In conservative swath, Gingrich's personal, professional baggage gives some Republicans pause

Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich speaks to the media outside the Idlewild Baptist Church January 29, 2012 Lutz, Florida.

By The Associated Press

Newt Gingrich's personal and political baggage is giving even the most hard-core Republicans pause in a conservative swath of the state.
"Not Gingrich" is how Annette Purvis says she plans to vote. "I've never liked Gingrich. Never. Never in the history of Gingrich."
She's turned off by what she calls his moral and ethical issues. He's been divorced twice, is an admitted adulterer and was the first House speaker to be reprimanded by his colleagues for ethical misconduct. All that has Purvis, a 49-year-old wife and mother from Laurel Hill near the Alabama border, looking elsewhere. "I'll probably do Romney," she adds, her hesitation apparent.
Marty Upfield, a 64-year-old retiree from Pensacola, seems equally uneasy with Gingrich. She, too, pointed to Gingrich's political record and personal background as a problem. She's considering voting for Mitt Romney, who she says isn't conservative enough, even though her political views are more in line with Gingrich's positions.

"But it is about trust," says Upfield. "I need to have a little more certainty that he's changed in some ways."
This deep reluctance to back Gingrich was voiced by many of the dozen and a half people interviewed last week in this city in the Florida Panhandle that borders the Gulf of Mexico to the south and west and Alabama to the north. Gingrich's past, it seemed, was heavily influencing decisions about who to back. Many said they were resigned to choosing Romney.
In one of the most conservative parts of the state, many of those interviewed said they see their political philosophy more in line with Gingrich — who led the GOP revolution that took control of the House in 1994 — than with Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who in the past has espoused more moderate positions on social issues. But many also said they're considering voting for Romney, or already did during the state's early voting period, because they fear that Gingrich's history — both personally and professionally — will hurt him in a general election match up against President Barack Obama.
"I really like him. He's one of the finest speakers. He's got fantastic memory and recall," said Tim Fuller of Gingrich.
But Fuller, 68, and wife Vicki, 67, didn't pick him.
"We voted for the more electable candidate," Fuller said, adding that they chose Romney — "the lesser of two evils."
On the minds of many interviewed: Gingrich's ethics case while serving as House speaker, the $1.65 million his businesses made off Freddie Mac before he criticized the mortgage giant during his campaign, and his three marriages.
"I like him. I like his mannerisms. I just don't think I can vote for him. There's too much out there," said Bonnie Meenen, 64. Romney may get her vote because of that.
Some also were put off by Gingrich's personality.
"I think Newt's temper is too short," said David Nobles, 57, who voted for Romney. "It came down to Newt and Mitt, and Mitt just seems like more presidential material than Newt."
That Gingrich, who has emerged as the more conservative alternative to Romney, doesn't have a lock on this part of the state, regardless of his flaws, may not bode well for his prospects in other, more diverse parts of Florida ahead of Tuesday's pivotal primary. And the reluctance among some Republicans here to embrace Gingrich indicates that Romney's strategy to raise questions about Gingrich's character may be working.
Over the past week, Romney and his allies have castigated Gingrich on the campaign trail and in TV ads blanketing the state.
"While Florida families lost everything in the housing crisis, Newt Gingrich cashed in," says a Romney campaign ad airing in this state. The commercial says that Gingrich collected more than $1.6 million from "the scandal-ridden agency that helped create the crisis."
Romney's team has taken a more subtle approach in attacking Gingrich for his flawed personal life. He has been emphasizing his own 42-year marriage to the same woman, as well as his five sons and numerous grandchildren, as a way to contrast himself to Gingrich. And an outside group backing Romney has run ads mentioning Gingrich's "baggage."
A Quinnipiac University poll released Friday showed Romney leading Gingrich, 38 to 29 percent. Among voters who identify as conservative, Romney and Gingrich are in a virtual tie.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Herman Cain 'enthusiastically' endorses Newt Gingrich for president

By Andrew Rafferty and Alex Moe

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Former presidential candidate Herman Cain, who last week endorsed "the American people," announced his support on Saturday of another entity -- this time a Republican hoping to win the White House.
"I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States," Cain said at a GOP fundraiser.
Speaking to supporters on the day he left the race last month, the former head of Godfather's Pizza said he would be making an endorsement. But at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in South Carolina last week, he announced that his official endorsement would be of "we the people."
While Cain publicly promoted his endorsement last week, the one he made Saturday night came with little warning. The announcement was a surprise to Gingrich staff, and the traveling press who most frequently cover the former House speaker were not in attendance after boycotting the price the campaign was charging for chartered flights.
Gingrich vows to go 'all the way to the convention'
"There are many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot. Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas, and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage grinder," said Cain. "I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he is going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America."
Cain abandoned his presidential bid amongst accusations from women claiming he sexually harassed them while heading the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. Describing the accusations as false attacks from the media and rivals, Cain's campaign sought to slog through the scandal. That was until a Georgia woman went public claiming to have had an affair with the former businessman for more than a decade.
On Dec. 2, Cain returned to his Atlanta home to meet with his wife and discuss the future of his candidacy. The next day he suspended his campaign.
Romney uses 'history,' surrogates against Gingrich
Gingrich is now in an uphill battle to compete in the Sunshine State with the better funded Mitt Romney.
Cain becomes the second former presidential candidate to endorse Gingrich. Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped out and announced his support just two days before Gingrich's decisive South Carolina primary victory.
Gingrich signaled that there might be room in his administration for Cain, and that Cain’s 9-9-9 economic plan would be on the table. Gingrich called Cain "a great asset."
Cain will be campaigning with Gingrich in Florida on Monday.