Gingrich keeps campaigning - and keeps drawing an audience

CBS News ^ | April 7, 2012 | Lindsey Boerma

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MILLSBORO, Del. - At 7 p.m. on Thursday, in the back shed of a firehouse, a presidential candidate who continually concedes he's unlikely to capture the Republican nomination held a rally - and 350 people showed up.

Earlier, Newt Gingrich spoke to more than 150 people in nearby Magnolia. And a day earlier, he greeted a sold-out auditorium that seats more than 400 at the UniversityofNorthCarolina-Wilmington.

The Republicans who come to Gingrich's campaign events, signs in hand and ready to offer standing ovations, are under no illusions that the former House speaker is going to overtake Mitt Romney to become to Republican nominee. In fact, many say they're ready to support Romney if he gets the nomination as expected.

For now, they just like hearing what Gingrich has to say.

"I love the guy," said Linda Creasy of Lewes, Del. "I'd love to see him in there. I think he's the smartest; I think he has the most to offer. He just doesn't have the most money."

....After the speech, Sussex County Republican Party spokesman Duke Brooks said he'll vote for Gingrich in the Apr. 24 Delaware primary. "There's no question about it,"...

Asked whether he holds out hope that his candidate will somehow become that nominee,.."Mathematically, it seems not." But..he finds "interesting" Gingrich's argument that however unlikely, a win in Delaware could reverberate in larger states such as North Carolina and Texas.

"Even if we still can't get the nomination, we roll into.. Tampa with a brokered convention in the offing," Brooks said. "And if we do that, in the long run I think that can only be good for the party because it's going to flesh out a lot of ideas, and a lot of people are going to pay attention to it."

That's Gingrich's message as well...

[Right_in_Virginia]

keep on keepin’ on Newt. We need your solutions so Mitt can repeat them.

Mega dittos! :^)

[McGruff]

Thanks, Newt! How much has Romney paid you to stay in?

One could ask Santorum the same question. At least with Newt there would be a clear difference between the two candidates.

[knarf]

The "study" is a lucrative stall to use the time to allow blocks to fall in place.

That's probably a difficult sentence to read, but consider my poor brain that had to think it up and write it !

/8^)

To me, Newt is an interesting mixture of conservative and futurist.

I think Newt acquired and developed his futuristic concepts during and with the Norman Rockwell generation ... probably the best time to be an American.

[expat1000]

You obviously mistake Newt for Santorum - he’s the one who can’t figure it all out. If Newt decides to speak, folks know it will be relevant and intelligent, so they come. If Rick decides to speak, some folks will go to find out which Rick is showing up today, and the MSM will have a field day with any number of oopsies from not thinking before he speaks.

Plus, he is boring, and sometimes it's agonizing watching him try and express a thought coherently (like the Zimmerman disaster), whereas listening to Newt is observing a master craftsman at his trade.

[COBOL2Java]

Yes, best economic plan for which some need immediate, robust recovery, and best legislative agenda starting Jan 3, 2013, clue in Barabbas Romney!

Which is why the grand poobahs in the GOP have to destroy him - they can't risk losing their grip on the federal teat.

[samtheman]

Newt is an interesting mixture of conservative and futurist.

I never quite thought of it like that but now that I have, thanks to you, I have to put myself in the same category. Minus the interesting. I am not interesting. But I am a conservative and futurist.

And as you say, Newt is an interesting conservative and futurist.

I am very sorry he won't be our candidate.

I am even sorrier Rick Perry won't be our candidate. I like them both very much. When Rick failed, I switched to Newt. Now that it's all over I feel free to say I would prefer Perry over Gingrich, if he could have survived the debate cycle, which obviously he couldn't (though the back surgery and meds had a lot to do with that, along with stupid back-stabbing "conservatives" who got their panties in a bunch over the long-dead Gardisil issue... though why get into all that now, right).

[samtheman]

Plus, he [Santorum] is boring, and sometimes it's agonizing watching him try and express a thought coherently (like the Zimmerman disaster), whereas listening to Newt is observing a master craftsman at his trade.

You got that right.

[sirchtruth]

It's obvious Newt has the most foresight. What needs to happen, which I think will, is Newt needs to show up at the convention and just smack the HAMMER down on the establishment. I mean raise total Cain! Make it a raucous, contentious in your face political brawl!

