National Review to Newt Gingrich: Drop out (NR- Drop Dead!)

WashPo ^ | 12--13-12 | Weiner

[VinL]

The National Review wants former House speaker Newt Gingrich to call it quits.

The GOP presidential candidate has long had an uneasy relationship with the mainstream conservative press in general and National Review in particular, and he will likely dismiss the editorial as “establishment” meddling.

The paper’s harsh assessment is likely the tip of the iceberg, however, and Gingrich will be forced to defend his own relevance going forward in the campaign — never a good place for a candidate to be.

“[Former Pennsylvania senator Rick] Santorum has won more contests than Gingrich (who has won only one), has more delegates, and leads him in the polls,” the conservative magazine’s editors write. “It is not clear whether Gingrich remains in the race because he still believes he could become president next year or because he wants to avenge his wounded pride: an ambiguity that suggests the problem with him as a leader.”

The magazine notes that when Gingrich led in polls, he urged Santorum to drop out.

It isn’t the first time the National Review board has come out against Gingrich.

In a December editorial, the magazine begged Republicans to “reject a hasty marriage” to the then-frontrunner, criticizing “his impulsiveness, his grandiosity, his weakness for half-baked (and not especially conservative) ideas.”

The magazine also published an editorial from Elliot Abrams, assistant secretary of state under President Reagan, saying “Gingrich was voluble and certain in predicting that Reagan’s policies would fail, and in all of this he was dead wrong.”

So this suggestion is not a huge departure.

Gingrich could point out that the poll analysis is wrong — were Gingrich (or Santorum) to drop out, polling shows it would only help former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney expand his lead...

[VinL]

Right. Your boy Romney has a problem now, right NR? He's losing Migh. If he doesn't go after Rick, Mitt loses. If he does pull a Fla on Rick, Newt rises. If Newt leaves, makes it so much easier to destroy the remaining anti-Romney.

[9YearLurker]

Yep, must be that Mitt wants Newt out.

[WalterSkinner]

..forcing Romney to fight a two-front war will result in his demise—ask Hitler...

[Josh Painter]

NRO’s argument that Newt should drop out is based on a fallacy. NRO says Newt should go because he has only won one primary. But Ron Paul has not won a single primary to date, so by that same logic shouldn’t Paul drop out before Newt does? NRO’s editorial makes no mention of Paul for that reason.

[LevinFan]

Actually, if neither newt or rick folds, the combination will give us romney. Someone needs to exit stage left.

[exist]

Newt should go to Arizona. Santorum to Michigan. Make Romney spread out his Hate Machine.

[writer33]

In el nomre del Padre y del Hijo y del Spirito. For those interested.

[Georgia Girl 2]

NR is just another schill for Romney. They want Newt out so Willard can finish off Rick.

[RitaOK]

Fete accompli. This is NOT about advancing little Ricky, that’s for sure. Checkmate.

[A. Morgan]

National Review is for the status quo candidate, Mitt Romney- Obama Lite. Both Obama and Romney are utopian politicians.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

NR has lost its way.
(and its mind)

[skaterboy]

the worm has turned...now calls for newt to drop out...after everyone yelled for ricky to drop out...but now the drop out folks must face their own logic and their own guy failing..fate is a fickle mistress..of course if ricky had dropped out..he wouldnt be ahead right now...

[throwback]

I think Santorum is turning into the “third way”. Not as aggressive as Newt, but more conservative than Romney, and just as electable as Romney. Newt and Rick don't represent the same subset of voters with no bleeding from Romney's group. What everybody thought was the model was probably too simple.

[NativeNewYorker]

I want to thank NR for confirming everything Newt has said about the prissy, easily frightened, GOP establishment.

[YukonGreen]

Just a part of the GOP Elite who think they are going to again pick our Republican candidate like they did McCain. Sorry, not this time around. Get together with Ann Coulter and maybe you can come up with another hair brain idea

[SoConPubbie]

I think Santorum is turning into the “third way”. Not as aggressive as Newt, but more conservative than Romney, and just as electable as Romney. Newt and Rick don't represent the same subset of voters with no bleeding from Romney's group. What everybody thought was the model was probably too simple.

There is only one glaring fault with your logic: The only thing inevitable about Mitt Romney, is his eventual loss to Obama if he is the nominee. There is no electability with Mitt.

That so called electability, is all Propaganda, bought and paid for by Mitt Romney and the GOP-E.

[Vigilanteman]

The electoral math, so far, still shows Santorum doing way better than Gingrich.

Seven reasons for Rick Santorum

1. Who has won the most states without the benefit of their own money, last election's organization or a billionaire casino sugar daddy?
   
2. Who is everybody's second choice when he isn't their first?
   
3. Who can get both the Romney people and the Gingrich people, who hate each other, to vote for him?
   
4. Who has the best record on immigration?
   
5. Who has the best plan for repealing ObamaCare? And is the only GOP candidate who didn't help write or approve legislation which helped spawn this fiasco?
   
6. Who has the best plan for expanding the American economy and strengthening American families?
   
7. Who is the closest thing we have to the "generic Republican" which polls show consistently beating Obama and is most likely to make the election about Obama's sorry record rather than about himself?

The key point is #3.

The libertarian cowboys supporting Gingrich or Ron Paul will be here shortly with their prepared cherry-picked links to focus on the 10% or so that Rick Santorum wasn't a pure conservative during his 14 years in congress.

Easy for them to say since neither of their guys ever won an election outside a safely conservative congressional district, something Santorum managed to do four times.

[JAKraig]

I don’t understand the logic of spreading out the vote.

If Newt, Rick and Ron all stay in then they will definitely split the vote but if that happens Rino Romney will go to the convention with the most votes and even in a brokered convention likely be the nominee.

If Santorum is the only alternative to Romney then he can beat Romney and go to the convention with the most delegates. It may still be a brokered convention but the most votes is likely to win. Eventually the supporters of lessor candidates will vote for the majority and tip the scales.

So, Newt, go home and let Rick win this one.

[sheikdetailfeather]

National Review has been in the tank for Romney and has no love for Santorum or Gingrich. Has been bashing Gingrich from day one. Newt was setup by the media (Fox) with questions about whether Santorum should drop out so they could get good soundbites to use later. He always answered the conservative vote is split with more conservatives running. NRO is just acting true to form. Stumping for Romney and bashing Gingrich.

[Cicero]

Interesting. There’s not a chance that the pundits at NR are actually going for Rick Santorum. Mitt Romney is still their guy, and has been for years.

The plan was that the various conservatives would split the vote, and that Romney would walk away with the electors. Now, why would they want Newt to drop out and maybe put Rick over the top?

I happen to like Rick better than Newt, because I think he is more reliable. But I don’t want to push Newt out of the race, not unless and until he’s ready to go. We’ve seen how this race can change suddenly as the voters suddenly shift to the other side of the boat. It’s dangerous to have only one conservative candidate left.

Still, I’m not sure what NR is thinking here. How would Newt dropping out help Romney? Do they still think he is the toughest guy to beat?