Via Reuters, yes, I'd say Newt's campaign is very much in doubt, alright. Now, he'll only hurt his reputation with many in the base if he remains in the race...
"This really was his last chance to show whether he had the ability to win," said Natalie Davis, professor of political science at Birmingham Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. "If he can't win in Alabama ... he really can't win anywhere. This was his last stand and he lost."
...I backed Newt after Perry dropped and didn't turn on him after he imploded in Florida, while also having a terrible debate. I've been content to watch it play out, not hitting either him, or Santorum. But all Newt can be from here on is a spoiler.
The bottom-line is, whether you back him, or not, Santorum has won himself the right to go one-on-one with Romney and settle things cleanly and once and for all. Not only will Newt begin to lose more and more friends across the conservative base by staying in - they'll see it as his ego and Adelson's money keeping him in - he's likely to begin performing worse and worse, only making it all the worse for him.
By losing as he did last night, he proved he can't win much of anywhere. His candidacy is not viable. The only honorable move left for Newt is to drop out. Do the right thing, Newt. Enough GOP primary voters have spoken that, in my opinion, the best thing Newt can do now is to show some respect for them.
What's been fascinating about Santorum's rise is that he's done it even though Gingrich (and earlier, other conservatives) split the base's vote.
Romney's problem is that he abandoned the base from the start. That doesn't seem to me to be a viable plan to win the primary, much less the general.
Related:
• In defense of Rick Santorum.
• Rick Santorum for President.
5 comments:
This attitude seems to be more or less a consensus, but -- respectfully -- in my opinion I don't think Speaker Gingrich is trying to be a spoiler OR to get the nomination, even though I'm sure he'd like to. I think he's just having a good time pissing people off, and as a person who enjoys having a good time as well as pissing people off, I have to applaud that! He's going to sell a lot of books and other opportunities are going to come his way whether he is nominated or not. There is in my opinion no "duty" owed to anyone. Because of Gingrich, Sen Santorum and Gov Mickles need to mind their Ps and Qs in this race. Why is that a bad thing?
I'm not deliberately ignoring Rep Paul, just saving him for last. This is the person everyone should be begging to get out of the GOP race, but no one is. Why is that? Is it because his fans are so damned obnoxious that people fear them? (That's a serious question.) Paul has never had a chance of winning the US presidency, and in fact I believe he runs for president so he can rake in donations to fuel his re-election. Ignore this at your peril!
@Scarlett - the reason I ignore Paul is that he's a kook.
Many of his admirers are well-meaning libertarians.
But a bunch are also college kids bent on legalizing drugs. And they're not going to vote for a Republican anyhow.
Directorblue,
don't forget that Paulin voters are also the type most likely to vote 3rd party and guarantee a second NObama apocalypse.
"Romney's problem is that he abandoned the base from the start."
HOW!?
BY BEING TOUGHER ON IMMIGRATION THAN NEWT AND RICK?
BY BEING TOUGHER ON EARMARKS?
BY BEING TOUGHER ON THE AUTO-BAILOUTS?
BY BEING ENDORSED BY ISSA AND THUNE AND AYOTTE AND MCDONNELL AND ODONNELL AND HALEY AND BOLTON AND NUGENT?
BY NOT BEING AN INSIDE THE BELTWAY LOBBYIST?
SHEESH.
NONE OF THESE GUYS ARE PURE OR PERFECT CONSERVATIVES AND NONE ARE MORE RELIABLY CONSERVATIVE THAN ANY OTHER.
ONLY MITT HAS THE BIZ EXPERIENCE AND THE EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE AND CAN RAISE THE MONEY NEEDED TO DEFEAT OBAMA.
AND MITT HAS CONSISTENTLY OUTPOLLED NEWT AND RICK VERSUS OBAMA.
END OF STORY.
LUVYA!
No Reliapundit, Mitt is just not a conservative, end of story. McCain was not conservative enough for the right so many didn't vote for him, we can not afford for that big problem to happen again with Mitt. Centrists are not what we need right now, certainly ones that couldn't even beat McCain in the last goat roping the GOP held.
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