Newt Gingrich admits his failure due to turning Japanese

[JollyRoger]

The national campaign director for Newt Gingrich's presidential bid said the former House Speaker compared his failure to qualify for the Virginia primary to a day that will live in infamy -- the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

"Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action," wrote Michael Krull in an apparent reference to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Republican Party of Virginia announced in the early hours of Saturday that Gingrich, who lives in McLean, Va., had fallen short of the required 10,000 signatures and would be excluded from the state's primary ballot.

The campaign responded with a statement that blamed a "failed system" for his exclusion and promised an aggressive write-in campaign effort. That strategy, however, was scuttled by Virginia law, which prohibits write-in ballots in primary elections.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111225/NEWS90/111229831

Now I know some of you out there think that a campaign does not need to be able to handle logistical details, but this is a gaming forum, so we can expect some are posting in areas outside their area of competence.

The fact that the Gingrich campaign would admit to getting "Pearl Harbored" by rules that are well known by the campaign makes one wonder what kind of real Pearl Harbors we would suffer under a Gingrich Presidency.

Newt is not alone in this failure. The Perry, Bachmann, Santorum, and Huntsman campaigns also found that yes, Virginia, there is a signature clause.

I'm sure Virginians are thrilled to get to decide between Romney and Ron Paul.

 

[Floating Pants]

Now we actually have our real final two candidates, the same two I suspected from the start.

 

[emzie]

yes, Virginia, there is a signature clause.

I think I love you.

 

[cybrxkhan]

They can stillwrite in the candidate, right?

 

[Ajidica]

They can stillwrite in the candidate, right?

The campaign responded with a statement that blamed a "failed system" for his exclusion and promised an aggressive write-in campaign effort. That strategy, however, was scuttled by Virginia law, which prohibits write-in ballots in primary elections.

I know it is rare, but OPs general contain useful information.

 

[JollyRoger]

It's funny to see the Newt and Perry fanboys across the internet cry about this, especially since they are generally in favor of voter id laws that make it tougher to vote.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I know it is rare, but OPs general contain useful information.

Whoops. Missed that. How embarassing. Curse my skimming skills.

 

[History_Buff]

Hilarious. The GOP truly is a comedy of errors.

 

[GoodGame]

Is it an attack if you were too lazy to do something in the first place? I see high schoolers claiming they were "pearl harbored" because they never got the nerve to apply to MIT or somewhere.

He obviously should have campaigned harder and smarter. Is the management of the campaign an indication of how the presidency would have been run?



FYI Paul won Virginia's straw poll the last presidential election.

 

[NickyJ]

Hilarious. The GOP truly is a comedy of errors.

This is no error. It's a miracle.

 

[peter grimes]

@ JollyRoger:
This might be the best OP I've ever read

Succinct, scathing criticism; a topic worthy of gamers' opining; in-jokes... It's got it all!

The fact that the Gingrich campaign would admit to getting "Pearl Harbored" by rules that are well known by the campaign makes one wonder what kind of real Pearl Harbors we would suffer under a Gingrich Presidency.

I wouldn't be concerned with that - I really think the reaction to the 9/11 fiasco under Bush caused some institutional progress that a simple bungling idiot of a President can't overcome that easily. So NO, I don't think we'd see a Pearl Harbor analogue on the national security front. But I do think the Republican party under Gingrich would be out-played by the Democratic party, if this is any indication.

So as a hard-core progressive I wouldn't be too unhappy to see them nominate this buffoon - unless, of course, he's functionally ineligible now.

 

[Takhisis]

A System failure? How can you say there's a system failure when the system ensures that Gingrich isn't a candidate?

 

[Maniacal]

I think it is a sign that the system, for once, works. Also further proof that it is extremely hard to fight it.

 

[GamezRule]

We need another party.

 

[madviking]

Gingrich, who lives in McLean, Va.

Bloody fool lives 20 minutes from me!

 

[NickyJ]

Bloody fool lives 20 minutes from me!

Now now, let's not break out the Molotov cocktails just yet. At least let me get their first, so that I can join you in throwing them.

 

[Leonel]

This doesn't speak volumes about his management and planning skills! I would assume such rules would be written clearly somewhere

 

[NickyJ]

This doesn't speak volumes about his management and planning skills! I would assume such rules would be written clearly somewhere

It doesn't? He should definitely know what he's doing in his own state! You're supposed to know what you're doing when getting elected! If Perry hadn't missed the deadline too, I would have said that Gingrich was trying to out-gaffe him.

 

[Azale]

Sounds like the analogy a bad writer of historical fiction would use.

 

[madviking]

It doesn't? He should definitely know what he's doing in his own state! You're supposed to know what you're doing when getting elected! If Perry hadn't missed the deadline too, I would have said that Gingrich was trying to out-gaffe him.

Dude. The politicians who live in Virginia give zero cares about Virginia laws. They live in McLean, Arlington, Great Falls, etc. for easy access to DC. No other reason.