• Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012

    President 2012: The Question – Mitt or Newt?

    Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in a presidential debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

    Charles Krauthammer helps you decide: Mitt or Newt?

    My own view is that Republicans would have been better served by the candidacies of Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan or Chris Christie. Unfortunately, none is running. You play the hand you’re dealt. This is a weak Republican field with two significantly flawed front-runners contesting an immensely important election. If Obama wins, he will take the country to a place from which it will not be able to return (which is precisely his own objective for a second term).

    Every conservative has thus to ask himself two questions: Who is more likely to prevent that second term? And who, if elected, is less likely to unpleasantly surprise?

    What say you readers?

    Tell me in the comments or on Twitter/Facebook.

  • Newt Gingrich,  President 2012,  Ron Paul

    President 2012: Ron Paul Attacks Newt Gingrich for Serial Hypocrisy – But Does it Matter?

    Probably the first of many attacks on Newt as he has become the front-runner in the GOP Presidential nomination race. But, will Ron Paul’s attack stick?

    The video does not hit Newt over his recent support for amnesty, but does detail: 1) Newt’s partnership with Nancy Pelosi in support of climate change legislation; 2) Newt’s support of TARP; 3) Newt’s attack on Paul Ryan’s budget as “right-wing social engineering; 4) the fact that Newt took more than $1.5 million from Freddie Mac to lobby Congress; and 5) the fact that Newt’s think tank took $37 million from the health care companies that support individual mandates.

    Paul Ryan is quoted in the ad saying, “With allies like that, who needs the left?” And Rush Limbaugh clips are prominently featured, including his claim that Newt’s attack on Ryan “supports the Obama administration.”

    The video raises valid issues, but what are voter’s alternatives?

    Mitt Romney, who has similar issues?

    Certainly, NOT Ron Paul.

    At this point, Newt Gingrich is looking like the Teflon Candidate.

  • Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Florida Poll Watch: Gingrich Crushing Romney 47% Vs. 17%

    According to the latest PPP Poll.

    Newt Gingrich’s momentum is continuing to build, and he now leads Mitt Romney by over 25 points in both Florida and Montana.

    In Florida Gingrich is at 47% to 17% for Romney, 15% for Herman Cain, 5% for Ron Paul, 4% for Michele Bachmann, 3% for Jon Huntsman, 2% for Rick Perry, 1% for Rick Santorum, and 0% for Gary Johnson.

    Just a matter of time before Romney starts to go after Gingrich.

    But, is it too late?

  • Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Newt Gingrich Leading in Iowa and South Carolina – Closing the Gap in New Hampshire

    I wonder if Mitt Romney’s campaign may be a little interested in today’s polling?

    I would say yes.

    In South Carolina:

    In Iowa:

    • Insider Advantage: Gingrich 28% Vs. Paul 13% Vs. Romney 12% Vs. Cain 10% Vs. Bachmann 10% Vs. Perry 7%
    • We Ask America: Gingrich 29% Vs. Romney 13% Vs. Bachmann 13% Vs. Paul 11% Vs. Cain 7% Vs. Perry 5%

    In New Hampshire:

    With Herman Cain’s latest bimbo eruption, he is really done and I suspect Newt Gingrich will pick up more of Cain’s anti-Romney supporters.

    My question is: when will Romney start the negative ads against Gingrich?

  • Michele Bachmann,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012

    Video: President 2012 GOP Debate: Newt Gingrich on Immigration

    Bachmann: Newt Soft On Immigration

    Newt Gingrich lost me on this issue. He sounds too much like Senator John McCain and President George W. Bush and their illegal immigrant “Amensty” Plan.

    Also, Gingrich has sold out to the high tech companies who want offshore Graduate Students in science and math to arrange easy immigration visas and Big Agriculture who wants a million guest workers to more cheaply harvest their crops.

    Gingrich’s performance tonight will hurt him in Iowa and look for Michele Bachmann to exploit the issue there.

    Advantage tonight goes to Mitt Romney as Newt Gingrich falters.

  • Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Gingrich 26% Vs. Romney 22% Vs. Cain 14% Vs. Paul 6% Vs. Perry 6%

    According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll.

    Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich more than doubles his share of the Republican presidential vote to lead the presidential pack with 26 percent and in a head-to-head matchup tops former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 49 – 39 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. But Romney is tied with President Barack Obama.

    Former pizza magnate Herman Cain drops from the top spot with 30 percent in a November 2 national survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University to third place with 14 percent today. Romney goes from 23 percent November 2 to 22 percent.

    Gingrich, who topped out at 10 percent 20 days ago, zooms to the top as he convinces 48 percent of GOP voters that among all GOP contenders he has the knowledge and experience necessary to be president, compared to Romney’s 22 percent. Gingrich leads Romney 34 – 24 percent when GOP voters are asked who is a strong leader, a key quality Americans historically seek in a president. On foreign policy, he is seen as better by GOP voters 46 – 16 percent. But Gingrich trails Romney 32 – 9 percent when voters are asked who has “a strong moral character.”

    But, Mitt Romney does better against President Obama, trailing him by one point 44% Vs. 45% – well within the margin of error. Romney has improved from the November 2nd poll when he trailed Obama 42% Vs. 47%.

    Newt Gingrich does not fare as well as he trails Obama 40% Vs. 49%, whereas he trailed the Preisent 37% Vs. 52% on November 2nd.

  • George Will,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Paul Begala,  President 2012

    President 2012: Newt Gingrich – Really?

     

    Besides George Will’s comments above and the fact that the Democrat’s salivate when mentioning Newt Gingrich as the Republican nominee, there is this sobering piece from Jennifer Rubin.

    Some conservatives seem to have taken leave of their senses and/or developed a bad case of amnesia when it comes to Newt Gingrich. He’s credited with “leading the conservative movement for 25 years.” (Really? After he was booted from the speakership, what did he do to further conservative values and causes?) He’s labeled as a conviction conservative. (Really? Was hawking Freddie Mac and ethanol subsidies a pro-conservative or a pro-Newt endeavor?) He’s credited with grand accomplishments as speaker of the House. (Really? He lost the government-shutdown standoff to Bill Clinton and lambasted conservatives who objected to his penchant for excessive compromise.) He’s more mature and sober. they say. (Really? Attacking Rep. Paul Ryan for “rightwing social engineering” wasn’t exactly a responsible move.)

    I really don’t think that Newt can be considered as a viable candidate.

    It looks to me that the GOP should just get it over with and nominate Mitt Romney – RomneyCare and Flip Flop warts and all.

    At least with Mitt, you know what you are getting…..

  • Herman Cain,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012

    President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: As Cain Crashes – Newt Rises

    According to the latest Gallup Poll.

    Herman Cain’s Positive Intensity Score is 17, down from 29 immediately before news broke in late October about past sexual harassment allegations against him. Newt Gingrich, who has made a dramatic turnaround since the summer, saw his score improve further this week, and he now ties Cain for the highest score among the eight major GOP presidential candidates.

    The current ratings are based on Nov. 1-13 Gallup polling, covering a fairly newsworthy time in the GOP campaign. Cain continued to be dogged by allegations that he sexually harassed women while he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s. Also, the eight major candidates met for two debates, the first of which will be remembered for Rick Perry’s memory lapse while he was trying to list the names of federal cabinet departments he would shut down if elected.

    No surprise here. This is the conventional wisdom – Newt is rising.

    Now, whether Gingrich can sustain his increasing poll numbers is another matter.

    Here is the positive intensity graph: