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It was reported by various news sources including Florida News organizations, Yahoo News and Ron Paul's web site that allegedly Gingrich's security and aides assaulted and harassed a Ron Paul supporter at a polling location in Florida. According to the stories, Dillard, a 29-year-old Ron Paul supporter wearing his "Ron Paul Rocks America" t-shirt and sporting a Ron Paul 2012 campaign sigh was already in position when Gingrich and his aides arrived. Dillard stood his ground quietly as Gingrich set up camp right in front of him to address the media on site. In efforts to get Dillard to move Gingrich security and aides attempted to intimidate Dillard and one member of Gingrich's Security assaulted Dillard by stepping and grinding on Dillard's bare toes as if to be putting out a cigarette while other aides encouraged the conduct. Ron Paul called on Gingrich to take appropriate actions against the staffers and apologize but no reports of any apologies or actions taken against staffers have yet been reported.
It was reported by various news sources including Florida News organizations, Yahoo News and Ron Paul's web site that allegedly Gingrich's security and aides assaulted and harassed a Ron Paul supporter at a polling location in Florida. According to the stories, Dillard, a 29-year-old Ron Paul supporter wearing his "Ron Paul Rocks America" t-shirt and sporting a Ron Paul 2012 campaign sigh was already in position when Gingrich and his aides arrived. Dillard stood his ground quietly as Gingrich set up camp right in front of him to address the media on site. In efforts to get Dillard to move Gingrich security and aides attempted to intimidate Dillard and one member of Gingrich's Security assaulted Dillard by stepping and grinding on Dillard's bare toes as if to be putting out a cigarette while other aides encouraged the conduct. Ron Paul called on Gingrich to take appropriate actions against the staffers and apologize but no reports of any apologies or actions taken against staffers have yet been reported.
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/ron-paul-campaign-wants-apology-for-supporter-getting-stepped-on-by/1213220|title=Ron Paul campaign wants apology|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=February 1, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/everyone-step-toes-gingrich-security-harasses-ron-paul-165042767.html|title=Gingrich security harasses Ron Paul supporter|work=Yahoo News|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-740059|title=Newt Keeps Showing Nasty Side|work=CNN|date=February 1, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/foot-paul-campaign-calls-gingrich-apologize-altercation-paul-231320825.html|title=The FOot|work=Yahoo News|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/ron-paul-campaign-wants-apology-for-supporter-getting-stepped-on-by/1213220|title=Ron Paul campaign wants apology|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=February 1, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/everyone-step-toes-gingrich-security-harasses-ron-paul-165042767.html|title=Gingrich security harasses Ron Paul supporter|work=Yahoo News|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-740059|title=Newt Keeps Showing Nasty Side|work=CNN|date=February 1, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/foot-paul-campaign-calls-gingrich-apologize-altercation-paul-231320825.html|title=The FOot|work=Yahoo News|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/31/ron-paul-campaign-calls-on-newt-gingrich-to-apologize-for-his-staff-assault-on-ron-paul-supporter/|title=Ron Paul Campaign Calls on Newt Gingrich to Apologize for His Staff Assault on Ron Paul Supporter|work=Ron Paul Official Website|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/#!/RonPaul/status/164471012996546561/photo/1|title=Ron Paul Twitter picture of Foot|work=Ron Paul Official Twitter|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=February 2, 2012}}</ref>


==Endorsements==
==Endorsements==

Revision as of 22:02, 2 February 2012

Newt Gingrich for President 2012
File:Newt Gingrich 2012 logo.png
CampaignU.S. presidential election, 2012
CandidateNewt Gingrich
Former U.S. Congressman
Former Speaker of the House
AffiliationRepublican Party
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
Key peopleMichael Krull (Manager)
Joe DeSantis (Communications Director)
Amy Pass (Finance Coordinator)[1][2]
ReceiptsUS$2.9 Million (2011-09-30)
Website
Newt 2012

Former U.S. Congressman from Georgia and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich began preparing for a possible campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and helped several Tea Party-backed Republicans with his endorsements and fundraising abilities.

