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Did Newt Gingrich Just Win In Michigan? (His plan to win is patient, simple and clever)
American Thinker ^ | 02/29/2012 | Richard F. Miniter

Posted on 02/29/2012 6:14:16 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Ever since Newt Gingrich's loss in Florida's Republican primary I've been trying to read that gotcha-just-where-I-want-you smile of his. What's his plan for winning the nomination? No matter how bleak his prospects appear, he does have a plan, that we can be certain of. And whatever it is, it is patient, simple and clever.

He's the same man after all who wrote a book explaining how Robert E. Lee could have won the battle of Gettysburg by simply abandoning the field July 2, marching a day south and east and waiting for the Union Army to destroy itself. As Newt has done the same thing himself numerous times, most famously when he stopped negotiating with Bill Clinton when everybody told him he had to and if it wasn't for Bob Dole surrendering the government shut-down, almost folded up that administration like a cheap suit.

Now watching Romney and Santorum each beat the other's brains out in Michigan I think I finally figured out what Newt is up to. Waiting for it to finish so that he can move south and east again. Just like he always does. And if I'm right it means we'll look back and see that both Romney and Santorum showed up for a chess match, clutching a box of checkers.

From day one Gingrich could only win the nomination if he was the only conservative alternative to Romney. That a fact and that's his baggage. And so Michigan was the set-up Newt was waiting for. Let Romney be defeated in his home state he was finished and then Gingrich could take Santorum in the areas of the country where Monsignor Rick doesn't play all that well. Let Romney win and Santorum's momentum would peak and a week he'll be polling 10-15% again.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: gingrich; mi2012; michigan; newt
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Heads I win, tails you lose because either way Gingrich will be the only conservative alternative to Romney.
1 posted on 02/29/2012 6:14:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Going to be with Newt in Gainesville, GA tonight!
GO NEWT!!


2 posted on 02/29/2012 6:17:03 AM PST by georgiagirl_pam (STEP ONE: SECURE YOUR DOOR (gives you more time to get your gun!) mysafedoor.com)
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To: SeekAndFind

Should be interesting because I think Limbaugh is right, the GOP elites now desperately fear Romney getting the nomination and then getting his clock cleaned. If that is true we can count on them to exercise their usual duplicity and steer the nomination to Santorum or Newt before sabotaging them later on in the fall.

Given their well-documented hatred for Newt, that appears the most likely. Throwing a loyal soldier under the bus who saluted and endorsed Specter would create other problems for them.


3 posted on 02/29/2012 6:17:36 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog

O’Reilly had Newt on his show talking about how to get the gas prices to $2.50 and guess who agreed with Newt’s methods right after the interview? Karl Rove!!!!!


4 posted on 02/29/2012 6:24:07 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather (Ron Paul and Romney in alliance to take out the conservatives in this election)
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To: SeekAndFind

Santorum’s arrogance and ignorance lead him to take on Romney in Romney’s own state. STUPID.

Newt knew that would be a waste of money and energy so used Rick’s weaknesses to his (Newt’s) advantage.

This is who Newt is ....

” Newt provided strategic counsel to the Pentagon and Secretary of Defense on how to better address threats facing the United States. He is also the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals at Air University and taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University.

In 1999, Gingrich was appointed to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century, the Hart/Rudman Commission to examine our national security challenges as far out as 2025. The Commission’s report is the most profound rethinking of defense strategy since 1947.”


5 posted on 02/29/2012 6:26:00 AM PST by Reagan69 (I supported Sarah Palin and all I got was a lousy DVD !)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
-- I think Limbaugh is right, the GOP elites now desperately fear Romney getting the nomination and then getting his clock cleaned. --

I really don't think they fear that, at all. What they fear is the "party faithful" abandoning the party, and also losing downticket. The GOP wasn't unhappy when McCain and Dole lost. Heck, McCain even kept his nice job in Congress - no loss at all, and in fact, he probably enjoyed campaigning as a break from the routine in Washington, DC.

I think the GOP wouldn't mind at all if Romney won the nomination then lost in the general. What I think they fear is that their charade is being uncovered, and that a substantial fraction of the voters insist on less government.

6 posted on 02/29/2012 6:28:18 AM PST by Cboldt
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To: Reagan69

THE NEWTRON BOMB !!! GO NEWT !


7 posted on 02/29/2012 6:28:25 AM PST by Reagan69 (I supported Sarah Palin and all I got was a lousy DVD !)
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To: georgiagirl_pam

Have a great time tonight! He looks like he is having fun with the algae solution Obama proposed. I heard a guy call into Mark Levin and say he works with algae and Levin said “By the way...wouldn’t that process produce CARBON?” He said “Why yes!!”


8 posted on 02/29/2012 6:28:31 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather (Ron Paul and Romney in alliance to take out the conservatives in this election)
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To: SeekAndFind
Interesting analysis, but I gotta tell ya, I believe that it's wishful thinking. Gingrich did better than expected in both AZ and MI, and still was a distant 3rd in both races.

I like Newt, I support Newt, and I'm planning to vote for him, assuming that he's still in the race when things get around to my state. It will be nice to have a candidate where I don't need to hold my nose while pulling the lever.

However, I'm not optimistic. About the only things that I see happening are a Romney implosion (pretty unlikely) or Newt, Santorum, and Paul picking off enough odds and ends of states to force a brokered convention (a little more likely, but still not very).

9 posted on 02/29/2012 6:28:31 AM PST by wbill
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To: sheikdetailfeather
That in and of itself is a miracle! Rove never says one good thing about Newt.

Gives one pause.....

10 posted on 02/29/2012 6:30:07 AM PST by CAluvdubya
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To: wbill

Perry believes Newt can take Texas with 155 delegates. Newt feels he has a good chance in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and hopes Washington state. He has been working California as well. We will see.


11 posted on 02/29/2012 6:31:42 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather (Ron Paul and Romney in alliance to take out the conservatives in this election)
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To: SeekAndFind

I think that’s true. The question is whether the voters genuinely want a conservative or not. The GOP establishment clearly doesn’t want one.

Santorum was exactly as big government and establishment as Romney and his entire Senate record bears this out. However, Romney is a genuinely unlikeable candidate, and I think for a while Santorum was liked better simply because he played up the little Ricky from humble roots story and his social issues conservatism.

But there’s really no substantive difference between them, and the question now is whether voters really want someone with an entirely different take on things and, if so, whether Gingrich can get his message out in time.


12 posted on 02/29/2012 6:31:50 AM PST by livius
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To: wbill

If Santorum can just complete his implosion by Super Tuesday, Newt will win BIG, because Romney simply doesn’t play well in the South.


13 posted on 02/29/2012 6:34:41 AM PST by Mangia E Statti Zitto
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To: SeekAndFind
No way did Newt get anything positive out of Michigan.

Romney won with his scorched earth negative campaign tactic once again, destroying his opponent rather than running on his record. Turn out was depressed and will likely stay suppressed for the general. Romney screwed his opponents, and has poisoned the general election for himself.

I thought voting against Obama would be one of the greatest votes in my lifetime and now I'm gonna have to drink a fifth of whiskey just to enter the polling booth in November.

14 posted on 02/29/2012 6:35:47 AM PST by Lakeshark (NbIttoalbl,cRwIdtaa)
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To: SeekAndFind

Newt couldn’t even beat Ron Paul in Michigan.


15 posted on 02/29/2012 6:39:24 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: sheikdetailfeather
That's about the only way for Newt to get close - take the south and pick off one other big state. I didn't know that he was competitive in CA. That's great.

I'll be happy to see him upset some old boy GOP applecarts. I'm not impressed with Romney, though I'd vote for him over Obama. It would just be nice to have a candidate I can support, rather than just "meh, at least he says he's not a Democrat".

I'm in NC (May Primary). I've seen one BO 2012 bumper sticker (I work near a college, it figures) and a handful of Ron Paul signs. Nothing for any of the other candidates. But then again, the primaries are so late here that things are usually decided, and there's not much turnout.

16 posted on 02/29/2012 6:41:37 AM PST by wbill
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To: SeekAndFind

Santorum lost by 3 percent.....Newt took 7 percent total. Something doesn’t look right here. I don’t want to say that Newt took votes from Santorum but........


17 posted on 02/29/2012 6:43:51 AM PST by napscoordinator (A moral principled Christian with character is the frontrunner! Congrats Santorum!)
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To: wbill

Don’t get down yet! It’s not over by a long shot!

DELEGATE RACE AS IT STANDS NOW:
Romney- 142, of those 26 are non-binding= 116 solid
Santorum- 59, of those 44 are non-binding= 15 solid
Gingrich- 32, of those 2 are non-binding= 30 solid
Paul- 20, of those 12 are non-binding= 8 solid

POPULAR VOTE TOTALS:
Romney- 1,746,046
Gingrich- 977,272
Santorum- 929,807
Paul- 462,187

Washington votes on Saturday. It is proportional with 43 delegates.
Look at the Super Tuesday Calendar.
Alaska 27
Georgia 76
Idaho 32
Massachusetts 41
North Dakota 28
Ohio 66
Oklahoma 43
Tennessee 58
Vermont 17
Virginia 49

These ALL proportional delegates. Now, tell me, which of these do you think Mitt is going to win? Massachusetts, of course. Ohio, maybe. Vermont, yes. Virginia, not if all of the Rick and Newt supporters vote for Ron Paul! And again, these are ALL PROPORTIONAL!

MITT CANNOT LOCK THIS THING UP FOR A LONG TIME! And anything can happen. Of course, there are no debates because Mitt and Rick chickened out, but you never know in this race!


18 posted on 02/29/2012 6:45:36 AM PST by georgiagirl_pam (STEP ONE: SECURE YOUR DOOR (gives you more time to get your gun!) mysafedoor.com)
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To: SeekAndFind
No matter how bleak his prospects appear, he does have a plan, that we can be certain of. And whatever it is, it is patient, simple and clever.

And he is still the smartest man in any room he enters!

19 posted on 02/29/2012 6:48:48 AM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: napscoordinator

Santorum was just on Fox and said most of Romney’s votes were already mailed in and Santorum said “I won Michigan when you look at the votes thereafter and I got more delegates than he did here because of the counties I won.” I contacted a friend of mine who is a Democrat there in Michigan and I asked who he voted for. He said he voted absentee for Newt “to work mischief...” in his words.


20 posted on 02/29/2012 6:50:04 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather (Ron Paul and Romney in alliance to take out the conservatives in this election)
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