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Gingrich Hit Hard by Iowa Mailers
New York Times ^ | December 30, 2011 | Jeff Zeleny

Posted on 12/31/2011 8:43:11 PM PST by lbryce

A prevailing headline from Iowa has been the decline of Newt Gingrich, who attributes the fall in his standing to a barrage of negative advertisements from his Republican rivals and their allies. The criticism on television is pointed, but the attacks arriving by mail are even sharper and carry a far longer shelf life than a fleeting 30-second commercial.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” says a brochure that hit mailboxes this week. If the message wasn’t clear, another postcard declared, “Old Dog, Newt Tricks.”

For all the talk about the confidence of Mitt Romney in the days before the Iowa caucuses next week, his campaign continues to relentlessly hammer Mr. Gingrich. While Mr. Gingrich and his advisers concede that the negative messages have damaged his candidacy, not everyone on the receiving end of the mail agrees.

Kim Reem, a Republican activist from Cedar Rapids, has been saving some of her political mail for the past week for The New York Times. Much of it attacks Mr. Gingrich, a tactic she said has not been persuasive.

“I haven’t had a piece of Romney mail on Romney in quite some time,” Ms. Reem said. “I assume he is making such big tracks shredding on Newt that he has given up campaigning on his own merits.”

But a poll released Friday showed that Mr. Gingrich has lost more than half of his support. He was leading in the NBC News/Marist Poll conducted earlier this month, but currently is backed by only 13 percent of the voters surveyed. He is in a three-way tie with Rick Santorum (15 percent) and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas (14 percent).

“Romney’s negative mail campaign tells me he is afraid of Newt,” Ms. Reem said. “And he should be.

(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: decline; gingrich; iowa
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To: VanDeKoik

Santorum is ahead of Newt.

Newt is the one splitting votes, not the other way around.

Newt is splitting the Conservative vote.


21 posted on 12/31/2011 9:51:58 PM PST by BenKenobi (You know, you really need to break free of that Catholic mindset.- metmom)
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To: Yankee

When he wasn’t sitting on couches with Pelosi.

Going rogue? Sure. Going off the reservervation too...


22 posted on 12/31/2011 9:53:56 PM PST by BenKenobi (You know, you really need to break free of that Catholic mindset.- metmom)
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To: BenKenobi; HereInTheHeartland

Made me really lol. The political meme of 2012. Happy New Year!


23 posted on 12/31/2011 9:56:04 PM PST by lbryce (BHO:The bastard offspring of Satan and Medusa.)
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To: BunnySlippers

Yes. Having lived in CA awhile; I find those stupid as well.

Shallow thinking when people attempt to make a general statements about people based on geography or some other factor.


24 posted on 12/31/2011 9:56:53 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (I love how the FR spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "Obama")
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To: BenKenobi

Fine. Knock yourself out. Rick Santorum will be the President of Iowa because he goes nowhere after that.


25 posted on 12/31/2011 10:00:07 PM PST by Yankee (ANNOY THE RNC: NOMINATE NEWT GINGRICH!)
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To: potlatch
NEWT VOTED FOR THE LAUTENBERG LAW

An unconstitutional violation of the 2nd Ammendment

COME AND GET MY COLT .44-40 NEWT

26 posted on 12/31/2011 10:02:41 PM PST by devolve
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Agreed!

We are all one great USA ... except for some stupid idiots!

=:o)


27 posted on 12/31/2011 10:05:18 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: lbryce

Sometimes, a single, sincere, personal request for votes on the final night before election day can mean a lot. Gingrich needs to acknowledge (NOT whine or complain) that he’s been beaten up badly by Romney’s relentless negative campaign. He should even admit that maybe some of it is deserved. “But...” (And this is where Newt claims to be the genuine, believable conservative in the race. He promises he will not let us down. He smiles and humbly asks for our votes.)

Romney has gone negative because he has nothing to lose, and has nothing positive to say about himself that anyone would believe. Romney and the GOP establishment see Romney as this year’s Dole/McCain. They figure the mindless chattering class who starts to pay attention in the last few weeks before any election will shrug and say, “Yeah, okay... What the heck. Romney, I guess,” and vote for him.

The scumbag GOP establishment elite has no interest in promoting or fielding a genuinely exciting candidate - - like Ronald Reagan, for example - - because in the end, those simple animals just want to selfishly go along to get along.

Whatever. Personally, I WILL NOT vote for Romney. NO WAY will I reward the scumbag GOP establishment elite for their complicity in pushing Mittens down the party’s throat. No way. May God strike me dead if I vote for Mittens.