In early 2011, he chose to run for President and left his position as a political analyst for Fox News. He suffered a campaign implosion in June but by November had revived his campaign through strong debate performances and the introduction of a new "Twenty-First Century Contract with America".

In November and early December 2011, Gingrich was the frontrunner of the Republican primaries, gaining momentum in the early states of Iowa, Florida, and South Carolina. In one month, his campaign organization had enjoyed greater fundraising success than it had in all its previous months put together, and polling found the electorate had a more favorable opinion of him among conservatives, Tea Partiers, and moderates, who had long been former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's strongest constituency.[3]

By December, however, Gingrich's polling success had attracted renewed media scrutiny and the criticism of Republican opinion leaders. Gingrich's support began to wane and he was fourth in the first two contests of the 2012 primary season held on January 3 and January 10, a result he attributed to a wave of opponent-financed attack ads. The former House Speaker subsequently focused his attention on front runner Romney, dubbing him a "timid Massachusetts moderate." In the wake of strong debate performances in the week prior to the South Carolina primary, Gingrich managed to revive his campaign by winning all of that southern state's delegates on January 21. Although Gingrich captured 32% of the vote in Florida on January 31, the well-financed Romney campaign took 46% to win Florida comfortably in the increasingly bitter contest.[4]

Background

Newt Gingrich speaking to voters in Des Moines, Iowa

Gingrich was first elected to Congress in 1978, and served as Speaker of the House after helping to orchestrate the 1994 Republican Revolution in part with the Contract With America. He stepped down as Speaker and resigned from the House in 1999. Since that time, he has published several historical novels and served as a political consultant and recently as a Fox News contributor. He was previously speculated as a candidate in the 2008 election, and has supported the Tea Party Movement.[5]

For most of 2010, Gingrich spent a considerable amount of time campaigning throughout the early primary states, particularly Iowa and New Hampshire. In 2011, he took part in the Conservative Political Action Conference, fueling further speculation of a potential run.[6]

In March, speaking on the Christian Broadcasting Network about his past marital infidelity, he said he had made poor moral judgements and regretted that part of his past, for which he had sought "God's forgiveness."[7]

2011: campaign kick-off and developments

Announcement

Gingrich had maintained that he would not officially decide whether or not to pursue the office of President until at least February 2011, and would announce his decision sometime in March.[8] It was erroneously announced on May 1, 2011, that Gingrich had formed an exploratory committee, and would officially announce the committee in Georgia after a meeting with Governor Nathan Deal.[5] He actually launched an exploratory committee on May 3, when he started his new website.[9]

The website, entitled "Newt Exploratory 2012", features a photo of Gingrich with his wife, Callista, superimposed over a background of flag-waving Americans. The Getty Images-licensed background was found to have been previously used on the website of the late Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.[10][11] He officially declared his run for President on May 11, 2011, through Twitter and YouTube, making him the first candidate in American history to do so.[12]

Meet the Press interview

On May 15, 2011, Gingrich was interviewed by David Gregory on Meet the Press. Questioning Gingrich on the issue of entitlements, Gregory asked: "The Medicare trust fund, in stories that have come out over the weekend, is now going to be depleted by 2024, five years earlier than predicted. Do you think that Republicans ought to buck the public opposition and really move forward to completely change Medicare, turn it into a voucher program where you give seniors some premium support and--so that they can go out and buy private insurance?" Gingrich answered: "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering. I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate."[13]

Perceived to be criticism of the Republican Party's plan to reform Medicare for the 2012 United States federal budget, the comments were met with a great deal of backlash from the GOP and various political pundits.[14][15] The following day, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee who outlined the 2012 budget proposal, told guest host Raymond Arroyo on the The Laura Ingraham Show: "With allies like that, who needs the left?"[16] Rush Limbaugh advanced a theory that Gingrich intended to be provocative in his "social engineering" statement, and wanted to sacrifice short-term political capital in order to be a stronger candidate in the long term race.[17]

