Evan Vucci / APRepublican 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.
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.
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?"
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.
Wake me when it's over.
- 9 votes
#1 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 8:51 AM EST
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.
- 7 votes
#2 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 8:59 AM EST
"Family Abandoning" Gingrich has about as much credibility as my dog!
- 6 votes
#3 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 9:02 AM EST
His real home is Fairfax County, Virginia by the way (2nd richest county in U.S.) right across the river from his K Street lobbying offices (also very close to Tiffanys in Tysons Corner, VA :)) ...... what a freakin hypocrite!!
- 6 votes
#4 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 9:09 AM EST
There's more to the story!
He was born in Penn! He is a Carpetbagger in Georgia!
He was not a University Professor. The University where he taught Civics was a Community College in an Atlanta suburb when he taught there. Long after he left it- at least over 25 years!- it became accredited as a university. He claims now to have been an university professor! Check his "facts" - many are incorrect! Even the simple statements!
His name is G-i-n-r-i-c-K NOT Ginrich. Guess he wanted to be "rich" any way he could get it!
Ask his 1st WIFE -not the mistresses- about his truthfulness!
Ginrick is a charlatan, a louse, a liar, a cheat, and a common con man. Like this guy? Then that makes you a first class SUCKA!
He was born in Penn! He is a Carpetbagger in Georgia!
He was not a University Professor. The University where he taught Civics was a Community College in an Atlanta suburb when he taught there. Long after he left it- at least over 25 years!- it became accredited as a university. He claims now to have been an university professor! Check his "facts" - many are incorrect! Even the simple statements!
His name is G-i-n-r-i-c-K NOT Ginrich. Guess he wanted to be "rich" any way he could get it!
Ask his 1st WIFE -not the mistresses- about his truthfulness!
Ginrick is a charlatan, a louse, a liar, a cheat, and a common con man. Like this guy? Then that makes you a first class SUCKA!
- 1 vote
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.
- 4 votes
#5 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 9:38 AM EST
The ONLY job Gingrich will ever be up for is a b.j. - anywhere, anytime, provided it's for free.
- 5 votes
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
- 2 votes
#6 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 10:14 AM EST
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!
- 1 vote
#7 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 10:16 AM EST
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.
#7.1 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 1:20 PM EST
"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.
#7.2 - Thu Mar 1, 2012 1:58 PM ESTYou 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.
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