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Evan Vucci / AP
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, center, and his wife Callista, tour the Wilheit Packaging factory on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 in Gainesville, Ga.
Newt Gingrich's political career is coming full circle: The state that nourished his rise to House speaker could strike a fatal blow to his presidential ambitions — even by his own admission.
The former Georgia congressman has acknowledged that a loss in this state's Super Tuesday primary would severely cripple his campaign. He's betting he can make another comeback in Georgia and a series of Southern primaries during the next two weeks in a go-for-broke strategy to outlast his opponents and seize upon conservative unease with Mitt Romney.
"I really believe we're going to win the Georgia primary and win it decisively. That is the key building block that we have to have to move forward in the presidential campaign," Gingrich said at the Georgia statehouse Wednesday, stopping short of saying he would drop out if he loses here.
He has had perhaps the most topsy-turvy campaign of any Republican, nearly imploding last year and then rising in Iowa before facing millions of dollars' worth of negative attacks that weakened his campaign. He rebounded to win South Carolina's primary on Jan. 21, but he has since been on a long losing streak, falling far behind in the hunt for delegates.
Recommended: Santorum: 'We were able to pull off the impossible' in MI
The comeback plan is fairly simple: Win Georgia and make a strong showing in neighboring Tennessee, Oklahoma and Ohio, thus picking up enough delegates in the process to compete with Romney and Rick Santorum. He then hopes to pivot to Mississippi and Alabama on March 13 and stay in contention for large-delegate contests in Texas and California.
All bets may be off with a loss in Georgia.
"If he doesn't win in Georgia, where does he win?" said Merle Black, an Emory University political scientist. "In order to have a Southern strategy, he first has to have a Georgia strategy."
Low on cash, Gingrich's cause has been aided by outside group Winning Our Future, a super PAC backing the campaign that recently received another multimillion-dollar injection from Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson. The fresh funding bankrolled a large ad buy in states crucial to Gingrich's strategy.
Gingrich boosters say Georgia and other states on the upcoming primary map share many characteristics with South Carolina, giving him a chance to rebound. With Romney facing questions among conservatives, the new ads on the air and a long slate of primaries ahead, Gingrich may have little incentive to exit.
"With Santorum's decline, I believe, Newt will re-emerge as the anti-establishment candidate with a record of economic success," said Rick Tyler, a senior adviser to Winning Our Future and a former Gingrich aide. "The upcoming states are receptive to him and his message."
Gingrich's campaign evokes an underdog mentality. At rallies, aides blast Rick Derringer's 1980s song "Real American" — otherwise known as wrestler Hulk Hogan's anthem — to pump up the crowd. The song's refrain: "Fight for what's right — fight for your life!"
Right now, it all hinges on Georgia.
At rallies across the state, the campaign has cut out gas buckets to collect small donations, a reference to the energy plan Gingrich says would reduce gas prices to $2.50 a gallon. Gingrich routinely asks supporters to distribute leaflets at gas stations to spread the message and urges people to type "Newt (equals) $2.50 a gallon" in their Facebook status lines.
Although he lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Gingrich has played up his local ties, making stops at the University of West Georgia, where he taught geography and history during the 1970s, and the Georgia Statehouse, where he was joined Wednesday by dozens of legislators wearing buttons that read, "I'm in Newt's Army."
Gingrich routinely criticizes President Barack Obama's policies but has sought to play up Romney's connections to the wealthy. On Wednesday, he accused Romney of receiving substantial donations from people benefiting from the Wall Street bailout. "What you get with Romney is just money. It's just Wall Street pouring money in to try to buy the election," Gingrich said.
Gingrich has led in recent polling in Georgia but faces plenty of hurdles. It has been more than a decade since he represented suburban Atlanta, and a significant portion of the state's population may have little memory of his time in government.
With so many delegates at stake — Georgia holds the most delegates of any Super Tuesday state — Romney and Santorum are not expected to concede the state. Both are expected to visit before Tuesday. And a win in Georgia is unlikely to give Gingrich a clean sweep of the state's 76 delegates to the GOP convention.
Under party rules, Georgia has three delegates for each of its 14 congressional districts. If a candidate wins a majority of votes in those districts, that candidate gets all three of the district's delegates. But if a candidate wins by less than 50 percent, the first-place finisher gets two delegates and the runner-up is awarded a single delegate.
Three Georgia GOP party leaders — the party chair and its national committeeman and committeewoman — are automatically awarded to the statewide winner. The remaining 31 at-large delegates are allocated proportionately among any candidates who get more than 20 percent of the statewide vote.
