Newt's campaign: "we’ve seen spikes in volunteers and donations"

From a pretty positive piece from RealClearPolitics:

Gingrich’s campaign is set to branch out and expand where it matters. Aides plan to open offices in Iowa and New Hampshire in mid-October and will move field staffers to both early voting states.

The campaign says that it has been inundated with encouragement and offers of support on the heels of the candidate’s recent debate performances.

...

"We continue to have a functional operation that was able to operate more effectively and efficiently financially," said Gingrich spokesperson R.C. Hammond. "Through the debate successes, we've seen spikes in volunteers and donations, so the resources exist for the campaign to function quite nicely."

Longtime Republican media consultant Lionel Sosa has been brought on to help with outreach to the Hispanic community

....

"The contrast that Newt wants the American people to see is his capacity and record as a leader versus Barack Obama’s capacity as a leader," Hammond said. "He will show the American people, 'I've led at a time when you’ve had to have one end of the government working with the other end of government. You couldn’t just speak from the bully pulpit. You had to go to the other side and figure out how to do it.' "

Lionel Sosa endorses Newt, gives "10 Reasons Why Latinos Should Support" Newt

The full press release from Newt 2012:

Atlanta, GA - Today, business leader and activist Lionel Sosa announced his support for Newt Gingrich, offering "10 Reasons Why Latinos Should Support Newt Gingrich for President."

10 Reasons Why Latinos Should Support Newt Gingrich for President

By Lionel Sosa

Newt Gingrich believes in the American dream for everyone. He is the one Republican candidate who talks consistently about the importance of enacting policies that allow more Latinos to realize the American dream. Gingrich is the one Republican candidate who is leading the way for more Latinos to take positions of leadership in America and the Republican Party.

Here are 10 reasons why Latinos should support Newt Gingrich for president:

1. Latinos owe Obama nothing

Barack Obama promised to create more and better jobs for Latinos. He promised to fix the economy, to increase educational opportunities for our children and to solve the immigration quagmire. None of these promises were kept, and Latinos are worse off than before. That’s why Latino support for Obama has plummeted. Just because Obama is a Democrat, doesn’t mean he deserves our blind loyalty.

2. Newt Gingrich shares our conservative values

Latinos believe in family, in God, in country and in life - so much so that we protect it. We believe in good, honest, hard work. We don’t believe in handouts, just an equal opportunity to prove ourselves. We believe in patriotism and putting country before self. These values are Newt's values and the ties that bind us.

3. Newt Gingrich knows the importance of the Latino community

50 million Latinos comprise 16% of our country’s population today. Half of our country’s population growth in the next 20 years will be generated by the growth in the Latino population. Latinos have become a key driver of our nation’s future. While the other candidates seem oblivious to this fact, Newt Gingrich has been working hard for many years to include American Hispanics in the overall conversation for a better America.

4. Newt Gingrich will fix the economy

When the economy sours, everything breaks down. People lose their jobs and stop buying. When people quit buying, the people who make the products they would have bought also lose their jobs. People without jobs pay fewer taxes so the government has less money when the unemployed need more help. So the government borrows more and goes into deeper debt. It then pays more interest, leaving even fewer dollars to help the unemployed. This domino effect must be stopped. Newt Gingrich will focus on growing the economy by instilling confidence in America and creating opportunity for those who generate jobs. He will grow the small business sector by creating financing opportunities, cutting both taxes and unnecessary regulations.

5. Newt Gingrich will create more jobs

Hispanic unemployment is 11.6% compared to the already high 9.1% nationally. When Newt Gingrich fixes the economy, jobs - including Latino jobs - will come back. Newt Gingrich is a steadfast supporter of NAFTA, and CAFTA - measures that will help make America #1 in job creation once again.

6. Newt Gingrich will make education a top priority

Our current system of education is failing all Americans, including Latinos. America has gone from #1 to #9 in educational achievement and is falling further behind. Newt Gingrich will reverse this trend by preparing our children for successful careers and productive lives starting at pre-K. He will inspire students, parents and their teachers to set the highest expectations possible. He will reward educators' best work.

7. Newt Gingrich will tackle immigration head on

For almost four years, Barack Obama has kept immigration on the back burner, breaking his promise to address it in his first year in office. Newt Gingrich will tackle the issue and fix it. His plan starts with securing our borders and is based on a multi-step platform for issuance of more work permits to create legal workers. It will also provide a secure employment verification system and immediate deportation of criminals. All this can be implemented while respecting the sanctity and dignity of each human life.

8. Newt Gingrich has a record of Hispanic inclusion

In 2004 Newt Gingrich launched his first Spanish website Newt.org/paralatinos. In 2009 he launched TheAmericano.com, the first conservative bilingual website for American Hispanics. For the past five years, he has been writing columns for Spanish newspapers and holding roundtables with Latino leaders across the country. Newt Gingrich has studied Spanish for over five years and is becoming an accomplished Spanish speaker.

9. Newt Gingrich will keep us safe

Since 9/11, America has been on high alert. Our American men and women in our military have done our country proud. Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden are gone but the threat remains. Newt Gingrich will focus on keeping our country safe and strong while refocusing military priorities and spending only on the resources we truly need.

10. Newt Gingrich has the experience America needs

Barrack Obama’s inexperience in Washington has brought our government to a virtual standstill. America needs a president who has fought and won in the legislative arena and has the experience to lead. Past mistakes have made Newt Gingrich wiser. He is known for his keen intellect, effective leadership and bravery in the line of fire. He cuts through complicated issues to the core of the problem and will not let either political extreme dictate the future of our country.

The Americano

Last year, Newt Gingrich launched The Americano, a news site for Hispanic Americans. "[I]t is the bilingual brainchild of Sylvia Garcia, a longtime employee of Gingrich Communications, the former speaker's consulting business," wrote Michael Scherer on Time.com. "The idea came during the election," Garcia says. "There really isn't any media that is covering conservative values for Hispanics. Everything you see is very one-sided."

Today, the first annual Americano Forum will kick off in Washington, D.C. Three of the presentations:

• Why Hispanics are Natural Conservatives.
• Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?
• Hispanics and the American Experiment: The Greatness of Conservatism.

Some of the guests include Jeb Bush, Jr., former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, former Prime Minister of Spain José María Aznar, and Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan.

The Washington Post notes that Fox News launched a Latino website, latino.foxnews.com, in October and that the Heritage Foundation will soon have Libertad.org. But "Gingrich's efforts are drawing the most attention," writes David Montgomery.

Montgomery quotes Lionel Sosa, "who pioneered GOP outreach to Lationos on behalf of Ronald Reagan and both George Bushes": "This is the first time that planning for the Latino vote and getting together all the conservative Latinos in a major effort has been done outside of a campaign.

Juan Hernandez told Montgomery, "Newt is setting a table that had not been set before."

Univision anchor Jorge Ramos: "It's a matter of respect. Newt Gingrich understands that." Part of that respect is that Gingrich has been studying Spanish an hour a week lately.

Gingrich told the Post:

My firm defense of American exceptionalism gets its strongest endorsement from first-generation immigrants, who walk up with tears in their eyes and say, 'This is why we came to America.' On one hand, they want to know that I'm sensitive to, and care about, their historical background; on the other hand, they really want me to be aggressively for America. It's the integrating of that balance that's so important.