I disagree with the author’s premise that a couple of issues caused Gingrich to go from double digits behind to a double digits win. I think he would have won Iowa if not for the $10 million in attack ads to which he lacked the money to respond. The Not-Romney vote, 75% of the primary voters, has been searching for someone that can represent them. It can’t be Santorum, because while he is a social conservative, he is a big government Republican who voted for new entitlements during the Bush years, and then lost by 18% as an Incumbent. It can’t be Ron Paul, because while he is a fiscal conservative, his foreign policy is ridiculous and would dangerously weaken us in a dangerous world. And it can’t be Romney because his political achievements are Identical to Obama’s and “actions speak louder than words”. So the voters were waiting to give Gingrich standing ovations at the least excuse, and since he didn’t disappoint they gave them to him. But the bar wasn’t very high and the issues could have been anything, the voters were just making sure he hadn’t folded from the pressure of the many attacks from everywhere, before anointing him as their leader.
This election is all but over, Gingrich will now go on to win, as Santorum drops to single digits, those votes will go to Gingrich. Ron Paul will never get more than 15%, although he will stay in for most of the race. And Romney, who could never break a 25% ceiling of support, will now lose support as the inevitability of his nomination melts away.