Two days later, Gingrich appeared on On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren in order to respond to criticism he had received over his earlier comments.[18] During the interview, Gingrich explained to Van Susteren that Gregory's question was "a hypothetical baloney question" that he should have refused to answer.[19] After telling Van Susteren that he had contacted Ryan to apologize for his earlier comments, he added: "I want to make sure every House Republican is protected from some kind of dishonest, Democratic edge. So, let me say on the record: Any ad which quotes what I said Sunday is a falsehood and because I have said publicly, those words were inaccurate and unfortunate."[19]

Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, defended the former Speaker of the House on the Fox News Channel show Hannity, stating that Gingrich was a victim of gotcha journalism and that his apology was forced by the "lamestream media".[20][21] Gingrich later said on CBS News's Face the Nation that he was not referring to Ryan but to a general principle "that neither party should impose on the American people something that they are deeply opposed to."[22]

Debt to Tiffany & Co.

On May 17, 2011, Politico reported that Gingrich may have owed Tiffany & Co. as much as $500,000.[23] Tiffany's spokesperson Carson Glover stated on May 24 that Gingrich currently has a zero balance with the company, and that "all payments were made in a timely manner".[24] The New York Times described his revolving line of credit with the jewelry company as one of "the long list of rich-guy foibles that turned into defining campaign moments".[25]

Staff resignations

On June 9, 2011, Gingrich's campaign manager, his press secretary, and senior aides in early primary states had resigned from his campaign en masse, leading to questions about the viability of the campaign.[26] One of the aides who resigned cited differences in vision between the candidate and the staff.[27] The New York Times cited aides complaining of the influence of Gingrich's wife, Callista Gingrich, on the campaign, the candidate's unwillingness to devote more time to campaigning in early primary states, and recent spending on a chartered jet despite fundraising troubles.[28]

Fox News also reported that staff had argued with Gingrich over a luxury cruise in the Balkans, Greece and Turkey he took with his wife just before the resignations.[26] ABC News printed a report claiming that his charity, "Renewing American Leadership", was making payments to for-profit businesses he also ran.[29]

Gingrich called the ABC News report a "smear" and said, "It’s just a falsehood. Patently false. Period." By late June 2011, the campaign was rumored to be $1 million in debt.[30] Two of the aides had previously worked for Rick Perry, who was launching his own presidential bid. Gingrich vowed on his Facebook page the same day to begin his campaign "anew".[28] He compared himself to Ronald Reagan and John McCain, who experienced large staff resignations during their presidential runs.[31]

Gingrich continued to campaign on a promise of restoring competitiveness to the United States, promising to eliminate the capital gains tax and slash corporate taxes.[32] In August 2011, Gingrich called for the adoption of the Six Sigma business management model by the United States government, arguing that as much as half a trillion a year in waste could potentially be eliminated.[33][34]

Revival

Gingrich did not purchase a booth or speaking slot at the Ames poll. Here he is with a crowd of voters.

Gingrich began taking commercial flights and recruited professional volunteers to save money. By July 2011, he announced that he had raised $2 million in the previous 3 months and was on-track to paying back his campaign debts.[35] Gingrich said the hardest aspect of his campaign was fundraising, and stated that potential donors had been deterred by earlier media stories that he was not a serious candidate.[36]

He told guests at a fundraising dinner, "It’s September and I’m here. Every day that goes by we’re fundraising. We will be on the road 24 days this month. I will be in 50 states. This campaign is fully underway."[36] On the campaign trail, a former Republican Party Chairman described him as "a wellspring of ideas" and an independent voter said his study of history was a "good credential".[37]

Gingrich approached his political campaign based on a model from Walmart and McDonalds, saying that instead of carving a niche for himself from among his fellow Republican contenders, he would court nontraditional interest groups for the GOP, including Asian Americans and Latinos.[38]

Reporters characterized him as "wonkish" and "unconventional" in his approach to campaigning; he spent hours discussing brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and autism with scientists, for instance, and spoke with voters on the importance of investing in brain science research.[39] Gingrich was one of several candidates, including Mitt Romney, who did not contest the 2011 Ames Straw Poll. Gingrich did not purchase a booth or speaking slot at the Ames poll, and made no serious effort to win the Ames poll. He finished 8th out of 10 candidates listed.[40]

