Posted on 01/29/2012 8:01:41 AM PST by TBBT
Five weeks ago, this might have been a game changer. Is this a case of too little, too late?
Atlanta businessman and former presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich Saturday night at a West Palm Beach Country Republican gathering after two months of wavering on whether he would offer his support to a fellow candidate.
The endorsement comes just three days before the crucial Florida primary, by far the largest state to vote so far in the GOP sweepstakes, and could help Gingrich energize tea party support. Gingrich campaign has flagged since his upstart, double-digit victory over front-runner Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primary a week ago.
“I had it in my heart and mind a long time ago” to endorse Gingrich, Cain said in a surprise appearance at the dinner. “Speaker Gingrich is a patriot, Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas, and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is … going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he’s going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America.”
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
The latest reporting about Santorum continues to suggest that he has no intentions of getting out. This bodes well for Romney. Santorum has no prayer, but the longer he stays in the more he guarantees a Romney victory. Certainly Santorum can't be delusional enough to think he can eventually win. So the question becomes, what's he angling for?
Much blame goes Newt's way. He blew it in the last two (critical) debates. For all his supposed debate prowess, his one weakness so far has been dealing with direct head to head spats with other candidates. If that continues, he'll not stand a chance.
My view - Romney is the weakest in a one on one match-up with Obama. I guess it shouldn't surprise - that given the options - the stupid party (GOP) would pick the worst alternative. If Romney wins the nomination - we'll be extremely lucky to unseat Obama. Will it be as bad as McCain? I don't know. Romney at least shows more fight and a willingness to get dirty than McCain. The bigger question is - if Romney should prevail, what exactly have we won? Obama lite?
HE WILL LOSE THE GENERAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My God, what are coming to.
holy cow. Im done for awhile. this makes me sick. I will prob. vote Romney but will send no money and will not have sign in front of house, no bumper sticker and absolutely no walking the trenches. I have no eagerness to wake up on election day and vote Romeny
Oh... The Cain endorsement is essentially meaningless. Whatever political capital he had has long since evaporated. The only endorsement that might have an impact at this point might be Palin’s and Santorum’s should he get wise and gets out. What Santorum is up to at this point is hard to discern. It’s hard to imagine that he’s in this to help Romney. But then again nothing would surprise.
Doesn’t matter if mitt wins fla. 50 delegates.
ga has 76 and newt will easily carry ga on super tues.
i’d like a newt win but it isn’t going to stop him if he does not win.
newt is pissed and he’s not going to give in to mittens. not ever.
Can you say early voting?? That’s the game changer in Florida.
The bigger question is - if Romney should prevail, what exactly have we won? Obama lite?If Romney wins we lose in the form ofa progressive who insisists his policies are "conservative".
In Gingrich's last two debates and the speech he just gave in Palm Beach FL, he talked about cutting taxes and regulations, repealing ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, and Sorbates-Oxley, getting rid of Obama’s “czars,” and even getting the Tenth Amendment in motion – all good.
But I haven't heard him say a word explicitly about CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING. Obama's multi-trillion-dollar drunken Marxist-Keynesian poli-psycho spending binge has taken the U.S. to the brink. Gingrich, PLEASE EMPHASIZE LESS GOVERNMENT. Don't talk so much about what our government can do (building the transcontinental railroad and going to the moon), talk about unleashing the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Talk about CUTTING GOVERNMENT! BY OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS!
Some of my thoughts about the last two debates:
1st FL debate: The Cain method of, "Just go to my website" doesn't work. The American people don't know all the ins and outs of this stuff and deserve a straightforward, hard-hitting, no-nonsense answer from Gingrich on these charges. Whether they're false or not, the American people deserve a clear, concise answer on WHY they're false, what the truth is, and then (if they're false) a sharp rebuke on the perpetrator(s) and a reiteration on the media's attempts to move the debate away from the REAL problem: Obama and the Dems.
2nd FL debate: I really think Gingrich could have done more to take the thunder away from Santorum and Romney (who really blasted Gingrich early on). Apparently Gingrich later said he was so surprised by Romney's dishonesty that he didn't know how to answer until he checked the facts later to be sure.
But I think Gingrich could have really fired back and launched some spot-on points about things like the trillion-dollar deficit, less, not more, government programs, etc. I think he probably missed his que right at the starting gate when Blitzer baited him into a swipe at Romney. In the past, Gingrich has successfully called the moderator on that kind of stuff. (He did later but not as effective.)
I'm actually wondering if Gingrich's handlers influenced him the last couple of debates to play a "prevent defense" (almost always fails) instead of putting on a full-court press (i.e. advised to defensively keep from losing instead of offensively going all out for the win).
I think Gingrich has missed the boat by not going after Romney’s allegations and not being more aggressive in attacking Romney’s issues.
Rasmussen:
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
South Carolina: Romney 35%, Gingrich 21%, Santorum 16%, Paul 16%
If Romney wins the nomination, I sit this one. No way in hell I vote for liberals and I don’t care what party they belong to. The GOP has merged with the democrats if this liberal ass manages to buy the nomination. How anyone can not see through this fake and fraud is beyond me. McCain was crammed down our throats and he lost, and the exact same thing will happen again. To hell with Mitt Romney and the horse he rode in on.
I agree about Newt blowing two debates and he can blame himself for the inept performance. But, the poll numbers were taken BEFORE Cain endorsement and BEFORE Sarah was all over foxnews. It may be a bit late because romney is carpetbombing Newt with goldman sachs/wall street money..
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/newt-blasts-carpetbombing-romney-112695.html
If Romney is the nominee, I will be writing in another candidate for POTUS.
The fact that he will not repeal Obamacare is enough to convince me.
I am thoroughly disgusted with the GOP Establishment.
If Romney is the GOP it marks the end of the Republican Party
Romney or Obama. Either way you vote, you’re a liberal.
Is GA a winner take all state? That same day, Newt wont even be on the ballot in VA.
Here’s a question:
If Newt wins in Florida, does “Queen Media” declare him the winner of all to come, as they would do for Romney?
If not, then why is it over if Romney wins?
Maybe Newt wins more states coming up who have not been blitzed by Romney’s negative ads. We know he has spent multi millions on the media campaign there.
Silly question- Is Florida that vital?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
South Carolina: Romney 35%, Gingrich 21%, Santorum 16%, Paul 16%
That poll was actually on the 16th. By the 18th-20th, every poll including Rasmussen had Gingrich in the lead.
I know that it is early yet and Newt intends to stay to the bitter end no matter what. However the elephant in the room question for JIM is:
What will FR do, IF and when the cardboard man wins the necessary delegates and becomes the chosen one?
Will Jim ask freepers to stay home in November?
“Oh... The Cain endorsement is essentially meaningless. Whatever political capital he had has long since evaporated. The only endorsement that might have an impact at this point might be Palin’s”
Unfortunately, Palin’s ‘net worth’ isn’t that much greater than Cain’s.
I think Santorum is still in at this point to help keep the conservative issues and especially the conservative social issues in view.
I think he believes that if he gets out too early, the issues and campaigns will quickly shift to, “I’m a fiscal conservative but a social liberal” two statements that would be essentially false coming from Gingrich and Romney.
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