I am embarrassed to say I first opened this article when I misread it's title.
But it turns out there are two interesting aspects to the article.
First Gingrich's camplaign plans, and then there is the sausage-making aspects
of a candidate even getting on various states' ballots for the primaries.
NY Times
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
December 20, 2011, 4:26 pm
Gingrich Heads to Virginia for Ballot Push
Quote:
The Virginia presidential primary is not until March 6,
but Newt Gingrich is suddenly veering off the campaign trail
and heading there Wednesday with urgent business:
...get on the ballot. The deadline is Thursday.
On Tuesday, he hastily added two events in Virginia to his schedule
— a rally in Arlington on Wednesday night and a “meet and greet”
with volunteers in Richmond on Thursday morning.
He needs at least 10,000 signatures to get on Virginia’s Republican presidential primary ballot,
but the state has the steepest ballot requirements in the country.
It is not clear how many signatures he has now.
The signature-gathering exercise is where Mr. Gingrich’s lack of field organization shows;
Mitt Romney has been gathering signatures in the state since the summer and has met the goal.
Mr. Gingrich’s campaign went dark this summer and is scrambling to catch up.<snip>
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and then there are the challenges to get on the state ballots...
Quote:
In Virginia, candidates face the further hurdle of having to show support
across the whole state, with at least 400 signatures in each of the state’s 11 Congressional Districts.
Apart from Virginia, other difficult states are: Indiana, which requires 4,500 signatures;
Illinois, which requires 3,000; and Pennsylvania, which requires 2,000.
In Pennsylvania, signatures can come from Republicans only, and only in a three-week period.
The other states require more signatures, but they are open to all registered voters and have a longer collection period.
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and besides all that:
Gingrich is slipping in the polls, and racking up negative comments from conservatives
who say he is:— a man who can “bring us together, and alienate the hell out of us,”.
Meanwhile, Ron Paul may actually be looking for a win in Iowa...Romney, not so much.
.