After another Mitt Romney primary win — this time at the Nevada Caucuses — Newt Gingrich decided to hold a press conference, instead of a second-place-ain’t-so-bad speech. It was carried live on CNN and Fox News. (MSNBC signed off at 11pmET airing “Lockup: New Mexico.”) A defiant Gingrich brushed off rumors he’ll be dropping out, saying he’s in it until the convention in Tampa. Gingrich says he’ll be able to stay in it state-by-state, because his is a national campaign: “If I am on ‘Hannity’, or I am happy to be in the Associated Press, or if I’m on one of the networks or even in The New York Times that in fact it reaches the whole country.”
At one point during his Q&A, Gingrich cited Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer’s comments about Mitt Romney not quite understanding “conservative philosophy.”
After the newser, Krauthammer told Bret Baier, “I appreciate the shout out but it will not work.” And summing up the news conference, Krauhammer added, “That was the best of Newt and the worst of Newt.”
Stephen Hayes agreed: “This is what flailing looks like. It was not a pretty performance by Newt Gingrich.”
As CNN waited for Gingrich, they kept their Caucus Cam trained on a late gathering of GOP voters, held after sundown to accommodate Orthodox Jews and Seventh Day Adventists. One Caucus-goer, a Ron Paul supporter, bemoaned Paul’s perceived lack of media coverage, even claiming he’s been poorly lit at the debates. “I’ve looked at some of the debates and when they go on Ron Paul, the lighting is dimmer, sometimes they don’t even allow him to talk, they don’t even get him into the conversations,” the woman said, live on CNN. “It’s just hideous how the media has been handling this entire thing.”
Gingrich also revealed he’ll be rooting for the Giants later today. As a Green Bay Packer shareholder — his son-in-law hails from Sheboygan — Gingrich decided it was best to root for the team that beat the Packers on the road to the Super Bowl.