Mitt is going to be a disaster no matter what, there is no way conservatives are going to rally behind the doofus.

[arrdon]

..and, like basketballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, and dead bodies, all that crap floats downstream right into Lake West Point...

[arrdon]

Question is; how much has Obammy paid you to stay in?

[exit82]

I was at the Milssboro DE rally with NEwt on Thursday night. HE was awesome.

He is a mental giant—talking for 35 minutes with no notes, no “uh’s” or “ah’s”—one idea after another—and nothing about Augusta either—substantial ideas about how to fix the course this country is on.

It was so refreshing to hear a person who could articulate real solutions and inspire you to beleive we can fix
America. Very similar to how I remember hearing Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Afterwards, he and Callista were very warm and friendly to all comers, taking time for autpgraphs and pictures with all.

He plans to go to Tampa, and I sent in my fifth donation to his campaign to help him.

This is the man we need to be our candidate against Obama.

If Romney doesn’t get the 1144 delegates before Tampa, Newt still has a shot, and regardless, he says he is going to tampa to influence the planks int he party platform.

Romney will be a disaster. So if you really want to help conservatism and America, send a few bucks to Newt to keep him in this thing.

It may turn out to be the best investment in the future you ever made.

A blessed Easter to all.

[sirchtruth]

The more I see and hear Santorum the less I like him. He’s nothing but a political Red Light District sleaze. Especially after what he said about Zimmerman...what a loser!

[knarf]

Santorum AND (especially) Romney both take too long to get to a point

I attend a Baptist church and besides being born again, I attend because the most interesting speaker(s) is/are (a) preacher(s) that has nothing to say that isn't the truth..

I personally think the people that can tune in and focus on political speakers ARE church goers that are accustomed to sitting, being quiet and absorbing the words of a man.

Then we take it home and compare/contrast/analize .. and go back again because we discover it is the Truth.

THAT is Newt's draw .. he speaks what simplistically sounds like the truth and we compare/contrast and analize to discover his direction is correct and his desire is to lead our nation in a good direction.

I'm too old to think about what is right and wrong for America these days, because nothing is how it was and will never be again, but I still think there is a right and wrong way to DO things and I like Newt's direction.

[JediJones]

The White House is lost to Obamney.

May as well enjoy the ride into the flaming pit along the way with some good Newt speeches.

[ltbigv]

To me, Newt is an interesting mixture of conservative and futurist.

Perhaps. The Toffler thing was quite a disgrace, to be sure. The problem is that Newt is also an interesting mixture of jerk and selfi-satisfied blowhard that all of us rightfully learned to dislike on the playground.

How you folks that practically worship Newt ever got the idea that the dumbed down general electorate would vote for such a man, while the phony baloney, plastic banana slickster Romney is apparently unelectable, is beyond me.

[samtheman]

Well said.

[Reily]

Anyone who criticizes the idea of an invigorated space program ought to discard their laptops for fountain pens and Western Electric phones!

[Steamburg]

Anyone and anything who keeps the Washington power brokers reminded of how fragile their support will be is a positive. They really want to forget 2010 and who got them there. They must know that Washington power is holding on by their collective fingernails and they will pay tribute to the conservative or their hold will be washed away for ever. This one isn’t over till the fat lady sings. One stupid left step by Mittens and this all starts anew.

[Yashcheritsiy]

Seriously, I’d be up for a serious, concerted third party effort by Newt or some other conservative. As it stands now, Rombama and ORomney are just two candidates running as the heads of two factions of the same party.

A choice, not an echo.

[Yashcheritsiy]

He is a mental giant—talking for 35 minutes with no notes, no “uh’s” or “ah’s”—one idea after another—and nothing about Augusta either—substantial ideas about how to fix the course this country is on.

And therein lies the problem for Newt's electoral problems, I'm afraid.

Newt is running a campaign that appeals to the +1σ IQ and above crowd - in other words, people with IQs of around 115 and above, people who, frankly, are able to understand what he's talking about. Unfortunately, this group only makes up about 15% of the US population, which is about the level of support Newt has been getting lately.

Each in their own way, Santorum, Romney, and Obama all appeal to the lower IQ elements, and general divide this large majority up among themselves.