In case you were wondering whether the revelation of
Mitt Romney's Etch-A-Sketch Campaign Strategy was a big deal or not, here's your answer: it's a big enough deal that Newt Gingrich decided to take a break from his tour of exotic zoos and French restaurants or whatever the heck it is that he's doing and return to the campaign trail. Newt started out on Twitter:
Etch a Sketch is a great toy but a losing strategy. We need a nominee w/ bold conservative solutions.
http://t.co/... #RomneyToys
— @newtgingrich via web
And continued in person, in Lake Charles, Louisiana:
Really:
(Photo: NBC embed Alex Moe via David Weigel)
And then:
Newt gave the etch-a-sketch to a kid in the front row and said, "You can now be a presidential candidate."
— @GingerGibson via TweetDeck
I haven't seen video of that yet, but even though the Republican nomination battle feels like it's over, it'll be hilarious nonetheless. In the portion of his remarks that I did catch, Newt said Romney's campaign was saying that "if [Republicans] are dumb enough to nominate [Romney], that by the acceptance speech he'll move back to the left." Gingrich said that "triggers everything people are worried about."
Rick Santorum also chimed in, but true to form, he was dry as toast, taking one of the funniest things yet to have happened on the campaign trail and making it a true yawner.
Governor Romney's aides today on the television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primary, will be like an Etch-A-Sketch. [...] Well that should be comforting for all of you who are voting in this primary, that whoever you're going to vote for is going to be a completely new candidate.
It almost makes you feel sorry for Santorum. Here he is running against a guy whose campaign is bragging about an Etch-A-Sketch Strategy yet he still comes off like the biggest prick in the room. His campaign
released a photo of Santorum with an Etch-A-Sketch to try to lighten him up, but it looks like Santorum is holding a live hand grenade instead of having fun with one of the funniest moments yet so far in the campaign.
12:44 PM PT:
