Posted on 11/11/2011 11:10:43 AM PST by Steelfish
NOVEMBER 11, 2011 Polls: Gingrich Grows on GOP Voters
By Mary Lu Carnevale
Two polls out Friday show former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign gaining traction. And both polls show there’s plenty of room for the race to change dramatically: 17% of respondents are undecided.
Newt Gingrich talks to a breakfast crowd during a campaign stop at the Circle Restaurant , Friday, in Epson, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole) A McClatchy-Marist poll of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents finds that Mitt Romney’s poll numbers remain steady – he generally garners the support of about a quarter of the Republican and Republican-leaning voters. That puts him in the lead, with Mr. Gingrich in second and former front-runner Herman Cain close behind.
By the numbers: Mr. Romney, 23%; Mr. Gingrich, 19%; Mr. Cain, 17%;Texas Rep. Ron Paul 10%; Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 8%, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, 5%. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum got 1% apiece.
“Romney is still where he’s been. It’s fair to say this is a battle for the anybody-but-Romney candidate,” said Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College. “Gingrich has now begun his 15 days of fame. Whether he is able to maintain that, as others have fallen, is the question. He may be the only one standing when this is all said and done.”
The poll shows that many voters aren’t strongly attached to their choice. Mr. Gingrich has the most-committed supporters at 43%. For both Messrs. Romney and Cain, the level drops to about 30%.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
” Newt will lose to 0bamao. I’m certain sure of it. “
You are absolutely right . Cain is the only one who could defeat Obama , which is why he is being attacked bigtime by the MSM - otherwise known as the government media complex ( GMC ) .
We need to have someone who can succeed Cain as President in 2021, Newt will turn 70 in 2013, he’s too old (nevermind all his baggage from the personal through to the political).
And how do you think those “scandals” match up to Rezko, Rev. Wright, Ayers, Solyndra, Fast & Furious, Obamacare, etc.? As I stated earlier, Newt may have some baggage, but Obama has a landfill. I don’t think Obama wants to get into a match of “scandals”.
This election will come down to who can convince the electorate they have the best ideas to save the economy & our nation. Newt has a record of balancing the budget, welfare reform, lower unemployment, a robust economy, & being able to bring the other side to conservative principles (i.e. Clinton on the budget & welfare reform).
And what can Obama hang his hat on? He was a damned good community organizer!
Sharon Angle lost in Nevada to Reid because she spent far too much time on Reid’s scandals instead focusing on ideas & issues the electorate cared about. Likewise, if Obama chooses to focus on Newt’s “baggage” instead of what he will do, he will meet the same fate.
The electorate doesn’t care about the dirty laundry anymore. They want answers, wherever that comes from. Jobs mean a lot more than past divorces to most. Food for the mind.
My picks, in order:
Gingrich
Cain
Gingrich/Cain
Cain/Gingrich
I’m not inclined to agree.
I think by the end of the second Cain administration, another dynamic conservative leader will have emerged to run, if VP Gingrich seems too old.
I am not a betting person!
Just curious: were you paying attention to politics during the Clinton years (meaning: were you old enough and interested enough at that point in your life)?
I’d gladly vote for Newt in the general. That’s not the issue.
As for your point about debates, one thing I think you’re overlooking is that the “winner” of the debate is completely subjective. Yes, a certain media meme sets in, but that is not always related to how well someone actually did.
Regardless, tell me this: do you trust Newt’s instincts to be conservative?
And, two: were you around during the Clinton years? Just curious.
Oh, forgot to add my third question (shades of Governor Perry — yikes!):
Do you really think that Obama voters will care one way or the other whether or not he “wins” or “loses” the debates?
Do you really think that any voter who has made up his mind that Obama must go will care one way or the other whether the GOP nominee “wins” or “loses” the debates?
Every election cycle has its own dynamic. My own sense is that we want a guy who can smack down Obama in the debates because . . . well, we want Obama smacked down!
But if somebody is trying to say the debates are going to sway hard-core Obama voters (do they even watch debates?) or hard-core Obama-Must-Go voters, I don’t think that’s well-founded.
I have been around since the Johnson years, so yes, I was there during the Clinton years. Do I trust Newt’s instincts to be conservative? Yes I do & I’ll tell you why.
Newt served w/ Reagan & got a lot of his conservative chops there. He certainly governed as a conservative once elected Speaker. Unfortunately he got a little cocky after all the victories in the early 90’s & lost his way a bit after being beat up by the Dem’s so bad. He was surrounded by country club Republicans & fell prey to their theories.
Newt is an historian if nothing else. He realizes the import of learning from history. Because he was there in 92 as the leader, he realizes the magnitude of the time he is currently in. I think he’s learned from his mistakes from the past. That being said & as I’ve stated elsewhere, Newt will govern by his surroundings. If he is surrounded by country club Repubs. he will govern accordingly. If he is surrounded by a new batch of conservatives, which I feel will be the case, it will embolden him to stick to his conservative ideals.
As for whether Obama voters will be swayed by the debates, NO they will not be. But they’re the 30% that will vote for Obama regardless. The bigger question is whether the indy’s will be persuaded by the debates, & to that I think the answer is a resounding yes. The folks outside of the 30% are looking for any excuse to not vote for Obama. The debates could give them the cover to make that move. It’s the indy’s that will make the difference. The debates will be huge to that end. History will undoubtedly repeat itself as w/ the examples given.
Thanks for the civil conversation. I’m not fully in the Gingrich camp yet, but I’m leaning that way. Cain has my interest as well. I’m just not sure about Cain’s prospects past the economy during this election. The contrast needs to be clear across the board. Cain’s grasp of foreign policy for example is abysmal. We can’t take any chances. The stakes are just too high this time around.
Given that he’d be 77 in 2020, “too old” goes without saying. I’m also quite puzzled at the sudden rage for Newt on FR. He may be a smart guy, but he was a terrible Speaker (lost the ‘95 budget showdown with Bubba, which gave him a second term), lacks for common sense, and has been way too cozy with the liberal establishment. The Scuzzyfava debacle was the final straw.
By the way & to follow up on my previous post, tomorrow’s debate which will focus on foreign affairs, will go a long ways in determining just how ready Cain is for prime time. In my mind anyways. Cain had better be prepared.
Newt doesn’t need to be.
Well, when it comes to November 2012 I’ll support whoever is on the GOP ticket. Obama has GOT to go.
However, I don’t think Newtie can push Obama off that throne. Newt is smart as a whip and an amazing ideas man. However, he is often supercilious, bordering on snide, and IMHO, really does not seem very likeable to Average Joe American. (And unfortunately, we are a people who have to “like” our candidates, if not actually worship them.) I just don’t think he can beat Obama, with his combination of less-than-likeable personality plus a bunch of old (real, not made-up) baggage.
I am supporting Cain because I think he can *win*. I would like to see him teamed up with a very knowledgeable foreign-policy wonk, and Newt would fit that bill. I think Cain/Gingrich would be a winning ticket. Gingrich/Cain would likely not be.
Take a look at Reagans age when he ran before you determine a Candidate is “too old”.
That’s where I’m at...but only if Cain maintains and continues to ride the waves coming from his opposition. I think he’s “learning” how with Newt propping him up....and now others who saw he needed help out of the quagmire he was sinking in.
{snip}
How is Gingrich an improvement on Mitt Romney?
Hopefully Newt has changed, but I can’t help but wonder if Newt could lose the General Election after LMSM repeatedly brings out the fact that Newt cheated on his wives. Women don’t like that.
Having said that, at this point in time, Newt is Number 5 on my list.
I hate to say it but I think Newt would be a better president than Cain, and I would vote for him over cain.I dont mean to sound mean but Cain to me sounds like a dunce on alot of issues, mainly foreign policy. I know he’s a good conservative but dont think he’s presidential material(neither was obozo though so who knows).
His Leadership and ability to run an effective campaign is where I'm concerned. Also: Newt's scandals are real.
Cain has an infectious likability and ability to disarm people with humor that has not been seen in a candidate since Reagan. Cain is a leader with big-picture capacity, and Newt is more of a details man.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Honestly, I'd be satisfied with both of them on the ticket, with Gingrich serving as an analogue to Dick Cheney.
How about both of them on the ticket?
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