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Subscribe to RSSNational Journal: Newt Gingrich is surging in Florida ahead of that state's GOP presidential primary next Tuesday, according to the first nonpartisan, live-caller poll conducted in the state since Gingrich's blowout victory in South Carolina last Saturday. Quinnipiac University began conducting a poll in the state on Thursday, two days before the South Carolina primary, and continued interviews through Monday. For the full poll, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads Gingrich, 36 percent to 34 percent, within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is third, with 13 percent. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is at 10 percent. Eight percent prefer another candidate or are undecided.
GINGRICH: A new Gingrich Freddie Mac contract was released. This one showed he reported to Mitchell Delk who was Freddie Mac’s chief lobbyist. On NBC’s TODAY show, Gingrich defended his work at Freddie Mac and called Delk, instead, their “head of public policy.” Gingrich added, “The contract says no lobbying, period. I offered strategic advice. And I think that’s an important thing to remember.” He said he urged for more regulation of Freddie Mac and not to “give Freddie any taxpayer money.” He claimed he said, “Don’t give them the money.” For the record, while he stressed he was not a lobbyist, he defended lobbying. “Lobbying is a perfectly legitimate business, if that’s what you’re in.” But “being a public citizen,” which is how he characterizes the extent of what he was with Freddie Mac, “is different than lobbying.”
The Romney campaign is continuing to push that Gingrich was a lobbyist. An email out this morning has the subject line: “A LOBBYIST BY ANY OTHER NAME…”
Gingrich was also asked on TODAY about House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who reiterated that she believed Gingrich could not win the presidency, because she knows things from the ethics investigation. She previously has said she has “dirt” on him. Gingrich laughed when asked about it and parried, “She lives in a San Francisco environment of very strange fantasies… If she knows something, spit it out. I have no idea what she’s talking about.”
Newt Gingrich’s interview with CBN’s David Brody per GOP 12: “I have not hidden from the facts of my life, that I have confessed my weaknesses, and that I have had to go to God for forgiveness and for reconciliation. And I think most people can identify, either with themselves or with friends or with loved ones, that life has moments that are very sad, you wish wouldn’t have occurred. And you look back on them, and you seek forgiveness for not having been everything you could be. So, I think in that sense, it may make me more normal than somebody who wanders around seeming perfect and maybe not understanding the human condition and the challenges of life for normal people.”
Reuters: The man hired by Newt Gingrich more than a decade ago to advise him how to walk the line between consulting and lobbying is the co-author of a leading legal text on lobbying and the chief lobbyist of the American Bar Association.
Gingrich drew big crowds yesterday, especially at one event. The Palm Beach Post called it "rock star treatment,” per NBC’s Jamie Novogrod. The headline: "Gingrich draws thousands in Fla. while Romney's, Santorum's crowds number in hundreds.”
ROMNEY: “With the release of his tax returns Tuesday, Mitt Romney has emerged as Exhibit A in a political battle likely to define the 2012 election: how to tax the rich,” The Washington Post writes.
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The math looks bad for Gingrich in Florida. I've heard that a third of Republicans have already voted, most presumably before South Carolina. At that time, Romney had about a 15 point lead in Florida. Gingrich is probably going to have to win the remaining two thirds by more than 7 points.
And it's winner take all. It will be a heartbreaker for the candidate who doesn't win. If that's Gingrich, he'll know he could have won Florida if not for early voting. If that's Romney, he'll start to question whether his warchest and overwhelming spending in any one state can overcome the fact that a majority of his party just doesn't like him.
Paul,
I live in NE Florida. I noticed that lines have been strong here for early voting. And this started the day of the South Carolina primary. I wonder if those folks will swing towards Newt. In my part of the world, the conservatives I talk to do not like Romney.
Just some info on my part of the state. Each part is VERY different.
Phine - you do have to allow yourself to realize those differences. I have a friend in Charleston - was absolutely convinced Romney would win there. I said I don't know - the polls are tripping pretty rapidly toward Gingrich, and that momentum does matter as a predictor of how undecideds will break. He dismissed that because he didn't know anyone who liked Gingrich.
Florida of course is bigger and more diverse. I know the panhandle is basically like the Southern states around it. Not sure if that's true of the northeastern parts of the state, but suspect it is to a lesser degree. Then of course you have the central money area, and the southern area with its Cuban influence. And that's from a thousand miles away. I'm sure y'all down there can point to far more divisions.
I was at Gatorworld a few years back. I really liked that, in that it's older than the whole Disney set-up, so it's a glimpse into Florida's past. They knew it and played up on it. The park employees wore nametags, with 'Cracker' in front of everyone's name. Also, they bill themselves as Florida's "best half-day attraction." Someone will always score points with me for self-deprecating humor.
Paul,
One other thing to consider (which a lot of folks forget) is a lot of "snowbirds" are registered here. [Personal note here, it irks me that they, who only live here a couple months (if that much) out of the year can vote in Florida elections. Sorry about that, pet peeve of those of us who live here full time. ] Also, a lot of military call Florida home. These groups don't fit any set profile. So, whatever pundit thinks Florida is an easy read better be prepared for a surprise.
I am impressed you went to someplace "old Florida". Most just do the "glamour" spots. If you come back this way, I recommend my home town, St. Augustine. You will really love it! We are the nation's oldest city. We also like to bill ourselves as a quaint drinking town with a fishing problem! LOL
"...quaint drinking town with a fishing problem."
Hah, that's funny! Reminds me of Pittsburgh, where I'm from. We used to say they built a street corner around every bar.
Paul,
My mother was from the Pittsburg area. And I have tossed back a few at some of those bars! :)
If Leroy Gingrich loses Fl. you'll see him through a tantrum like you've never see before. And it will all be the media's fault. You see Leroy never does anything wrong, if you don't believe me just ask Leroy himself.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/23/early-votes-in-florida-could-help-romney/
Early voting in Florida began on the same day as voting in South Carolina. By Sunday 55,000 Floridians had voted. Possibly you are referring to the 475,000 absentee ballots requested by people. Of the 475,000 absentee ballots requested, 180,000 had been returned by Wednesday of last week. In the 2008 Florida Republican Primary approximately 2 million people voted. Even if 100% of those absentee ballots were for Romney it would only amount to approximately 10% of the total vote. Granted that is a handicap for Newt, but not quite as insurmountable.
Chuck Todd said if Gingrich wins Florida, the Republican leadership will go into panic mode. They absolutely do not want Gingrich as the Party nominee.
If you ever read some articles on the National Review, you will see while their establishment writers are pro Romney, the comments are not. Interesting. (Can you say brokered convention)
The whole premise that Freddie Mac needed Newt's advice to the tune of $25K per month is ridiculous! He can call himself a historian, a consultant, an adviser or anything else, but I think most people believe he was a lobbyist. Still, it's pretty ballsy to stand up and lie to the American people, and that's what Newt's best at doing!
I think Gingrich might be called the same name as his current wife is thought of. Hint, it's a real old profession.
That's all Leroy Gingrich can do lie. He's an habitual liar, he has been all his career.
Is there a journalist out there that will bluntly ask: what did Gingrich tell the Freddie Mac executives that was worth $25,000 a month? Did they really pay him to say "don't take taxpayer money?" How hard is it to nail this down? I don't understand why there are no papers, reports, or other documents that show exactly what he "advised."
No one has even mentioned how bad his advice was. And how he caused the housing crisis with said advice .
Did Gingrich even have an office at Freddie Mac, or did he riff a few emails when the mood struck him. How much did he need to work to get $25,000 a month? Anyway, he spent what he got at Tiffany's.
If it walks like a lobbyist, talks like a lobbyist and waddles like a duck - it must be Newt!
If in fact NEWT actually went into any Congressman's office to lobby for Medicare Part D (when his company received HUGE cash from healthcare companies), he would have to be disqualified as a liar. His denials have been categorical. He better not be wrong.
Also, even though he supported that unfunded cash cow for the pharmaceutical companies (which prohibits the government from negotiating better prices), he now WANTS TO TURN MEDICARE INTO A VOUCHER SYSTEM. AND MITT DOES TOO. Get a voucher for a hip replacement (and hope that you don't have to pay $10,000 out of your own pocket). Yeah, that's the ticket.