28 posted on 12/31/2011 10:20:53 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Yankee

Worth mentioning, Newt ran with Lee Atwater. Ed Rollins, Newt Gingrich and Lee Atwater were known as the 3 Amigos, and everyone feared them, even those that loved them.

Boy the way Glen Miller played
Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days.


29 posted on 12/31/2011 10:27:40 PM PST by papasmurf (I pledge to vote (R). How 'bout you?)
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To: BenKenobi
When he wasn’t sitting on couches with Pelosi.

He sat on the couch with "Bubba" Clinton, too. When Clinton got up, he was missing half his a$$. There is a method to his madness, and it has proven successful in the past. Rick is a great guy, but he's not quite ready for prime time. He would be a fantastic asset for Pres. Gingrich.

30 posted on 12/31/2011 10:31:31 PM PST by papasmurf (I pledge to vote (R). How 'bout you?)
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To: BenKenobi

4th per tonight’s Des Moines Register poll.


31 posted on 12/31/2011 10:43:08 PM PST by CainConservative ( Newt/Rubio 2012 with Cain, Bolton, Santorum, Perry, Watts, Duncan, & Bachmann in Newt's Cabinet)
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To: lbryce

Tuesday in Iowa will go..

1. Santoru-boooom
2. Willard the Lib
3. Racist Ronnie
4. Speaker Newt

^ ALL FOUR MOVE ON ^

5. Ravishing Rick ..drops out to keep Texas #1
6. Michele My Belle ..drops out to keep Minnesota ummm... I don’t know.. #38?


32 posted on 12/31/2011 10:52:35 PM PST by CainConservative ( Newt/Rubio 2012 with Cain, Bolton, Santorum, Perry, Watts, Duncan, & Bachmann in Newt's Cabinet)
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To: Lancey Howard

Oh brother. He played the crying game the other day. If that staged performance didn’t change people’s minds, nothing will. Go Santorum!!!


33 posted on 12/31/2011 11:04:22 PM PST by napscoordinator (Happy New Year's! The Year the Nightmare is OVER!!!!!)
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To: CainConservative

I love it. the only question is, how will Michelle seriously do. I am not convinced that Iowa won’t provide her some support for being born there and winning the AIMS whatever it was. Keep in mind they want that AIMS thing recognized and not see it going to a “loser” at the caucus.

I believe it will go like this:
Santorum
Romney
Bachmann
Paul
Perry
Newt
Huntsman


34 posted on 12/31/2011 11:08:44 PM PST by napscoordinator (Happy New Year's! The Year the Nightmare is OVER!!!!!)
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To: napscoordinator

Yeah, I’m with you. I am proud to have voted for Santorum three times for Senator, and I would love the opportunity to vote Santorum for President. Go, Rick!


35 posted on 12/31/2011 11:11:23 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: napscoordinator

By the way, Iowa sure is getting a lot of extra attention this year.
Didn’t Mike Huckabee win this Iowa “caucus” thing last year?


36 posted on 12/31/2011 11:16:35 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: napscoordinator

If Newt came in 6th, it would break my heart and 81.4% of the folks at this site.

: (

I kinda think (and pray) he comes in 4th to fight it out in SC, the Decider State : )


37 posted on 12/31/2011 11:21:13 PM PST by CainConservative ( Newt/Rubio 2012 with Cain, Bolton, Santorum, Perry, Watts, Duncan, & Bachmann in Newt's Cabinet)
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To: Lancey Howard

Yep, and then Huck got blown out by McCain in South Carolina! A complete bloodbath. Oh, wait..

McCain 33%
Huckabee 30%
Thompson 16%
Romney 15%
Paul 4%


38 posted on 12/31/2011 11:28:13 PM PST by CainConservative ( Newt/Rubio 2012 with Cain, Bolton, Santorum, Perry, Watts, Duncan, & Bachmann in Newt's Cabinet)
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To: Lancey Howard

Fast Freddy Thompson (McCain’s buddy) was kind of a spoiler in ‘08 SC.


39 posted on 12/31/2011 11:31:30 PM PST by CainConservative ( Newt/Rubio 2012 with Cain, Bolton, Santorum, Perry, Watts, Duncan, & Bachmann in Newt's Cabinet)
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To: lbryce
Gingrich, Gerson, and Sharia
40 posted on 12/31/2011 11:32:07 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade, There are only two sides. Pick one.)
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