Visual source: Newseum
Boston Globe:
Influential conservatives in key early-voting states said yesterday that Newt Gingrich’s belief that some illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship was sowing fresh doubts over his candidacy just weeks after he showed promise of emerging as a chief alternative to Mitt Romney. Gingrich, portraying himself as a “compassionate conservative,’’ said in a debate Tuesday night that he believes illegal immigrants who have been in the United States for more than a generation should not be separated from their families by deportation. “I’m prepared to take the heat for saying, let’s be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families,’’ Gingrich said. That heat came yesterday, and it came swiftly in a way that some predicted could derail his entire campaign.
WaPo:
Republican leaders across Iowa — including grass-roots activists, county party chairmen and a congressman — said on Wednesday that Gingrich could see an erosion in his support here, just as Texas Gov. Rick Perry did when his moderate immigration positions became clear.
Tim Albrecht, a top aide to Gov. Terry Branstad (R), said Gingrich’s comments will prove “toxic.” He predicted that other candidates would “tear him up on this issue."
While inside-the-beltway pundits tried to make this into a "Gingrich won the debate" moment, everyone outside the beltway knew Newt stepped in something he'd be scraping off his shoe the moment he opened his mouth. And that's because the knuckle-draggers who vote in the GOP primaries will never accept sane and rational discussion about immigration.
Politico:
We notice a striking difference between how key players in the early states talked about the immigration portion of the debate and how those who make their living inside the Beltway covered it. DC-based folks tended to argue that immigration will not be that damaging because Gingrich did not use the word “heartless” to describe those who disagree with him, in contrast to the tone-deaf Perry. Iowa operatives think Gingrich made his path to the nomination significantly harder.
Nate Silver:
Following the exchange, Mr. Gingrich’s stock at Intrade, the political betting market that we frequently track, declined to about 14 percent from 16 percent, erasing gains he had made earlier in the day.
It was not the “flash crash” that proceeded Rick Perry’s “oops” moment during the Nov. 9 debate, but my view is that the markets probably overreacted in this case and that Mr. Gingrich’s answer will not be all that harmful to him.
Maybe, maybe not, but your average Republican voter isn't that reasonable. On this one, I think Nate's just wrong.
Behind the Numbers:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who sits atop recent polls, voiced a relatively moderate position on immigration, arguing against large-scale deportations that would separate long-time illegal immigrants from their families. Polls find a wide range of support for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the United States under certain conditions, but Republicans are consistently more resistant to these policies than other voters. In a June Gallup poll, two in three Republicans said government should focus on halting the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States rather than dealing with those who have already arrived.
Pew on Romney's Mormon faith:
When it comes to the general election, Romney does better in a head-to-head matchup with Obama than any of the other top-tier GOP candidates. Looking at all registered voters, white evangelical Protestant voters are just as likely to support Romney over Obama in a general election matchup as they are to support Cain, Gingrich, or Perry against Obama. And among white Catholic and white mainline Protestant voters, Romney holds considerably more appeal than the other GOP contenders.
Gail Collins:
But about the debates. My favorite this week was the Thanksgiving Family Forum, in which everybody in the race who isn’t a Mormon went to Iowa to compete for the love of the Christian right. This was the one in which Rick Perry assured the audience that because of his strong anti-abortion stance he would immediately end the policy of sending China “billions of dollars” in American foreign aid.
Who knew? Truly, it was the most interesting TV moment since I watched somebody bid way too much money for an abandoned storage locker containing fake leather furniture and a portrait of cats with big eyes.