to say it politely)– with “fishy” names. And I’ve been reading long enough to know who is “the fisherman” around here. So I wonder, is it possible that a single person could have that many sock-puppets, and that much fun? Or maybe Sybil’s brother?
de rigueur on January 27, 2012 at 12:41 PM
liberal4life and social-justice did appear after the latest open registration. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Be nice if Ed or AP would do an IP check on them to confirm – I’m sure WP keeps a log in history of some sort. It’s interesting.
lorien1973 on January 27, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Gingrich is the guy at the plate with his hat on backwards, facing the wrong way, holding the bat by the fat end and sucking his thumb. Yeah, he’s in the game, but he doesn’t have a grasp of what it takes to win because he wants to play the game by his made up set of rules.
csdeven on January 27, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »