Your Election Newsfeed: Newt—On the Moon and Back in the Game

by Lulu Cheng — January 31, 2012 — No comments

A week ago, Republican primary voters seemed ready to slap a brown paper bag on Mitt Romney and pucker up—when a Newt Gingrich blowout victory in South Carolina flipped on the lights and completely spoiled the mood. Of note:

Gingrich beat up Romney with voters across the board, taking a double-digit (or close) lead with groups including men, women, married, unmarried, poor, middle-class, rich, and every age cohort.
Newt Gingrich’s victories have so far amounted to 25 delegates, compared to Mitt Romney’s 14.
Romney won only two counties in South Carolina, one of which is called Richland.
In his concession speech, Romney acknowledged his campaign has a “long way to go” and set the tone for the next phase of the Romney-Gingrich battle by joining Obama’s “assault on free enterprise.”

President Obama delivered his 2012 State of the Union (3-minute recap here and the whole thing here). In what could count as his first campaign speech, Obama gave a populist pitch for small businesses creating jobs in America, tuition reform, and tax reform, including another shout-out for his “Buffett Rule” accompanied with the obligatory attendance of Warren Buffett’s secretary (who actually earns more than you’d think). In a PR-savvy move, Obama also emphasized the accomplishments of his first term, highlighting the death of bin Laden and policies addressing the financial crisis. He also introduced some new policies: reining in higher education costs, increasing energy production, reforming Senate filibuster rules, and toughening punishments for Wall Street misbehavior. Minus the traditional groaner punchline, all of this was generally well-received, but resonated especially well with swing voters:

A round-up of other reactions can be found here.

The official Republican response to the State of the Union was delivered by Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, who is increasingly being whispered about as a late-round Republican presidential nominee if the choice between Mitt and Newt becomes too unsavory. The speech itself was strong and well-received, albeit tempered by Daniels’ delivery, which alternated between snoozetastic and seeming “exactly like a serial killer.”
Yet another GOP debate, this time in Jacksonville. It might just blur together with the first 18 debates, so go here if you want a quick summary.
Newt Gingrich has continued to rack up endorsements, including nods from Herman Cain and Chuck Norris. Looks like the cabinet positions for Pepperoni Czar and Secretary of Defense have been spoken for.

Tuesday, January 31: The Florida primary, the highest-stake contest so far, with 50 delegates on the line is today. Romney benefits from a clear financial advantage, a head start with advertising, and a likely advantage with early ballots cast during a time when his nomination seemed inevitable. On the other hand, Gingrich has been riding a wave of free coverage and media hype ever since his South Carolina win, which has given his campaign a huge boost in momentum. In addition, Florida only allows registered Republicans to vote in its primary, which gives the more conservative-friendly Gingrich an edge. Gingrich also takes a more moderate stance on immigration, which could speak positively to the state’s Hispanic voters, assuming he can speak in the language of the ghetto. If Gingrich does win, expect a long and anguished Republican struggle to choose between entering a loveless marriage with an establishment candidate who failed to decisively beat his rival and backing a highly unfavorable, baggage-laden candidate who is bleakly unelectable against Obama.
Saturday, February 4: The Nevada caucus, with 28 delegates at stake.

Dear Mittens: For goodness sake, get your campaign a tangible, digestible message, something that can fit in a text message. Many Gingrich voters are actual votes for Gingrich, but probably just as many are votes against Romney. Your image as a mechanical, out-of-touch humanoid Richie Rich has become so entrenched that Newt is even trying to spin his sordid marital history as a trait that makes him more “real” than you. In particular, figure out a comfortable, coherent, and consistent way to start discussing your money. You were far too slow and fidgety in releasing your tax returns, and it doesn’t help that they revealed your tax rate to be equivalent to the unemployment rate in some swing states. You don’t have to apologize for your financial success, but you also shouldn’t appear physically pained when asked to discuss it. Also, it’s a best practice not to get caught lying (repeatedly).
Newt: You too, with the lying.

With Mitt Romney’s 2010 income revealed to be almost $22 million, you might wonder: How long would it take Mitt Romney to earn what you earn in a year?
Tapping into his inner super-villain, Newt Gingrich announced his latest big campaign promise: as President (1), to put an American (2) base on the moon (3) by the end of his second term (4) (the numbers refer to the count of unreliable assumptions). A @GingrichIdeas Twitter account quickly emerged, taking it a step further with proposals like “make Rick Perry sheriff of the moon” and “require federal court decisions supportive of gay rights to be written in a lisp.”
Rick Santorum’s relationship with the internet has been uncomfortable at best and R-rated at worst, so this was bound to happen: Rick Santorum as McLovin and Rick Santorum quotes as New Yorker cartoon captions.
Want a different perspective on politics? Chad Ochocinco live tweeted the State of the Union. “Anybody notice the guy over Obamas left shoulder doesn’t seem very happy and he’s not smiling. He’s not clapping with joy.”