Posted on 02/29/2012 6:32:44 PM PST by Red Steel
Apparently against steep odds, Newt Gingrich has been trying to expand his Georgia political base north into Tennessee.
The Republican presidential candidate, who has a wide lead in Georgia in two recent polls, is striving for a strong showing in the Volunteer State.
It, like Georgia, is one of 11 states with primaries or caucuses on Tuesday, and its 58 delegates are the third-biggest prize up for grabs.
Of the “Super Tuesday” states, only Georgia, with 76 delegates, and Ohio, with 66, are more delegate-rich.
Gingrich, a former Georgia congressman and House speaker, has largely written off Ohio in favor of a push in Tennessee.
It’s next to Georgia, and that lets him campaign in both states while conserving time and money.
“We take Tennessee as seriously as we do Georgia,” said Gingrich spokeswoman Susan Meyers. “It is a strategic player in the map for Super Tuesday.”
Meyers said Gingrich has three paid staffers in Tennessee and hundreds of volunteers. He has campaign offices in Franklin and Chattanooga, just across the border from Georgia.
He conducted a health care roundtable Monday in Nashville, which Meyers described as “a big health care hub” in the South.
“We believe that will be a strong plus for him,” she said.
He held a fundraiser in Chattanooga on Tuesday and has been campaigning with a key supporter, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who briefly sought the GOP nomination in 2008.
On Monday, Gingrich said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, far ahead in a new Tennessee poll, sided with unions in a dispute involving Memphis-based FedEx.
Tennessee is one of three states where Gingrich has run a half-hour TV ad touting his plan for energy independence and lower gas prices.
Meanwhile, an independent pro-Gingrich group is running anti-Romney ads in the Nashville area. The Associated Press has reported that the group just got a multi-million dollar infusion of cash from billionaire casino operator Sheldon Adelson.
Demonstrating the relative ease of hop-scotching back and forth between the states, Gingrich stumped in Tennessee Tuesday morning before leaving to begin a Georgia bus tour. It began in Dalton, about 33 miles from Chattanooga.
“We believe Tennessee voters will come out to vote for Newt next week as they identify most with his southern, conservative values,” Meyers said.
But he apparently has a long way to go — and not much time.
A new Vanderbilt University poll showed his support in the state at just 10 percent. He trailed Santorum, who had 33 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had 17 percent.
Santorum is due to campaign today in Knoxville, and his supporters in the state held rallies last week.
Romney has campaigned little in Tennessee but has the support of much of the state’s GOP leadership.
Vanderbilt political science professor John Geer, co-director of the poll, said Gingrich has a steep hill to climb.
“The bottom line,” Geer said, “is that he is doing poorly here, and I do not see how he can win the state at this point.”
Geer said Romney, who “was doing better in the final days of the polling,” might move up if he did well enough in Tuesday’s contests in Michigan and Arizona.
“This is a very fluid race with lots of ‘don’t knows’ and ‘none of the aboves,’” he added.
Vanderbilt political scientist Gertrude Conaway, co-director of the poll, offered a similar assessment.
“Herman Cain was the frontrunner in November,” Conaway said, referring to an earlier Vanderbilt survey, “and he’s not even in the race anymore.”
Gingrich has said a win in Georgia and a good showing in Tennessee might give him an opening if Romney or Santorum stumble badly.
“And I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people by how well we do in Tennessee,” Meyers
I hope Meyers is right about Tennessee.
Prayers up for Newt!
Forget it. Newt has no chance in Tn.
Newt will get my write in here in BS VA.
GO NEWT GO!
I EARLY voted and NEWT got mine.
He’s made it from 10 to 13 in the last week. Six more in the next week will tie him for 2nd with Romney, twenty points behind what Santorum has at the moment.
He’s made it from 10 to 13 in the last week. Six more in the next week will tie him for 2nd with Romney, twenty points behind what Santorum has at the moment.
Come on Newt.
Prayers for Newt and America.
Many of the Santorum supporters here tonight seemed to be under the impression that states like Ohio are winner take all, and Rick is gonna get all these delegates. Are they ever going to be shocked.
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