The Gingrich who stole the nomination?

[Undesired Walrus]

I'm a bit fed up of these surges that excite political junkies for a couple of days but then fizzle out and boring old Mitt-25%-Romney stays on course for the nomination.

Is there any reason to think Newt's surge is for keeps this time?

 

[GreyArea]

Check out this graph for the story so far:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/19/graphic-the-republican-nomination-race-so-far/

This excellent chart shows the waxing and waning of various Republican candidates' support. The poll results run from June through November.

Maybe Gingrich will wane like all the others have?

 

[Brainster]

Well, Newt's unlikely to have a previously-unknown girlfriend pop up, and he's probably not going to be tongue-tied at debating, so there are two reasons to suspect he won't flameout like Perry or Cain.

He will have to weather significant broadsides from the conservative punditocracy. A lot of people are saying that his negatives are already priced into his current polling, but I don't know if that's really the case. I certainly expect Team Romney and his surrogates in the media to make sure that people are reminded of some of the things he's said and done.

That said, time is running out and people will be paying less attention to politics for the next few weeks with the holidays coming up.

 

[RandFan]

I certainly expect Team Romney and his surrogates in the media to make sure that people are reminded of some of the things he's said and done.

"Some"?

 

[oddball]

Howling funny new song about Newt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=373wcoVen88

 

[Puppycow]

Well, Newt's unlikely to have a previously-unknown girlfriend pop up, and he's probably not going to be tongue-tied at debating, so there are two reasons to suspect he won't flameout like Perry or Cain.

He will have to weather significant broadsides from the conservative punditocracy. A lot of people are saying that his negatives are already priced into his current polling, but I don't know if that's really the case. I certainly expect Team Romney and his surrogates in the media to make sure that people are reminded of some of the things he's said and done.

That said, time is running out and people will be paying less attention to politics for the next few weeks with the holidays coming up.

This.

I started to write my own response, but I realized I was just reiterating this.

Also, who else would they go to? I guess Santorum hasn't had his turn to be frontrunner for a week yet, but maybe he doesn't get a turn.

Whenever the frontrunner for a week fades, those votes don't seem to go to Romney, but instead go looking for another alternative to Romney.

 

[RandFan]

GOP love for Newt.

Between a Gingrich and a Romney

The Establishment vs. Newt: A Long List of Republicans Who Want Anybody But Gingrich

a former Republican House speaker and veteran of the culture wars of the 1990s, Newt Gingrich understandably earned his share of liberal detractors. But who knew how many enemies he’d made among the Republican political elite? As Gingrich’s recent surge in the polls moves ever closer to bearing electoral fruit in the Iowa Caucuses, it’s fair to say that the GOP political establishment is freaking out. Here’s just a sampling of the nice things Newt’s Washington colleagues have had to say about him lately.

George Will: “Gingrich … embodies the vanity and rapacity that make modern Washington repulsive. … There is almost artistic vulgarity in Gingrich’s unrepented role as a hired larynx for interests profiting from such government follies as ethanol and cheap mortgages. … His temperament—intellectual hubris distilled—makes him blown about by gusts of enthusiasm for intellectual fads, from 1990s futurism to ‘Lean Six Sigma’ today.”

There is always Trump...

 

[BenBurch]

Gingrich is squarely in the class of nominatable but not electable.

 

[leftysergeant]

If the Koch roaches decide they like him, he has legs. Certainly, he is more maleable to their way of thinking.

 

[leftysergeant]

Between a Gingrich and a Romney

There is always Trump...

Dude? Seriously?

 

[Puppycow]

Between a Gingrich and a Romney

There is always Trump...

I like Will. Shame that he's in the tank for Rick "I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a Christian" Perry.

 

[gnome]

If he can weather the Trump debate without embarrassing himself, he might have a decent shot. Despite any previous wall bangers, voters have a notoriously short memory unless sex is involved--about 2/3 of one election cycle as I reckon it.

The character of this GOP primary season does seem to be:
"OK, who's up this year?"
*Romney's hand flies up like Hermione in a Hogwarts classroom*
"OK, yes, Romney, alright... anyone else? ... Anyone at all?"

 

[Bikewer]

As BenBurch said. The extreme "values voters" types will, I suspect, just stay home should Newt get the nomination. Even with the depths of Obama-hate among the Republicans, I can't imagine large numbers of the critical Independents jumping onto Newt's bus.