Posted on 12/30/2011 10:13:36 PM PST by VinL
Urbandale, Iowa – In the corner of a nondescript office park hard by Interstate 80 here, campaign workers are mounting a furious effort to get out the vote for Newt Gingrich at Tuesday’s Republican caucuses and prove the recent polls wrong.
As the former House speaker drew attention for getting choked up on the campaign trail Friday, scores of volunteers from across the nation cycled through his Iowa campaign headquarters in suburban Des Moines.
Some waved Gingrich campaign signs at rush hour traffic. Others cheered the former Georgia congressman on at a campaign stop at a coffee shop in Des Moines. Many manned a phone bank, urging likely caucus-goers to support Gingrich. Among them were Gordon and Meredith Austin, who traveled from Carrollton, Ga., to work for Gingrich here. Gordon Austin said he made more than a 100 calls to voters Friday.
“I have the bruise on my ear to prove it,” said the retired surgeon, one of Gingrich’s longtime friends.
Gingrich, who recently led the pack in Iowa, has fallen dramatically in recent surveys. A new NBC News-Marist poll put him fifth with the support of 13 percent of likely caucus-goers, trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 23 percent; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, 21 percent; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 15 percent; and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 14 percent.
Gingrich, who has said he will stay in the race even if he places fourth in Iowa, drew new attention on the campaign trail Friday when he got choked up talking about his late mother. Later Friday, his campaign trumpeted an endorsement from Steve Deace, a conservative radio talk show host in Iowa.
Deace wrote on his website that Gingrich has “offered one of the most articulate defenses of marriage and the family I have ever read from a candidate. He has agreed to never sign a budget into law that includes a plug nickel for an abortion provider. He has agreed to seek personhood legislation and a stronger defense of marriage act that would limit the judicial oligarchs’ ability to legislate from the bench.”
Fueled with hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, Gingrich’s volunteers sat in makeshift booths divided by giant “Newt” signs in his Urbandale campaign office, reading from scripts as they called voters Friday. Others jokingly ad-libbed.
“If you will support Newt, I will mow your yard,” Bill Curtis, a geologist from Austin, Texas, told one voter. “Then we could go fishing.”
Why I support him is in his 1 minute clip- (takes a few seconds to load.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gingrich-says-hell-make-washington-uncomfortable/2011/12/30/gIQAXqamQP_video.html
The Republican establishment, MSM, and the liberal nuts headed by Ron Paul through everything at Newt in Iowa.....
After Newt now survives with a top three or so finish.....
IT’S PAYBACK TIME in SC & FL, folks!!!!
through = *threw
Thanks-cyber challenged.-:)
Gingrich offers the only hope of salvaging this great nation in one of it’s greatest moments of need.
If you care for this nation, if you care for western civilization, if you care for Christianity, then Vote for Newt. Because a vote for anyone else at this point is a vote for the end of the dream.
Support surges for a rino that crys?
Give me a freak in break.
Sounds like rino bohner all over again.
Lot of good articles on much of your post today. Times had a piece on Romney’s superpac- incredible the money-men behind it.
Another on how no Pub has won the nomination w/o SC- and no one has ever won SC after losing in NH and Iowa (money dries up).
I think Newt can do it.
Let’s make history with Newt/Rubio, my friend :)
Energy and turnout as always will carry the day. The polls keep reporting a high percentage of not-committed voters. If Newt had 30%+ ratings in Iowa at the time of the last debate just 2 weeks ago and now has 1/2 that, it means that things are fluid and many people will be influenced by the last message they hear from each candidate.
Newt has gotten a very positive response from Michael Reagan, the local radio guy Deace, and more importantly a very strong endorsement from Prof. Art Laffer and from Iowa’s Speaker of the House. Strong, emotional turnout will dilute the Paul voter percentage as he is totally max’ed out on his base. The media is always saying that bad weather is Paul’s best friend, so we will see. Newt can still take back votes from Romney and Santorum and do very well on Tuesday.
Scores of people from across the nation?
Washington is uncomfortable now.
We need Washington to take a walk.
Given your posts as to strategy, I think you would find this article interesting.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/30/9834108-south-carolina-gantlet-awaits-iowa-and-new-hampshire-winners
LOL
I don’t dislike Gingrich for crying, but crying sure won’t make me support him.
Yeah, Newt crying about his mom’s painful suffering before her death is uncalled for. Who does that?
Even though you need to take this story with a ton of salt given the source, it sounds true. I just see the South Carolina population as such a different cultural mix when compared to NH, that I could see a backlash if Romney continues the same tactics there that he’s using in Iowa.
Newt is strong in my state of FL, and if he wins SC, he will continue to get the funding he needs to fight down here. I think that outside of Paul, Iowa is still in play. Let’s see.
When did I say it was uncalled for? When did I say people shouldn't cry when their mother dies?
Why do so many folks like you on this subject have to misrepresent what someone like me said in order to applaud yourself for you great compassion, when I said nothing at all like you imply?
All I said was his crying doesn't make me vote for or against him. Sorry basing my vote on the man's record is uncalled for, and that you think I should base my support on if a man shows he can cry in public or not as proof he's a conservative.
You didn't say that? But your response makes me think you don't care if people just make stuff up about other posters, so there you are. Happy now?
Can somebody here explain how Newt didn’t make it on the VA ballot? The guy’s many things, but he ain’t stupid - how did this happen and does it mean anything for his campaign?
I don’t know who I’m going to support (tho it won’t be Ron Paul). For me, it will really be exercise of listening to people at the caucus and trying to learn more or get a different feel. This is the first time I have ever been undecided like this in my voting life and I’m not comfortable.
And yeah, cry all you want, Newt, I am not moved.
It worked for hitlery, it worked for pelozi, and it worked for boner so maybe it will work for the newt.
We are so screwed.
I am in Fla. and I will be doing my best to ensure Romney does not win here. GO NEWT!!!
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