Is he the next GOP flavor of the month? Or is he the comeback kid?
Newt Gingrich, whose campaign seemed dead in the water last summer, is now in a solid second place in two presidential campaign polls, according to Politico.
Here’s how the Wall Street Journal reported the story:
“Two polls out Friday show … Newt Gingrich’s campaign gaining traction. And both polls show … 17% of respondents are undecided. A McClatchy-Marist poll of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents finds that Mitt Romney’s poll numbers remain steady — he generally garners the support of about a quarter of the Republican and Republican-leaning voters.
“Romney (is at) 23%; Gingrich, 19%; Herman Cain, 17%; Texas Rep. Ron Paul 10%; Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 8%, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, 5%. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum got 1% apiece.
“… A CBS News poll (of Republican primary voters) shows Romney’s support slipping to 15%, putting him even with Gingrich and behind Cain, at 18%.”
The New York Times took a broader view:
“Newt Gingrich, whose aides fled earlier this year as his campaign nearly collapsed, is debating strongly and raising money. A new CBS News poll shows him near the front of the pack.”
“Newt Gingrich, whose aides fled earlier this year as his campaign nearly collapsed, is debating strongly and raising money. A new CBS News poll shows him near the front of the pack.”
“… He is suddenly pulling in money — ‘more on Wednesday than in all of July,’ he said in an interview — which has allowed him to open a state headquarters … in New Hampshire, with six paid staff members. He is promising to campaign hard in Iowa … His campaign still feels intended as much to promote his ideas and media projects — his schedule the next two weeks is heavy with screenings of his documentary films and signings for a children’s book written by his wife, Callista.”
Gingrich is, yet another, flavor of the week for the GOP. He will do no better with women, than Cain, seeing as he is on wife number three. His checked past with wives, one of whom, seems willing to regale the media with juicy insights on Gingrich, spells trouble for Newt. (60 Minutes and Vanity Fair have both interviewed her) As with Romney, he has little in common with the 99%, most of whom, don't have a $500K no interest credit account with Tiffany's. He will fare little better than Romney with the religious right, seeing as he is now a super devout Roman Catholic with ties to the ultra conservative, Roman Catholic organization, Opus Dei. Despite Gingrich having great command of the issues, in the last debate, he came off as down right cranky and condescending. Folks still want want to like the person they are putting in the White House.