Newt Gingrich’s campaign is looking to buck up supporters after their embarrassing failure to get on the ballot in Virginia, likening their inability to secure enough signatures to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
“Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941,” campaign director Michael Krull said in a message posted to Facebook. “We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action. Throughout the next months there will be ups and downs; there will be successes and failures; there will be easy victories and difficult days - but in the end we will stand victorious.”
Gingrich, along with Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Jon Huntsman, failed to meet the state’s 10,000 signature requirement, leaving only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul on the ballot. There is no write-in option under state law. One recent poll showed Gingrich leading the entire field.
Krull told supporters that the campaign would rebound, but acknowledged that it was a serious blow.
“Newt and I have talked three or four times today and he stated that this is not catastrophic - we will continue to learn and grow,” he wrote. “Remember that it was only a few months ago that pundits and the press declared us dead after the paid consultants left. They declared that the decision not to compete in the Ames Straw Poll would mean that Iowans would ignore us. Some will again state that this is fatal.”
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.
Good analogy, so when do we build a memorial over him?
It seems to me that the failure might be the fault of the educational system, rather than the electoral process. Newt needs people who have gud reding ang comprenshun skils also too.
I don't support Gingrich but I find it unfair that the front runner does'nt qualify being on the Virginia State ballots.
But the rules, though the threshold is extremely severe, were known long time in advance by all potential candidates.
If I were Gingrich, I would ask my supporters to vote for Ron Paul, trying to reach a deal with him during the rest of primaries and caucuses.
The strongest opponent to Newt Gingrich is Romney, not Paul.
Oh, and it's clear what the historical analogy is: Nikias in Thucydides...the fool waited too long to attack Syracuse (based on lunar superstitions), and his warriors ended up having to cite Euripides or be executed after capture. Can Newt, the Historian, cite Euripides? He'd better brush up.
Newt, who has never served, would like the fools that support him to see him as some sort of heroic American warrior. Thus, he mis-characterizes the his own failure and incompetence as a campaigner as some sort of "war story." Wrong.
How do you screw that up? In my city our local Metropolitan Water Reclamation District candidates need about 10,000 signatures to survive a petition challenge and get on the ballot. How exactly are my local candidates--running for a job most people have never heard of--running better field operations than Newt's million dollar state-wide presidential campaign? And not just Newt, either; a handful of these fools didn't make it on the ballot.
Comparing his screwup to Pearl Harbor only shows again the egomania of the man.
It's not like this is America's Pearl Harbor...more like Newt Gingrich's Nagasaki
Newt failed to get on the ballot because he didn't have adequate ground level organization and support, mainly because he only ever intended all this to be a donation-funded, tax-free book tour and not a serious run for President.
Newt's analogy makes perfect sense to me. He's clearly on a kamikaze mission against his own campaign.
It seems this fiasco was entirely the VA GOP’s fault, because they quietly changed the rules due to a legal challenge from an independent legislative candidate (link 1.) Over at RedState they’ve predictably gone ballistic over this faux pas.
And now, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Great Gingrich is trying to get the Republican dominated state legislature to change the write-in rule in the Virginia Election Code just for his benefit. But the article notes that time constraints make it almost impossible to do so even if the legislature were so inclined (link 2.)
http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/virginia-2...
MrJonz But, if Gingrich can't get 10,000 people to sign a petition to get him on the ballot, why does he think he can get the people of Virginia to write him into the primary?
bizzwire MrJonz What makes Newt think people who would vote for him can write?
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"
oskieoskie . Wow. Are you for real?
The Germans didn't bomb pearl harbor, teh Japanese did.
You must be a republican,.
Mark Hensleyoskieoskie Foghorn Leghorn/"I say, theah boy,...tha's a joke, son..."/Foghorn Leghorn
Mark Hensley It's from "Animal House".
oskieoskie forget it, he's rolling
Astonishing ! My parents told me that Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japaneses.
Now with this precious information, I'll revisit all my WWII books taking nothing for sure.
Sorry Mark but I don't think you know that Otto von Bismark and Lloyd George saved the peace with the Munich accords signed in 1962.
It is not really surprising considering the right's penchant to present themselves as victims of unwarranted attacks. But being a politician, he takes no responsibility for his failures and will plow on not learning a thing.
I agree. it's a reach of ego-maniacal proportions. At the same time I really dislike the way TPM editorializes with the pictures it chooses.
It is disgusting and disrepect for Newt Gingrich to compare his Virgina Ballot failure to Pearl Harbor. His failure in Virgina is from his inability to be organized with grassroots in the state.
It's like Fort Sumpter, SC all over again Newt.
Hari kari would be more accurate!
