Posted on 04/11/2012 2:14:04 AM PDT by iowamark
Newt Gingrich pledged to stay in the race for the Republican presidential nod, even as Rick Santorum suspended his campaign on Tuesday.
“I am committed to staying in this race all the way to Tampa so that the conservative movement has a real choice,” Gingrich said in a statement released after Santorum’s announcement in Gettysburg, Pa.
Gingrich, whose campaign is carrying roughly $4.5 million in debt, immediately began trying to use Santorum’s exit as a fundraising vehicle, adding a banner to the front of his website declaring him the “last conservative standing.”
“I humbly ask Senator Santorum’s supporters to visit Newt.org to review my conservative record and join us as we bring these values to Tampa,” Gingrich said in his statement. “We know well that only a conservative can protect life, defend the Constitution, restore jobs and growth and return to a balanced budget.”
But in recent weeks, Gingrich was forced to dramatically scale back his campaign operations and slash much of his staff after winning just two primaries since the GOP race began — his former home state of Georgia and neighboring South Carolina.
Santorum, in contrast, won 11 primary states and was clearly seen as the leading conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, who has now all but officially clinched the GOP nod.
But Gingrich continues to doggedly pursue his long-shot campaign — he was in North Carolina on Tuesday while his wife, Callista, held events in New York — and has told reporters that he sees no reason to drop out while he can still push Romney to the right and influence the party’s platform at this summer’s convention.
It’s not even clear that the former House speaker will be eligible for nomination at the convention; GOP rules require winning five primaries. Gingrich has dismissed the rule as a technicality and an attempt by the establishment to ensure Romney’s nomination.
Even before Santorum’s exit, Herman Cain, the former presidential candidate and Gingrich supporter, signaled on Tuesday he was ready to fall in line behind Romney.
“I have always said I will support whoever the nominee is and it looks like Mitt Romney’s going to be that nominee, and we do need to get behind him,” Cain said Tuesday morning on Fox News. “I remind people all the time, … ‘Keep your eye on the mission.’ And the mission is to get control of the Senate, maintain control of the House and defeat Barack Obama. That means get behind the nominee so yes, I’m ready to get behind the nominee.”
>>Romney’s court appointees may be no better than obama’s.<<
“Maybe, but liberal for sure with BO.”
I made the comment based on Romney’s previous appointments and his numerous positions on everything from gun ownership to abortion. I believe he will use judicial appointments to tout to and placate moderates and liberals as he has in the past. I know what obama will appoint but it is really bad that any of us would have doubts about what kind of appointments a Republican President would make.
Perhaps I’m wrong, but in Kentucky, I don’t believe Rick’s votes will count. Huckabee did this in 2008 and I found out my vote for him in Kentucky did not count. I made a phone call to my local elections office and that’s exactly what I was told. I was pissed off to the nth degree to say the least.
I don’t believe that Newt influenced Rick’s decision to drop out.
I do believe that he affected the course of the primary race, however, and that if he were not in the running, we would have had a different outcome that doesn’t involve a Massachusetts liberal.
Thank you very much, my FRiend!
Same to you.
Re; post suspensiom announcement votes
They can’t discard your vote it must be recorded.. Now if that candidate carries that district and also his delegates in states where you vote for delegates carry in that district I believe with emphasis on believe they have to seat them .
Where a cadidate withdraws that may be a different story
Newt bump
Its gonna need to be a great deal more than that.
They arent going to listen, true though it is.
Sorry, I meant its going to have to be 90%+ defecting to Newt for the Gingrich to stand any chance. Looks to me like Conservative morale is crumbling if 50% santorum supporters are going to Romney.
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