"I think he's pulling it together," said GOP strategist Matt Towery, a former Gingrich campaign aide. "The question is: Has the train left the station?"
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Watching the Republican primaries is like watching four guys play pick-up basketball without a hoop. I don't think I've ever seen four less capable contenders. Is this really the best the Republicans have got?
Wake me when it's over.
Would someone put a fork in his fat a**, he 's done but wants to stay on the "Barbee" a little longer. Newt's run is never gonna get any more impressive, all he is doing is delaying the inevitable...Stop wasting your money ya goob.
What is it with you shallow, simple people who are so hung up on a candidate's looks? If you disagree with Newt's proposed solutions for our country's problems, why can't you just state your disagreements without making remarks about his looks? Have you not considered his proposed solutions? Have you not compared his prioritized solutions with the other candidates (including Pres. Obama) priorities? Apparently you have not or his looks would not be so significant to you.
The GOP is not freedom.
Yup, that's their best. Probably an improvemnt over Bush and McCain-and Reagan.
is this jacka$$ Blingrich still in the race????.......sheesh!
There is NO logical reason for any ordinary American Citizen to vote for any Republican.
We see the "Ryan Plan" which robs American Senior Citizens of both Social Security and Medicare, we see Republicans constantly calling for the repeal of quality health care for all Americans, we see Grover Nordquist waiting on the side lines for someone to come in and sign everything HE wants which is all contrary to what the American People need, and we see (and hear) Republicans tell us that, whether we like it or not, Republicans are going to stick the American Workers with the full cost of that Lie Called the War in Iraq while Republicans give the Rich a full, clear, and complete pass, and while American Workers' wages remain stagnant.
Obama / Biden 2012
Newt we are on to you!! We know you and your plastic looking wife are pod people sent to this planet to destroy all life so that your race of silver haired, gelatinous bodied, lizard people can repopulate it. But unfortunately for you and your wife whose name sounds like a venereal disease, Santorum's planet of toe-headed imbeciles also sent him to earth to destroy all humanity using statements so stupid they actually melt our brains.And then there is Romney whose church comes right out and admits they are aliens from another planet, and their plan is even more insidious and involves magic underwear and the Osmonds.
deprogrammer, you get my vote! Tell it like it is, Baby!
Can I post it as my Facebook Status?
Gingrich is staking is entire campaign on Georgia? No offense to the proud residents of the great state of Georgia, but WTF? Has this all been a huge practical joke by Newt?
The entire GOP is a joke, it would be really funny if they didn't have 2/3 of our government in a choke hold.
@Sailcat#2.3: You've stumbled onto a narrow miss. While not a joke, the republican hierarchy did in fact, encourage Newt to get into this race. Think their "crazy base", tea party, birthers, racists, etc. Newt was supposed to bring them along in a more acceptable and interpretable narrative, gain enough delegates to force inclusion of that narrative at the convention, then deliver them to Mr. Romney. Problem though, just after the get go, was the weakness of Romney, and the scrappy strength of the "nuts Nut", Mr Santorum. Their fallback was, at the outset, Mr. Perry. That didn't work out so well though. The republican hierarchy both hate and fear the growing strength of the democrats in general and the President in particular. Truth is, that hierarcy committed a gargantuan misjudgement of the temperment and position of It's own base. Gingrich remains very likely to win Georgia on super tuesday, but that will be all. Tennessee will likely go big for Santorum. Gingrich, unable to do what the party meant for him to do is now irrelevant. Their conundrum yet remains though. What to do about Santorum? Can they find a way to fuse His delegates with Romneys candidacy against the President in the general, in such a way that it strengthens Romney? Regards
An excellent synopsis of Newt's campaign and the strategy of the GOP in this race, Mac. Semi-controlled crash and burn.
Newt's wife looks like The Penguin in the Batman movie.
Could Gingrich please just go away, take his plastic bimbo along? America sorely needs a leader at this time. We have tried an apologetic ess kisser, a hot, dry Texas blowhard, a redneck playboy - what we need now is a MAN who will work by and respect the constitutional description of the President's duties and responsibilities, and has a vision to put the country back on its feet. So far, I have not heard anything from any of the candidates or the "apologist in chief" that says any of them are up to the job.
The ONLY job Gingrich will ever be up for is a b.j. - anywhere, anytime, provided it's for free.