Newton x3; just can't stop with the analogies can ya. If 911 was our Pearl Harbor, then what is your campaign staff's failure to secure 10,000 crummy signatures? Why THAT's Pearl Harbor, too. In fact ALLOWING 911 is a lot more like Pearl Harbor than the deed itself.
I happen to believe that every fockup by any repugnant is another Pearl Harbor. It certainly wasn't THEIR fault. It was a sneak attack. What can you say?
As a matter of fact, here, take my hand and we'll walk back in the general direction of reality together. I know, I know, you can't accompany me all the way....delusion and all the rest take the right fork, just up ahead.
I really can't see how this can be stretched into an analogy that is anything like pearl harbor. Yes, he was surprised and yes his forces experienced a severe setback. But, nobody died and there was not an external enemy to blame. I know he professes to see these things through the lens of history. Does he really want us to believe that our government and armed forces back in 1941 were anything like the cluster-f**k that is his campaign?
Hollywood has launched an unprovoked attack on Newt Gingrich and his Republican allies. First, they were routed in "Braveheart." Then they were bombed and strafed in "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "From Here to Eternity." The tide has apparently turned against Newt in "The Battle of the Bulge" as well.
On the economic front, Newt was thwarted in his effort to take over the Bailey Brothers' Savings and Loan in "It's a Wonderful Life and The Blue Parrot in "Casablanca."
The Republicans should concede defeat in "A Night at the Theater: The Battle of the Cineplex" and move on.
Instead of selling books, this clown should have been getting the needed signatures. Dummy.
This is like trying to find an analogy between missing dinner and Stalin starving the Ukranians to death.
Notice how Newt blames the Va rules that won't let a leading candidate get on the ballot. Typical. Don't take responsibility for your own ineptitude. Blame others. I think the good citizens of Va know Newt all too well, and few of them are all that enthusiastic about a megalomaniac and narcissist, who wants to arrest "bad" judges. Just more sketches for SNL.
And THAT is the modus operandi for all the right wingers. All their problems are always someone elses fault...they have a scapegoat for everything....
Comparing his gross ineptitude to the attack on Pear Harbor - typical Newt.
Suggesting it's of no more importance than the Ames Straw Poll - Bwaaaaaaahaahahahahaha.
Likening his "setback" in Virginia to the Pearl Harbor attack? You have got to be kidding. This clown's ego knows no bounds - a true legend in his own mind. And catch that picture of him - looks like the real dangerous thug he would be if (God forbid) he ever were president - I mean "Dictator-in-Chief."
I don't think this is on par with a surprise attack that killed 2000 sailors, but speaking of war, I will say a vote for Newt is a vote for bombing Iran, using the same scare tactics Bush used to invade Iraq.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kuna7sC5ek
Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack: the Virgina primary ballot qualification wasn't. No, the proper historical analogy for World Historical Figure Newt Gingrich is the Battle Of Marathon, and the last stand of the 300 (the final reference in the video to Callista is very touching).
valdezmarc56 The famed "last stand of the 300" occurred at the Battle of Thermopylae, ten years after the battle at Marathon.
Mickey Bitsko
Either one. Or both. As long as it's not Pearl Harbor and Newt profits from lush cinemtaography.
It's his Wateroo. We will break him.
pbeat At least Napoleon Bonaparte bothered to show up at Waterloo.
I don't think Napoleon was quite himself at Waterloo. If I recall, he was slow getting started, and he seemed disengaged during much of the battle. He had put on a fair amount of weight since his last campaign, which may have contributed to his lethargy. Oh, I see what you're getting at.
There are only two GOP candidates who managed 10K signatures in Va. What does that say about the GOP? The mess of candidates? What does it say about the GOP that one of those that made it is Ron Paul?
moodpost It says none of them are really interested in anything but building their brands and keeping that sweet SuperPAC money after inevitably dropping out after two or three primary states. That's a racket Rafa Nadal can only envy them for.
@Mickey Bitsko I hope they remember to write their thank you notes to the Supremes!
If anyone was looking for yet another reason not to vote for Gingrich, comparing his campaign to Pearl Harbor is it. What a deranged and deluded loon.
Conversation from Twitter
davidfrum tpm Says a huge amount about the Newt \/ GOP in a state like VA....Richmond does not support the bomb thrower....surprising #gop
davidfrum tpm Newt comparing hiself to Adm. Yamamoto?
davidfrum. Mr Frum, I don't think Newt wants Potus, he and Calista would prefer VP! Like chloe and Odem! Dallas is work!
davidfrum #gingrich needs to LEARN from the Community Organizer cspanwj \/@TPM: For Newt, VA ballot failure is equivalent to Pearl Harbor
davidfrum tpm more like Waterloo
Setback for the neocons. They are desperate for another GW Bush who will drop US bombs on the Muslim country of their choice.
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