Newt Gingrich has made it abundantly clear in recent days that Mitt Romney's anticipated victory in Florida tonight will in no way stop or even slow down his own campaign. No matter that February is looking bleak for Gingrich, with few, if any, opportunities to win contests and no opportunities to grandstand in a nationally televised debate until Feb. 22. "This is going on all the way to the convention,'' he said Sunday.
In light of that never-say-die ethos, it's interesting to recall when Romney called it quits in 2008. It came one week after losing to John McCain in the Florida primary and two days after disappointing results in the Super Tuesday contests. He delivered the news at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
"If I fight on in my campaign all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and, frankly, I'd make it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win,"
Romney said at the time.
Obviously, Gingrich doesn't see it that way. Neither does Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. Yet. But it will be interesting when CPAC 2012 convenes on Feb. 9, whether the largest gathering of conservative activists in the country agrees that these candidates should continue pressing on.
—Beth Reinhard
NATIONAL JOURNAL'S FLORIDA REPORT
A Li-Mitted Victory for Presumptive GOP Nominee
Even though Romney's win in Florida reestablishes his primacy in the GOP field, the race isn't over yet, and the long road ahead is likely to hurt Romney rather than help him.
Gingrich Raises $5 Million in January
The Gingrich camp announced Tuesday that it had crossed the $5 million mark for fundraising in January.
Santorum Raised $4.2 Million in January
He raised slightly less than Newt Gingrich's $5 million for the month, but Santorum has over $1 million cash on hand — more than enough to continue in the race.
Gingrich, Romney Outline Early Actions As President
In their final national TV appearances before Tuesday's Florida primary, Gingrich and Romney on Monday outlined their agendas during a hypothetical first month in office — and managed to get in a few digs at each other.
What Romney's Hispanic Support in Florida Means
The Hispanic vote in a Florida Republican race is unique and overwhelmingly Cuban-American, which means Romney's Hispanic support in Florida may not translate to wider Hispanic support in a general election.
Gingrich Pushes Santorum to Drop Out
Gingrich said early Tuesday that Santorum, currently his main rival for the conservative vote, should take a look at the poll numbers and drop out. Santorum didn't take too kindly to those words, the Associated Press reports.
Santorum: I Never Considered Dropping Out
Although his daughter Bella spent the weekend in the hospital (and he spent it with her), Santorum said he never reconsidered going forward with his presidential bid.
Polls Show Split Opinion On Romney's Business Record
Two new polls raise questions on just how much Romney’s record at Bain Capital affects his favorability, as National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar writes.
A Gingrich Administration Could Be Expensive
A propensity to think big extends to all parts of Gingrich's presidential platform, from tax reform to the space race, and occasionally puts him at odds with the GOP's resolve to slash government spending.
Gingrich Bashes Media — Except When It Suits His Purposes
Though he never misses an opportunity to denigrate the media, Gingrich often references reporting from ostensibly main-stream publications — The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and even The New York Times — when it helps him make a point.
Virginia AG Investigating Gingrich Worker Over Fake Ballot-Petition Signatures
Gingrich alleged that there were mistakes and fraud when one of his supporters turned over signatures to get on the ballot in Virginia. Even if they were legal, though, he wouldn't have made it on the ballot.
What's Romney's Real Tax Rate: 15 or 50 percent?
When the media reported that Romney's total tax rate was 15 percent, some people were mad at Romney for taking advantage of the tax code. But others were mad at the media for getting the numbers wrong.
Romney Takes a Few Final Florida Whacks at Gingrich
Even though he's leading Gingrich by a double-digit margin in two new polls, Romney still called Gingrich "sad" and said that "he's been flailing around" in Florida.
Gingrich Disavows Knowledge of Robo-Call
A robo-call making its way around Florida today accuses Romney of vetoing a bill that would pay for kosher food for seniors in Massachusetts nursing homes, but Gingrich says he knows nothing about it.
Florida Finale: Gingrich, Mormons, Jews, and Kosher Food
There is a vein of Jewish suspicion about Mormons that Gingrich's robocall was attempting to tap into in Florida today.
Obama Struggling In Battleground States
Obama's doing alright in traditionally Democratic Midwestern battlegrounds, like Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa, but his job approval ratings in other battleground states — like must-win Pennsylvania — are underwater.
Timeline of 2012 Presidential Primaries and Caucuses
Wondering what's up next (or simply pleading for the primary season to be over)? Check out our calendar to keep track of the upcoming battles on the campaign trail.
FLORIDA NEWS SUMMARY
Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary
[New York Times, 1/31/12] As expected, Romney cruised to a win in Florida on Tuesday with 47 percent support from 53 percent of the state reporting around 8 p.m.
Newt Concedes Defeat Even Before Polls Close
[BuzzFeed, 1/31/12] The sign behind which Gingrich planned to speak tonight says it all.
Gingrich: The GOP Primary Battle Will Last Another 'Six or Eight Months'
[ABC News, 1/31/12] Pundits be damned. Gingrich is a ways away from exiting the Republican presidential race — another "six or eight months" away, in fact. That is, "unless Romney drops out earlier." Or maybe he should just run forver, as New York Mag's Dan Amira writes. Or maybe, as Meghan McCain writes in The Daily Beast, if he loses Florida Gingrich should quit altogether, lest he harm the GOP.
Why Newt Gingrich Won't Quit
[Politico, 1/31/12] Gingrich sees himself as the kind of guy who surprises people and proves conventional wisdom wrong, which is part of the reason he's likely to stay in the race long past Florida.
GOP race's approaching lull will test Gingrich
[Associated Press, 1/30/12] February brings seven primaries — which makes for an expensive, plodding campaign — and only one debate. That doesn't bode well for Gingrich, whose strength is in high-energy states and contentious debates.
A GQ&A with Matt Towery, Newt's Favorite Pollster and Oldest Friend
[GQ, 1/31/12] Towery works for InsiderAdvantage and is a close friend of Gingrich. Here, he gives background insight to the controversy surrounding Gingrich's ex-wife and the current mood of the Gingrich campaign on the trail.
Outside Ad Spending Up Big
[Politico, 1/30/12] Outside political groups have spent 1,600 percent more on political advertisements for Republican candidates this election cycle, as compared to 2008 — in large part due to the advent of super PACs. The Wall Street Journal also released a chart describing how much each super PAC has spent thus far. Super PACs will disclose their donors next Tuesday, conveniently after the early presidential contests, the Associated Press reports.
Super PACs Behind Gingrich Find Limits
[Roll Call, 1/31/12] The less-than-super effect of super PACs in Florida may underscore the limits to how much can be accomplished on the presidential campaign trail by such unrestricted groups.
Why Mitt's Wealth Matters: It's Policy, Not Envy
[The New Republic, 1/30/12] Romney's life story proves that the American capitalist system works — which is why it's so easy for him to campaign against some of the social programs that help folks who don't grow up with the same advantages he's had.
Boston Lawyer Keeps Steady Hand on Romney’s Holdings
[The Boston Globe, 1/30/12] R. Bradford Malt is the trustee that oversees Romney's investments, and here he explains his reasoning behind some of the decisions he's made with Romney's wealth.
Newt's Nevada Goal: End Santorum
[BuzzFeed, 1/31/12] Even though he's slated to lost Florida, Gingrich is already looking ahead to Nevada--and he's got his crosshairs trained on Santorum. But according to Newsweek columnist John Avlon, Santorum is already planning to slam Gingrich with negative ads in Colorado.
As Candidates Battle In Florida, Santorum to Watch From Vegas
[Las Vegas Sun, 1/30/12] This Tuesday, all eyes are on the Sunshine State as voters there cast ballots in this crucial race. Santorum, however, will be watching from Las Vegas, Nev. — which holds its caucuses on Saturday.
A Trump Endorsement Is Imminent
[The Atlantic Wire, 1/31/12] Although Republican candidates would rather hear "You’re fired!" from the Donald, Trump said on Good Morning America today that he will make an endorsement "in a very short time." Just days ago, Trump said that he was still open to running as a third-party candidate.
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