Why Newt Gingrich is Hoping for an Obama Victory

Published in Le Figaro
(France) on 10 January 2012
by Par Jean-Sébastien Stehli (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sacha Christianson. Edited by Mark DeLucas.
Nothing is going right anymore for Newt Gingrich after the triple victory of Rick Santorum, about whom we'd almost forgotten, in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota. This was a terrible slap in the face for Newt, bloated with self-importance, who even told Santorum during the primaries in Florida to disappear from the political scene so that he could take on Mitt Romney face-to-face.

Now that he seems to have lost ground, the ex-speaker of the House of Representatives just has to wait for Barack Obama’s victory.

None of Gingrich’s options are very pleasing to him. First option: He continues his campaign with little funds and a team that doesn’t support him. This would only result in continuing to steer Republican votes away from Mitt Romney, which would suit him quite well. We’ll come back to this.

Second option: He retires his campaign and seeks a position with the Romney campaign. At best, an opportunity to address the Republican convention next summer during primetime. Not especially exciting, and a little humiliating.

The only real possibility is the third option: to wait for Barack Obama’s victory, which would be his real revenge. Newt Gingrich would then be able to pontificate on Fox News, explaining that it was because it didn’t choose a Republican candidate conservative enough that the Party failed. The next election cycle in 2016 will be a very opportune time. There won’t be an obvious Republican candidate like Romney today, McCain in 2008 or Dole in 1996.

Romney, who thought he had the nomination in the bag, must wonder when his fortunes will finally go in the right direction. With an electorate whose slogan seems to be “Anyone but Romney,” he has reason to be worried. As for Gingrich, he can only see better days.


Rien ne va plus pour Newt Gingrich après la triple victoire de Rick Santorum, que l'on avait presque oublié, dans le Colorado, Missouri et le Minnesota. Une gifle terrible pour le Newt, tout gonflé de son importance, qui avait même suggéré à Santorum, lors des primaires de Floride, de disparaître de la scène pour le laisser face à face avec Mitt Romney.
Maintenant qu'il semble avoir été décroché, il ne reste plus qu'à l'ex-Speaker de la Chambre des Représentants, à attendre la victoire de Barack Obama.


Aucune des options de Gingrich n'est très réjouissante pour lui. Option 1: Il continue sa campagne avec peu d'argent et une équipe qui ne croit plus en lui. Le seul résultat est de continuer à détourner les électeurs Républicains de Mitt Romney, ce qui l'arrange sans doute. On y reviendra.
Option 2: Il se retire de la campagne et cherche à trouver un deal avec la campagne de Romney. Au mieux, la possibilité de s'adresser à la convention Républicaine, l'été prochain, à une heure de grande écoute. Pas particulièrement excitant et un peu humiliant.
Il ne lui reste vraiment que l'option 3: Attendre la victoire de Barack Obama, qui serait sa vraie revanche. Newt Gingrich pourrait pontifier sur Fox en expliquant que c'est parce qu'ils n'ont pas choisi un candidat assez conservateur que les Républicains ont à nouveau échoué. Surtout, le cycle suivant, en 2016, serait très ouvert. Il n'y aurait plus de candidat naturel de la droite, comme Romney aujourd'hui ou McCain en 2008, ou Bob Dole en 1996.
Romney, qui croyait avoir la nomination dans la poche, doit se demander quand son destin va enfin aller dans le bon sens. Avec un électorat dont le slogan semble être "Tout sauf Romney", il a du souci à se faire. Et Gingrich, lui, ne peut qu'aller vers des jours meilleurs.
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