Gingrich put effort into his Internet social networking, and developed a strong following on Facebook and Twitter. He also held a handful of video "hangouts" where he would have webcam discussions with potential voters.[41] Politico found his Twitter account impressive, and wrote a positive article on how his Twitter account had developed to 1.3 million followers from its start in 2009. Gingrich posted 2 or 3 tweets per day, and included science and history in addition to political topics.[42]

An anonymous former member of Gingrich's campaign staff said that about 80% of the followers were inactive or invalid accounts, and that the campaign paid an Internet service to add followers.[43] Gingrich's spokesman rejected the allegations as false and said his inclusion in the Suggested User List was "responsible for a large, but indeterminable amount of followers."[44] ABC News identified two other "Suggested" users, Gavin Newsom with 1.3 million, and John McCain with 1.7 million followers, suggesting it was not an anomaly.[41]

Debates and polling

The Washington Post reported that Gingrich had a "solid performance" at the fifth Republican debate in Tampa, Florida.[45] A CNN/ORC International poll released shortly after the sixth Republican debate in Orlando, Florida had Gingrich in third behind Perry and Romney.[46] His former rival, Bill Clinton, suggested it was possible for Gingrich to pull off the same success that McCain had in 2008, saying, "The one thing that makes it very hard to count him out is he’s always thinking. He’s always got a bunch of new ideas and some of them are pretty good."[47]

Gingrich increased his fundraising after consistently performing well in the Republican debates. Pollster Kellyanne Conway, who worked for Gingrich's American Solutions, reviewed his debate performances and said his focus and ability to stay on-point during the discussions helped him enormously, as compared to past speeches where he would entertain many different topics.[48] In September 2011, he was able to increase his ground operations in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. Tea Party founder Judson Phillips endorsed him, praising his "presidential" appearances at the debates.[49]

Gingrich personally was in-favor of having unmoderated debates, and advocated for a series of Lincoln-Douglas style forums, which he believed would produce a better "adult Conversation with the American people." He explained, "It's difficult to get past the elite media's passion for trivia. It's difficult to deal with presidential debates that say, in 30 seconds, 'What's your position on balancing the budget?' You know, I don't think we're geared, outside maybe of C-SPAN, to the kind of conversations that we really need in order for the country to make decisions that are really very fundamental."[50]

Gingrich during a book signing in November 2011.

New "Contract with America"

Gingrich introduced a new "Contract with America" that he said would be "much bigger and much bolder" than his original 1994 Contract.[51] Among his proposals would be a Balanced Budget Amendment, a strong training program for new hires in his administration, an individualized learning program for American students, and the signing of 50-100 executive orders beginning on his first day as president.[52]

Mr. Gingrich proposed the building of a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border by January 1, 2014, telling a Tea Party audience it was long overdue, "We won the entire second World War in 44 months, and now in 25 years we can’t control the border when the entire Texas side of the border is a river."[53]

He emphasized the balance of powers between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, and proposed an elimination of policy czars and the reduction of power for the judiciary. Gingrich said the United States faced "an increasingly arrogant judiciary" and argued that the Federalist Papers had established the judiciary as the "weakest of the three branches".[54] Gingrich promoted a reduction in the size of the federal government, pushing for the states' rights authorized by the 10th Amendment.[53]

Certain federal agencies, including the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security would be reduced or eliminated entirely, and federal programs such as student loans would be done by private companies instead of the government. He believes the EPA should be eliminated and replaced by a smaller agency which would be more aggressive in getting companies to use new science and technology to help the environment.[55]

He opposed carbon pricing, which was especially unpopular among conservatives, saying it was an overreach of the EPA's authority. He said the EPA, which was founded in 1970 by Richard Nixon, a Republican, began on good conservative principles but has become too bureaucratic and litigation-focused to be successfully innovative. In particular, he is an advocate for nuclear power, and wants government regulations rewritten from an "outdated" model based on large complex nuclear plants so they take into consideration the systems inside smaller nuclear power plants.[56]

