"Gingrich Passes the Social Conservative Test"

Byron York wrote the article. An excerpt:

Saturday evening's Family Leader forum in Des Moines was widely viewed as a key test for Republican presidential candidates trying to win the support of still-undecided Iowa social conservatives. And after an extraordinary and sometimes soul-baring discussion between six candidates gathered at First Federated Church, there are signs Newt Gingrich has come out ahead in the race to become the candidate behind whom social conservatives unite behind in their drive to stop Mitt Romney.

Discussions with some social conservative leaders after the forum brought praise for all of the participants, particularly Gingrich and Rick Santorum. But it turns out that pollster/strategist Frank Luntz, who conducted the forum, also ran a focus group after the session, and it appears Gingrich scored very well with the group. "I think the focus group that Luntz did afterward would bear out that Newt Gingrich came a long way Saturday night," says Family Leader president Bob vander Plaats. "I think it would bear out that Gingrich won the forum."

"When you watch it, you'll say, 'Wow,'" vander Plaats continued. "It also looked very good for Santorum, but primarily for Gingrich." The focus group was taped for later showing on Fox News.

York concludes:

What is happening now is that social conservatives are working their way through his liabilities, particularly his three marriages, and trying to decide if they can support the Gingrich of today -- not the Gingrich of 15 or 20 years ago -- without compromising social conservative principles. In the Family Leader forum Saturday, it appears that all involved made a big step toward doing that.

Fox News poll: Newt 23, Romney 22, Cain 15

Another poll that has Newt in the top spot (albeit in a statistical tie).

Among GOP primary voters who are part of the Tea Party movement, Gingrich is the top pick (35 percent), followed by Cain (20 percent). Romney (15 percent) comes in third -- receiving less than half Gingrich’s support among this group.

When asked who they would trust most with nuclear weapons, nearly twice as many primary voters say Gingrich than Romney (30 percent and 17 percent respectively). Those voters would least trust Paul (13 percent), Bachmann (11 percent) and Cain (10 percent) with nukes.

(Video) Newt's interview with Laura Ingraham

Link to video.

(Video) Newt's interview with Hannity from Monday night

Link to video.

(Video) Newt's interview with Hannity

Link to interview.

(Video) Newt on Special Report Center Seat

Link to Part 1.



Link to Part 2.

Newt's interview with Greta from 11/4/11

Link to video.

(Video) Newt's appearance on The O'Reilly Factor Monday

Link to video.

(Video) Newt's interview with Neil Cauvto from Wednesday

Link.

Add the Fox News poll to the list that have Newt in 3rd (and two have him in second)

Fox released their latest poll Wednesday that showed, as most every poll has, Newt in third place:

Herman Cain -- 24
Mitt Romney -- 20
Newt Gingrich -- 12
Rick Perry -- 10
Ron Paul -- 9

Cain's numbers have flattened out some, and the worse for him is yet to come. Most people still do not know about his pro-choice comments. (Luckily for him, the morning after his comments on CNN, Moammar Gadhafi was killed, which took up the news cycle.)

As it is, it might take until the next GOP debate on November 9 for the comments to get out to most voters. If Cain can survive his one-on-one debate with Newt on November 5, I don't see any way he can stay on top of the polls when his views on abortion are revealed.

Two polls earlier this month -- in West Virginia and Nebraska -- had Newt in second place.

A partial list of polls that have Newt in third:

-- Wisconsin.
-- Nevada (two).
-- Ohio.
-- Hawaii.
-- Iowa.
-- A national Rasmussen poll.
-- Florida.
-- A national PPP poll.

(Video) Newt's interview with Megyn Kelly from Friday

Link.

(Video) Newt's interview with Greta after #econdebate

Link.

(Video) Newt's interview on Huckabee from Saturday

Link.

(Video) Newt's interview with Sean Hannity Thursday

Link.

(Video) Sean Hannity interviewing Newt

Link.



Here are two clips -- on the Gibson Guitar case and on why Newt is focused on Obama, not others in the GOP, at debates -- that the campaign posted to YouTube from the interview.

(Video) Newt on Greta following Monday's CNN Debate

Link.

Newt's interview on Fox and Friends from Saturday

He discusses the Super Committee, Lean Six Sigma, and the upcoming debate.

Video of Newt's interview with Sean Hannity Wednesday

Link.

Newt to be at Jim DeMint's Presidential Forum

Newt's campaign confirmed he would take part in the Palmetto Freedom Forum, which is occuring in South Carolina over Labor Day Weekend and of which South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint is a co-sponsor.

"Candidates will take turns fielding questions from the trio of panelists for roughly 20 minutes at a time," writes Peter Hamby of CNN. An actual conversation when determining who should be the next President -- what a concept!

In other news, Newt will be at the Georgia GOP Fish Fry this Saturday. It will be Noon to 2 PM.

Here is the Facebook event page.

Also, Newt will be on Sean Hannity's TV show Wednesday night.

Video of Newt on Hannity Thursday night

Link.