Because the wealthy Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have the capacity to spend their own millions on the campaign and remain on the airwaves even after sustaining early losses, advisers to the former House speaker don’t believe it’s possible to lock up the nomination by winning one or even two of the initial contests. So Gingrich isn’t pinning his hopes on any single state, believing instead that, for those who can’t fund their own campaigns, the drawn-out contest will require a prudent use of resources spread across the board. (See also: Jon Huntsman to storm New Hampshire)

“You’ve got to compete everywhere and appeal to Republican primary voters across the board — you can’t cherry-pick places you think you can win,” said Dave Carney, a New Hampshire-based Gingrich strategist and longtime GOP consultant, predicting a “long, hard-fought battle,” thanks to the prospective self-funders…

Said another Gingrich adviser: “Newt’s a national candidate. He has a national brand; he’s a national leader.”