Sheldon Adelson might donate more to Newt Gingrich’s super PAC … so that Rick Santorum falls in the polls and Mitt Romney wins the election. The Wall Street Journal reports:
In a bit of political chess, Mr. Adelson is ready to not only directly support the former House speaker in the Republican primary, but to use his cash to push Rick Santorum from his position atop the latest national polls, according to people who have discussed the matter with Mr. Adelson.
If Mr. Gingrich could afford to continue campaigning, one of those people said, he might be able to draw off conservative and evangelical voters from Mr. Santorum, improving the chances of Mitt Romney, who Mr. Adelson believes has a better chance to win November’s general election.
One factor that may be at play is Adelson’s differences with Santorum on social issues:
Mr. Adelson doesn’t oppose Mr. Santorum, but he doesn’t share the former Pennsylvania senator’s socially conservative positions, including his strong antiabortion views, associates said. Mr. Santorum was one of only two Republicans who didn’t meet with Mr. Adelson in October around the time of a candidates’ debate in Las Vegas, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Machiavellian? Please!
It is Adelson's money he can do what he wants with it!
I suspect if he was going to donate to that sure loser Rick "the whiner" Santorum, NRO would have no problem with it!
But, because Adelson believes like many of us, that Santorum would lose the general in Barry Goldwater style, he is getting called Machiavellian!
I'd be disgusted by this rag National Review if anyone actually read it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou're upset over the term 'Machiavellian'? You're right it is Adelson's money but that doesn't mean he isn't using it in a crafty, cunning, stealthy, artful, sly or intriguing way to seize the moment does it?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBTW, how would you describe the manner in which Gov. Romney will lose the general?
Yeah, Santorum is such a "loser" that he's leading Romney in national polls, this after Romeny has spent millions on advertising. Romeny's problem is that he's spent a lot of money telling us why the other candidates shouldn't win, but not so much explaining why he's such a good pick.
And Santorum can win in November. He's not polling much worse than Romney is against Obama and once the primary season ends the independent (and divided conservative) vote will begin to coalesce against the incumbent if the economic situation doesn't drastically improve. (Caveat: the MSM will attempt to move heaven and earth to convince us it has.)
But the last part is the richest of all. Dude calls NR a rag, yet he's here enough to get a star on his handle. Let's see if Ryan understands this much - A lot more people pay attention to and value NR than whining commenters who are all too happy to excuse deviousness in the service of their preferred candidate.
If I were running the Gingrich Super PAC, I'd use all that money to run anti-Romney ads, just on principle.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnything that helps the messiah is a good thing. According to the Rombots. The fact that Romney will lose worse than McCain lost is unimportant. What is important is that those evil social conservatives must be driven out of the Republican party.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSenators Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, Joe Miller, and Ken Buck applaud your dilligence in pointing this out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf the social conservatives abandon the party, the Republicans will have zero members of congress next year.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Adelson doesn't share Santorum's strong anti-abortion views? But I thought Mitt and Newt had equally strong anti-abortion views? No?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAdelson would rather another moderate lose than a conservative lose to Obama. It's really not that hard to see.
If Newt wins we get a conservative in office. Good for conservatives, bad for RINOS and the gentry GOP.
If Romney loses to Obama it's yet another nail in the coffin of the gentry GOP and RINOS--bad for the country, but having a chance to be good in the long run.
If Santorum loses to Obama, the gentry GOP and their RINO allies will trumpet the evils of being 'too conservative', of being 'extreme'.
So, by backing Newt, Adelson can work towards two outcomes that work for conservatives.
See?
What's that? I didn't consider what would happen if Romney or Santorum won? HahhahahHahahHahahaha.....oh, thanks....that was a good one.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat I find surprising isn't your assertion that Santorum and Romney can't win (though I hope it's false, because I suspect one of them gets the nomination) it's your assertion that Newt can. I lived in Newt's district when he was Speaker and voted for him and supported him in the government shutdown. Even then, before he piled on baggage, I had no illusions he could carry more than about 20 districts in the entire country. He was speaker because he was in GA6 and it was one of the most conservative districts in the country.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"If Newt wins we get a conservative in office. Good for conservatives, bad for RINOS and the gentry GOP."
ROFLMAO!! No, THAT line was a good one! On the off chance you weren't joking, which conservative in office would that be? I know of no conservative still in the race.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe position of underdog always helps in America. If Adelson chooses to play dirty pool (not chess, an honorable game) Santorum can utilize Adelson's opposition to gain widespread sympathy.
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