Mitt Romney is loving Operation Sheldon Adelson
Mitt Romney's biggest win yet?
Despite winning just one state last night, Newt Gingrich is vowing to stay in the race.
Why is he staying in the race?
"We are staying in this race, because I believe it is going to be impossible for a moderate to win the general election," Gingrich said.
Talk about tough words! I mean, not only is Newt Gingrich vowing to continue dividing Mitt Romney's Republican opposition, he's even calling him a "moderate." Ouch!
But don't get the wrong idea, Newt isn't following Sheldon Adelson's orders to hand deliver the nomination to Mitt Romney. He really would quit the campaign if he actually thought Rick Santorum could beat Mitt Romney (yeah, those are my eyes rolling):
"If I thought he was a slam dunk to beat Romney and to beat Obama, I would really consider getting out," Gingrich said of Santorum on the show.
Given that Newt finished Super Tuesday in third or last place everywhere other than Georgia—and that his presence on the ballot handed Mitt Romney victory in at least Ohio and probably Alaska, it's impossible to take him seriously. Maybe he really is just on the mother of all ego-trips, but given his poor showing yesterday, it sure looks like he's in the race to help Mitt Romney.
Behind the scenes, Rick Santorum's campaign is apparently urging conservatives to nudge Newt Gingrich out of the race, but publicly all they will say is that if Gingrich dropped out, it would help their campaign. Now that Gingrich has said no, the question is whether Republicans in upcoming states will realize that a vote for Gingrich is a wasted vote, and if so, whether that gives Rick Santorum enough of a boost to win a contested primary. Or maybe everybody has it wrong, and they'll feel the Newtmentum and give him his third comeback kid title?