Of course, President Obama is a Constitutional Scholar and a man of integrity (one wife, lovely family, common man's needs at heart, brilliant strategy in the face of obnoxious obstruction, etc. etc, did I say bin Laden bin dead?). Perhaps your glasses are fogged by the blowhards of the right.
they are so out of touch with america its not even funny anymore...we dont want a whore for first lady...period....he has one of the worst records in both ethics and policy and also to quote newt himself.....they are not good looking enough to be POTUS
Newt hasd just as much political experience or more than the other candidates. He is good at debating. He destroyed his chances with all that rhetoric. Some of the stuff that can out of his mouth was unbelievable. As a former speaker of the house you would think he knows the game of politics and would have kept those stupid comments to himself. "Food Stamp President" really Newt!
Newt is really not that good at debating. He is good at whipping a bigoted crowd into a frenzy with a combination of hateful, inaccurate, and essentially meaningless statements, with just enough big words thrown in so his less that erudite fans will think he is intelligent. Newt's time has passed.
"Newt is really not that good at debating."
You got it. He's good at debating when he's up against the 3rd stringers. Bill Clinton kicked his ass all over the country in 1996. Newt is a wanna-be, has been, NEVER was.
Newt, please leave GA and go home to your moon base with plastic Barbie and work on your open marriage scheme. Leave America alone
Newt is by far and away the most intellegient of all the candidates running. That is easily seen by his responses in the debates that are head and heels above all the other candidates. The only time in recent history that this country has had a balanced budget was when Newt was in the House of Rep. All funding bills start in the House! Some of the pitiful liberals that comment time after time(such as moonbaseGOP) evidently don't have a job that amounts to anything. The Democratic party is the party of irresponsibility. They are people who want to go through life not being responsible for their actions. That is seen clearly on issues such as welfare, birth control, and abortion, just to mention a few. To them, life is all about"me" and what "I" want. To heck with everyone else. They want to let someone who has went out and started a business and made a living pay everything they make to support them in taxes. Newt is a college history professor who knows what happens when countries take actions that effect other countries. We need someone who knows history and how to deal with those problems in a manner that will have the least repercussions for our country in the world. Also, we would live in a completely different world if it were not for the technology advances made by our space program. That program has paid for itself many times over in the new products manufactured by our businesses. Yes, Newt has made some poor choices in his personal life, however, I want someone in office that can make the right decision in a time of crisis, can get this country back to work, and reduce this federal debt.
Just more proof that intelligence has nothing to do with common sense.
poveryridgekid
"Yes, Newt has made some poor choices . . . ." AND HE REMAINS A POOR CHOICE.
If you were to stop watching FOX for one day and do some research for yourself you will find quite the opposite than what you posted. Your hysterical rants about liberals and the Democrats is way off base. The liberals and Democrats BUILT this nation, save it from TWO world wars, gave people Social Security and Medicare, kept this country going during the great depression, don't forget the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hoover Damn were both built during the depression. Check out who raised the debt more the Democrats or Republicans and you'll be quite surprised to find out the answer. You're a very ignorant person who hasn't a clue yet you post as if you're informed to which I can say with quite certainty you are not. Its not simply a coincidence that the great depression and the more recent great recession came after Republican administrations, don't you find that a little odd?
Newt Gingrich Is ‘A Stupid Man’s Idea Of What A Smart Person Sounds Like’
If you check your dates, Newt left the house two years before the balanced budget. It was not a "conservative" solution, or even a lasting one. It was "conservative" idiology that brought the house down when Bush was elected. Since the same house, controlled by right wing conservatives, relaxed regulations and freed banks to charge any interest rates they wanted, consumer protection be damned.
This is the "most intelligent" man running...? He is a complete hypocrite, intelligent enough to wait 12 years before throwing his hat back into the political ring. Intelligent enough to think all of us would forget what type of politician he was when, he was asked to leave the house.
Problem is....economists will tell you that the president has little immediate effect on the economy. It takes approximately 8-10 years for the effects of presidential policy to kick in across the country (execepting of course major dissaster responses and things like the ridiculous pork of Obama's stimilus free for all) The policies of Reagan's presidency were finally in full force when Pres. HW Bush took office and kept going well into Clintons time in office. Clinton's policies took effect at the end of his second term and things were on the slide even then. Then GW Bush took office, and was already dealing with the Clinton record (and the start of todays mortgage crisis, from Clinton Era policies), then 9/11 hit. We were lucky that little side bar didn't throw us right into a depression. Then by the end of Bush 43's second term, some of his bad choices were finally showing effect, but Congress's continual lack of positive action also showed up as well. Leaving Obama with a mess that he promply made 100x's worse by trying to be the black knight rushing to the rescue (except he brought all the wrong tools, and ideologies)
We can't take four more years of Obama's cradle to grave policies. In four more years his record will kick in and we will all be the worse for it. We need someone with a head for business. Someone that understands what makes America great, and is PROUD OF THAT!!! We need someone with a moral compass without a broken needle. And we need someone that thinks American are capable of great things.