Developments, November and December 2011

By November 2011 Gingrich had moved ahead of Rick Perry in the polls, behind Mitt Romney and Herman Cain who were both contending for the lead. On November 10 an independent PAC not bound by FEC donation limits, Solutions 2012, was launched to fill the fundraising gap that existed since Gingrich's 527 group, American Solutions, closed down in August.[57]

At a debate, Gingrich was pressed about his past relationship with Freddie Mac, as his consulting firm was paid $300,000 by Freddie in 2006.[58] Gingrich said he did no lobbying for Freddie Mac, which was then under scrutiny by the White House, Alan Greenspan, and some Congressional Republicans ahead of the subprime mortgage crisis. Gingrich said he was approached by Freddie and told, "we are now making loans to people that have no credit history and have no record of paying back anything, but that’s what the government wants us to do," to which he replied, "This is insane."[59] At the time, Freddie Mac had paid over 52 Congressmen as part of its Capitol Hill lobbying efforts.[60][61] Gingrich's campaign conceded that Freddie Mac was interested in reaching out to more Republican lawmakers but said the contract terms precluded any lobbying.[62]

Media investigations noted that Gingrich's relationship with Freddie Mac extended beyond 2006, with Bloomberg News revealing an earlier consulting contract that lasted from 1999 to 2002.[63][64] It ultimately became apparent that Gingrich's consulting company had received $1.6 million from Freddie Mac.[65][66]

Scrutiny of Gingrich's "inside the Beltway" ties continued with the Washington Post reporting on November 17 that the Center for Health Transformation, a private, for-profit think tank founded by Gingrich in 2003, made at least $37 million over 8 years by billing health care companies and industry groups who as members paid up to $200,000 annual fees.[67] Although the Center denies lobbying, on its website the organization suggests that it can help clients bridge the link to government agencies and build a "network of allies" within the Federal and State governments.[67]

In late November Gingrich received the endorsement of the New Hampshire newspaper the Manchester Union Leader, which praised his "innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership".[68]

On December 1 Gingrich claimed confidently that he would be the nominee, noting that recent polling had him surging in the early states of Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as closing on Mitt Romney in New Hampshire.[69] A November 2011 CNN article by Democratic strategist Paul Begala was headlined Newt Gingrich Would Be a Godsend to the Democrats,[70] and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat) said in December that a Gingrich nomination would be "heaven-sent" for President Obama's election campaign.[71] Polling among likely Republicans found Gingrich ranked just as capable as Mitt Romney to defeat Obama, and received higher levels of enthusiasm from men, evangelical Christians, and conservatives, while Romney received more support from those who labeled themselves as moderates.[72] Gingrich said Romney was a "competent man" and said he was considering Romney as a possible running mate.[73]

In November 2011 Gingrich argued for relaxing child labor laws so that children could work and develop a work ethic.[74]

As Herman Cain's campaign stumbled in November, Gingrich began polling at the top of the Republican field and received solid leads in early states, establishing himself as a frontrunner with serious opposition coming only from Mitt Romney. Romney's campaign attempted to paint Gingrich as "unstable" and "inconsistent", and bought TV ads in Iowa and New Hampshire against Gingrich.[75][76][77]

After Romney suggested that Gingrich give back the money he was paid by Freddie Mac, Gingrich responded: "I would just say that if Gov. Romney would like to give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain, then I would be glad to listen to him and I'll bet you $10 dollars -- not $10,000 -- that he won't take the offer."[78] This statement was criticised by conservative opinion leader Charles Krauthammer.[79]

On December 23, Gingrich, who had already failed to file the paperwork to appear on the ballot in Missouri, failed to meet the requirements to appear on the ballot in Virginia before the deadline, leaving the state to the only two candidates who met the requirements, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. According to political scientist Larry Sabato, "[t]his sends yet another signal to Republicans that Gingrich is not able to organize."[80]

