WHAT'S NEW?
Other than the prolonged battle that this result portends what else does this outcome change? It certainly does not remove the weakened Romney as the current favourite. His establishment support in addition to his financial backing and his in organizational structure still makes him hard to outlast. However it is difficult to see him improve his image with his business and tax record unfolding. There cannot be any pretense that he is a Capitalist job creator and pays his fair share of taxes. Gingrich has thus served up Romney as the role model of everything that Obama is attacking in his tax policy.
One thing is for sure Romney can no longer afford the luxury of not attacking Newt directly. So we will see the pot calling the kettle black on flip flopping of positions and more focus on Newt's instability. This has already begun with a vengeance in the Florida campaign and in the debates.
Also the social issues, that have been red meat to the evangelical voter, appear to have lost traction. Newt's second wife's pre - election expose of Newt's unashamed infidelity and "immorality" seems to have had no impact on the outcome.
While this ensures a tighter race it is hard to imagine Gingrich actually winning a State like Florida. There are so many constituencies there and, believe it or not, Gingrich is outdoing Romney as being all things to all people.
WHATS NEW(T)?
Even though Santorum and Paul are soldiering on, Newt has to become the "Anyone but Romney" candidate. Unfortunately for him the former two will still be taking votes from him as they have clearly defined constituencies.
What is Newt offering to the debate other than a more passionate and eloquent anti Obama position than the rest? His economic policy is confused. He basically has brought down Romney on the same anti- crony capitalist agenda that Obama stands for - a fairer tax policy and being for the victimized employees. He epitomizes his job creating approach by maintaining that he will give out fewer food stamps and more pay checks! Other than say he will give young blacks the Janitor jobs at school he has outlined no real plans as how he will effect this. All this has done is outrage the African American voters.
He claims to be the Standard Bearer of Reagan Conservatism but he was a nonentity in that whole movement. Also Reagan is a moderate by current day conservatism. Reagan created a massive national debt and raised taxes on enumerable occasions. And so it goes.... . Gingrich identifying himself with Reagan saves a lot of explanation as to who and what he is but is sounding like just another one of his sound bites.
Some of Gingrich's viewpoints are almost quixotic and are indicative of him playing to whatever gallery is in front of him. Speaking to a NASA constituency he was in favor of the establishment of lunar colonies!
GINGRICH AND CLINTON'S ECONOMIC FEATS
As an aside, it is quite bizzare how Gingrich claims credit for the millions of jobs created in the Clinton administration, while he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In addition he claims he was the architect, with Clinton helping of course, of balancing the budget for four years and eliminating the national debt. He forgets that he was no partner of Clinton - he was leading the charge for Clinton's impeachment while he was dealing, unbeknown to all, with his own personal problems. All this rhetoric is all very well when unchallenged but it will be tough to elaborate on over the next few months.
AT THE END OF THE DAY
In brief he almost totally relies on his eloquent sound bite "in your face" anti Obama Tea Party populist rhetoric to run on. And in effecting these devastating one liners he connects with the anger and pain of the Republican base. Gingrich is being marketed as an ideas man - a man of vision. But he has to connect the dots. For example, how does he get from having a "humanitarian" approach to illegal immigrants to a coherent immigration policy that fits in with being the biggest and best Conservative candidate in town?
Also he is totally dependent on his benefactors from Vegas who financed his South Carolina win and gave him another $5,000,000 for the Florida campaign. It is common cause that without this he would have been chopped liver after New Hampshire. So far there has been no rush from other 1 percenters to join in. Billionaires are not know for their largesse and at $5,000,000 a pop soon we will be talking real money.
So Gingrich is beginning to sound more like Presidential candidate Casey Gardener who was portrayed by Peter Sellers in his spoof on American politics, "Being There", screened about a half a century ago.
In addition, to almost outright middle of the road Republican Establishment antagonism, Gingrich's biggest problem is going to be from the real Republican right wing. Anne Coulter, who is right of Genghis Khan, is already screaming that a vote for Gingrich is a vote is a vote for Obama. Coulter's pronouncement must be a prelude for many others to join in. This eats away at his claim that he, rather than Romney, is the Conservative choice.
At the end of the day all Gingrich has done has weaken the Republican frontrunner. In the unlikely event that Gingrich becomes the nominee he will have to explain his rhetoric and somehow craft a coherent manifesto. Also he will have to explain his checkered ethical situation and how his "work" for Fanny Mac jives with his criticism for the company that many blame for the mortgage crises.
...... Only in America!
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