|
 |
 |
|
Gingrich leans on Cain in 'crucial' Georgia primary
Newt Gingrich admitted Friday that winning the Georgia primary was "crucial" to staying viable in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination. On Saturday, he leaned on a former opponent - Herman Cain - in hopes of rallying voters in the state he represented for two decades in Congress.
"We’re here because we believe Newt Gingrich should be the next president of the United States in America," Cain told a crowd in Cumming, Ga., according to the Washington Post. “And contrary to what the mainstream, lame-stream, lapdog media want you to believe, he can pull it out."
The former Godfather's Pizza CEO accused Gingrich's rivals of tax proposals that "continue to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic,” and heralded Gingrich's plan as coming "close to being a bold solution.”
Cain also urged the crowd not to allow concerns about a candidate's past personal life affect their vote, a veiled reference both to the allegations he himself faced and Gingrich's multiple admitted divorces and infidelities.
“That is intended to distract us. We need and we must focus on solutions to America’s problems, and I don’t think we have a better opportunity than the solution called Newt Gingrich for president of the United States of America,” Cain said.
Gingrich needs a big win in Georgia - whose Super Tuesday contest will allocate the most delegates of any contest to that date - to stay relevant in a race that has seen him largely slip behind Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in a struggle for relevance.
The former House Speaker admitted as much talking to voters in Peachtree City, Ga. Friday night.
"Well it's very crucial," Gingrich said, according to CNN. "You know, how crucial is it for Mitt Romney to win Michigan and how crucial is it going to be for [Rick] Santorum to win Pennsylvania?"
Embedded in that admission was a veiled swipe at Romney, who is struggling to stave off Santorum in the Michigan primary Feb. 28. But Gingrich said he felt confident about his chances in the Peach State.
"I would hope to win here and I think, given the years that I spent both helping represent the state in Congress but also helping grow the Republican Party, I think I have some reasonably good likelihood of winning here," said Gingrich.
The former House Speaker also dismissed Santorum's rise to prominence as symptomatic of the tumultuous race, predicting he may fall from grace.
"We'll see in the next few weeks how Mr. Santorum does but the fact is I am the only candidate in this race who has stood nose-to-nose with presidents of both parties and not flinched," Gingrich said.
Gingrich plans a pair of additional rallies in suburban Atlanta later Saturday, while his wife Callista will be meeting with the Atlanta Young Republican club. Cain, meanwhile, has plans to travel to the midwest later this week to campaign with Republican congressional candidate Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher in Ohio and Senate hopeful Pete Hoekstra in Michigan.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