Statements on Palestinians, Arab-Israeli conflict, Iran, N. Korea

Gingrich stirred international attention and controversy for an interview he gave to The Jewish Channel on December 9, 2011, in which he said "Palestinians are an 'invented' people" who could have chosen to live elsewhere. His comments differed from official U.S. policy which recognizes Palestinians as a people.[81][82][83] The Palestinian Authority strongly disagreed with Gingrich's statements, which were common arguments among Zionist Jews in the early decades of Israel's existence, but have since been abandoned by mainstream Israelis.[84]

The Republican field stated his "incendiary" statements could stir up trouble in a tumultuous region, but Gingrich stood firm by his comments, adding that Palestine never existed as a separate state and "Palestinians" did not gain common recognition until after 1977.[85] Gingrich also took a hard line against Palestine's government, saying both Hamas and Fatah were intricately-linked terrorist organizations and shared hostility towards the Jewish people.[86]

Although Gingrich supports a two state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, Palestinians found his statements to be highly insensitive and insulting to their cause.[87] An advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) suggested that Gingrich's information on the subject was obtained from one-sided "Israeli propaganda" published in the Palestinian Media Watch.[88]

Gingrich's fears of a possible electromagnetic pulse attack in the United States received more media attention. In 2004, Gingrich had advocated that the United States create defense systems and carry out pre-emptive military strikes to prevent such a threat in front of the United States House of Representatives.[89] In 2009, he gave a speech to AIPAC proposing attacks on Iranian and North Korean nuclear sites to prevent a possible nuclear disruption attack. The scientific community has been divided on the potential effects of such an attack, and there is skepticism as to how relevant the threat is in the post-Cold War era.[90]

"Establishment" opposition

Gingrich parodied on the cover of National Review

Gingrich's rise to front-runner status provoked renewed skepticism from the party establishment and heavy scrutiny from conservative pundits, who questioned his character and his record. David Brooks argued that Gingrich is subject to "narcissism, self-righteousness, self-indulgence and intemperance" while George Will called him a "rental politician" who "embodies almost everything disagreeable about modern Washington." Peggy Noonan expressed concern that after winning the nomination in 2012 "and the GOP is fully behind him, he will begin baying at the moon."[91]

A National Review magazine cover showing Gingrich as Marvin the Martian pokes fun at his support for U.S.-built moon bases.[92] The magazine urged its readers not to vote for Gingrich, calling attention to his past marriages, his "irresolute action" as speaker, and his absence from government since 1998.[93]

In the last few weeks before the Iowa caucuses, established Republican politicians came publicly for Romney and became more vocal against Gingrich, arguing that he was not as "electable" in a general election as Romney.[94] Gingrich received such criticisms from Peter T. King and Nikki Haley, and from pundits Glenn Beck, George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Brit Hume, and Jonah Goldberg.[94][95] Responding to the criticism, Gingrich said "[t]he Republican establishment is anti-intellectual and anti-change. They’re for winning as long as it’s meaningless."[96]

2012: primaries begin

Iowa: 4th place, 13%

On January 3, Gingrich won 13 percent of the vote in the Iowa Republican caucuses, finishing fourth behind Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul.[97] Gingrich blamed negative advertising for his decline in December polling, saying "anybody who has eight or nine million dollars of negative advertising, much of it false, thrown at them is going to slide for awhile."[98] When asked if he felt he had been swiftboated, a reference to the negative ads that partially derailed John Kerry's presidential bid in 2004, Gingrich replied that he'd been "Romney-boated".[99] The San Francisco Chronicle noted that a PAC supporting Romney launched "more than $1.2 million of negative ads in Iowa, mostly aimed at Gingrich", the content of which included "at least one false statement and several misleading ones".[100] Writing in Politico, Vanderbilt University political science professor John Geer agreed that there was "an unprecedented number of negative ads aired against" Gingrich in December, but argued that the ads were not the sole explanation for Gingrich's decline in support, since the decline was national while the ads were airing only in Iowa. In Geer's view, Gingrich's problem was "the bright lights of the news media", writing that during the summer and early fall "many voters ... focused on his much-praised performance in the GOP debates ... Once Gingrich became a credible candidate, however, the media began to scrutinize him more carefully".[101]