Of the choices we have today....Romney is by far our best hope. He may not be a perfect candidate. He may not excite people to fainting like Obama did in 2008, but that is not the job of the president. The president is supposed to be a leader who knows how to get things done. Romney's record shows he can do that.
The man is simply delusional. If he still thinks he has some roots in Georgia, we need to pull some weeds.
Yes you liberals are right, of course. O'Bummer will win this fall by a landslide. This country will continue to spiral down on its course of moral depravity and sinfulness. In a couple of years we will be just like Greece. We will not only be financially bankrupt, but spiritually bankrupt. Satan is now winning, but Christ will have the last WORD!
Wow, claiming to be a person of "Christ" and you spew all that hate? This country is better off without people like yourself, you mask your racism and hate behind a made up religion and expect people to take you serious. What is it you see as "sinfulness" and "moral depravity"? I'm curious what it is that crosses your mind, if anything.
povertyridgekid,
What's more depraved? A country that is looking out for the best interests of ALL it's citizens, or the one where corporations have all the rights? It will be perfectly legal to destroy people to make a buck? Oh, wait, that's what happened under BUSH!!!!
I'm hoping that the people of Georgia will want to avoid more embarrassment and send this liar, adulterer home for good. His head is big enough for two people and he doesn't know when he's not wanted.
Newt=$7.25/gallon.
Obama/Biden 2012!
This debate means nothing. Newt is last century's news and his presidential bid is going nowhere.
Newt just like your lack of morals and integrity, your run for the Presidency is a joke. Bet your selling a lot of books and video's, to all your fan's that share your moral compass.
The Las Vegas multi-billionaire is keeping Newt in the race so Romney can win. It has everything to do with Romney being the Repub nominee and nothing to do with Newt. This is how Newt is making a living at the moment. It will be interesting to see what he does after the primary is over. The Republican primary race is fixed. Santorum could possibly beat Romney, but GinricK is there to split the ultra- conservative vote. SUCKERS!!!!
The 80-yr-old rich guy in Vegas who wants us in a war with Israel against Iran (and Palestine) has bought the Repub campaign. If I fell for this I would have to admit that I was just plain ridiculously ignorant and not able to use common sense!
hummbird-3359530
When are the Washington D.C. cops goanna release the video they have of Newt getting himself a b.j. from a hooker in his rented Lincoln Town Car? The fight started after he tried to give her an autographed copy of one of his books, rather than the twenty-bucks they'd negotiated.
Newt even cheats on hookers!
Thought we got rid of Newt and Madonna about 15 years ago...
I guess by the activity on this string...no one really cares what Gingrich does.
No matter which puppet is chosen, there is one thing that we can depend on. He will sell-out America. He will be a traitor. He will work for a foreign and very alien power that is absolutely determined to completely destroy America. For example, the greatest financial crime in history recently occurred when Moody’s and Standard & Poors gave Goldman-Sachs derivatives “AAA” ratings. Clearly the Ponzi Scheme derivatives did not even deserve “junk” rating. It was obviously criminal to outright lie and give them “AAA” ratings. The criminals absconded with hundreds of trillions of dollars, and lavished trillions on their co-conspirators (congressmen). This gang is far more organized than the Mafia under Al Capone, and is far more destructive to America. The gangsters have complete control of the political system in America today. They own both houses of congress and the executive branch. Members of this organized crime family sit at the heads of almost all important government agencies, including the attorney general. They all swear their allegiance to a foreign and hostile power that hates America with a passion. In every sense of the word, including legally, they are all traitors, except Ron Paul. Naturally the one honest guy does not have a chance in a completely corrupt system.
How sweet! AstroNewt's tie matches hoochie mama's dress. I love the color blue !!!
Ok, if he doesn't come in first, by a fairly decent margin, will he pack up mama and leave for the moon forthwith?
I mean, if he can't his business handled in Georgia, he ain't get it handled anywhere. Wouldn't the GOP, or maybe Santorum, ask that he exit the stage, QUIETLY !!!
No one is looking at the key issue. How are book sales doing?
May Georgia republicans be covered in Santorum!
I remember Gingrich's 'Contract with America.' Oh sure, that worked! That and Reagan's 'trickle down theory' are two of the worst punishments put on the american people of all political leanings.
Oh no, don't tell me the Newt is looking to Georgia to save face. Is THIS our native son? CRINGE!
He won South Carolina, and now hopes to win Georgia. Somebody call Mayflower for me.