Gingrich and his wife in New Hampshire

Following release of the Iowa results, Gingrich gave a concession speech, in which he appeared angry at "a Massachusetts moderate" for his campaign's attack ads.[102][103]

New Hampshire: 4th place, 9.4%

Following the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich flew to New Hampshire to take part in two debates the weekend prior to that state's January 10 primary. Romney won the primary with 39 percent of the vote while Gingrich narrowly edged Santorum for fourth place with 9.4 percent.[104]

South Carolina: 1st place, 40%

Ahead of the South Carolina primary, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson donated $5 million to "Winning Our Future", the Super PAC that supports Gingrich.[105][106] The super PAC allocated $3.4 million for TV advertising in South Carolina, including the trailer for a 27 minute documentary titled "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" that purported to tell the tale of a "predatory corporate raider".[107] This line of attack drew disapproval from some Republican leaders and pundits.[108] After the Washington Post's "Fact Checker" gave the film their most damning rating of "4 Pinocchios", Gingrich called on the PAC to "either edit every single mistake or pull the entire film".[109] A Reuters/Ipsos poll announced a week before the primary showed Gingrich slipping behind the front runner.[110]

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin urged voters to vote for Gingrich on January 18[111] and the next day Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the race and endorsed Gingrich, describing the former House Speaker as a "conservative visionary".[112]

On January 21 Gingrich outpolled Romney 40% to 27%, with Rich Galen, a Republican strategist and former Gingrich aide observing that, "Newt [just] had one of the best weeks in politics I've ever seen and Romney had one of the worst."[113] Two TV debates held during the week played a decisive factor. Washington Post analyst Chris Cillizza dubbed Gingrich's January 16 encounter "the former House Speaker's best debate of the entire race".[114] GOP viewers were put off by Romney’s business-like replies and won over by Gingrich's fire in the belly remarks.[115] After Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC) accused Gingrich of having engaged in racial dog whistling in South Carolina, Gingrich said "it’s unfortunate that liberal leaders... can’t have an honest debate about policies that fail."[116][117]

Florida: 2nd place, 32%

Polls released eight days before Florida's January 31 winner-take-all primary suggested that Gingrich was leading Romney in Florida and in a close race nationally.[118] The super PAC supporting Gingrich bought $6 million of air time in Florida,[119] having received another $5 million from Adelson, in the name of Adelson's wife, Miram.[120] The PAC produced another documentary that attacked Romney, this time making an issue of Romney's 1990 to 1993 tenure as a corporate director of Damon Corporation, a medical testing company that paid $119 million in criminal fines and a civil settlement in 1996 for defrauding Medicare.[121] As of January 27, Romney's campaign and super PAC had outspent Gingrich forces by nearly $12 million,[122] with Wesleyan University's "Media Project" calculating that Romney and his interest group allies had aired almost 13,000 ads on Florida broadcast TV as of January 25, versus 200 for Gingrich's campaign and allies.[123]The Guardian said that before the primary, Gingrich had been "subjected to one of the most expensive and sustained negative ad bombardments in recent US political history,"[124] and Gingrich said some of the attacks on him had been "breathtakingly dishonest.”[125]

As Gingrich excoriated "elites in Washington and New York",[126] Canadian columnist Andrew Steele noted that the former House Speaker was running a campaign of "classic populism".[127]

Gingrich continued to face opposition from "establishment" Republicans. 1996 GOP Presidential candidate Bob Dole announced that "it is now time" to take a stand against Gingrich.[128] Former Reagan official Elliot Abrams accused the then Georgia Congressman of having been a Reagan critic in the 1980s,[129] although some commentators took issue with Abrams' allegations, noting that Gingrich had frequently praised Reagan.[130][131]

Gingrich had his 19th debate of the campaign in Jacksonville on January 26. Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin reckoned that it was a good debate for Gingrich's rivals, describing Romney as "invigorated", and Santorum as "impressive".[132] Rich Lowry of the National Review agreed, noting that at one point "Gingrich tried to wheel on [debate moderator] Wolf Blitzer and [this time] it didn't work."[133]

A Quinnipiac poll released four days before the primary found Gingrich trailing Romney by 9%, a margin similar to that found by several other polls.[134] An American Research Group poll conducted on January 27 and 28 found that he was tied with Romney among male voters, but was more than 20 points behind Romney with female voters.[135] Several polls announced just before the vote suggested that Romney would win Florida by a double-digit margin,[136] and on January 31 Romney won with 46% to Gingrich's 32%. Rick Santorum took 13% while Ron Paul, who did not campaign in Florida, received 7%. Gingrich declined to make "the traditional congratulatory phone call" to Romney.[137]

Also on January 31, the Gingrich campaign acknowledged responsibility for a Florida robocall that accused Romney of "forcing Holocaust survivors to eat non-kosher food" while he was Governor of Massachusetts. Gingrich aide Joe DeSantis said it had not gone through the campaign's "normal vetting process", and that calls on the topic would not be repeated in Nevada. The Romney campaign said the calls were "sad" and "desperate".[138] Gingrich denied knowledge of the call.[139]

It was reported by various news sources including Florida News organizations, Yahoo News and Ron Paul's web site that allegedly Gingrich's security and aides assaulted and harassed a Ron Paul supporter at a polling location in Florida. According to the stories, Dillard, a 29-year-old Ron Paul supporter wearing his "Ron Paul Rocks America" t-shirt and sporting a Ron Paul 2012 campaign sigh was already in position when Gingrich and his aides arrived. Dillard stood his ground quietly as Gingrich set up camp right in front of him to address the media on site. In efforts to get Dillard to move Gingrich security and aides attempted to intimidate Dillard and one member of Gingrich's Security assaulted Dillard by stepping and grinding on Dillard's bare toes as if to be putting out a cigarette while other aides encouraged the conduct. Ron Paul called on Gingrich to take appropriate actions against the staffers and apologize but no reports of any apologies or actions taken against staffers have yet been reported. [140][141][142][143][144][145]

Endorsements

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  163. ^ Former Congressman Napier Endorses 'Bold' Gingrich
  164. ^ Bill McCollum to co-chair Newt Gingrich Florida campaign
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  169. ^ a b Gingrich Endorsed By Art Laffer, Michael Reagan; Pivots to Economic Message
  170. ^ Another Reaganite Endorsement: 'America Needs Newt'
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  181. ^ What the GOP field faces in South Carolina
  182. ^ S.C. Majority Leader Endorses Newt Gingrich
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  184. ^ Thomas Sowell: Gingrich for president
  185. ^ "Newt's Right on Sharia". National Review Online. January 18, 2012.
  186. ^ Medal of Honor Recipient Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret) Endorses Newt Gingrich
  187. ^ Colonel endorses Gingrich, calling him a 'professional doer'
  188. ^ An Editorial: For President, Newt Gingrich, Joseph W. McQuaid, publisher, New Hampshire Union Leader, November 27, 2011
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  194. ^ Illuzzi, Joseph (December 10, 2011). "Carl Paladino will head up the WNY Newt Gingrich for President campaign. Paladino will be joined by Donna McCartney-Henry & my friend 2nd vice chairman Erie County GOP Committee John Schmidt. ..." PoliticsNY.net. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
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  196. ^ Iowa Radio Host Steve Deace Endorses Gingrich
  197. ^ Gingrich continues to struggle in polls, gets nod from key Cain ally
  198. ^ a b c Christian researcher endorses Newt Gingrich
  199. ^ Todd Palin Endorses Newt Gingrich
  200. ^ "Exclusive: Newt snags support of 'Left Behind' author Tim LaHaye". Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  201. ^ Dr. Michael Youssef Endorses Newt Gingrich and Joins Faith Leaders Coalition as National Co-Chair
  202. ^ "Chuck Norris Endorses Newt Gingrich, Swings Crucial 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Constituency". Reuters. January 20, 2012.
  203. ^ Elliott, Philip (January 28, 2012). Cain backs Gingrich's presidential bid. Associated Press. Retrieved January 28, 2012.