The long national Gingrich nightmare is over, and with it the dismal prospect that he might somehow end up getting the nomination, while the fetid Romney Death March continues apace. Geezus, seven more months of this. Like the Tesla Coils playing “Sweet Home Alabama” (scroll down to ‘Today’s Music’) it’s both annoying and fascinating.
Newt Gingrich, Neither Bowed nor Cowed, Calls It Quits for the Presidency
By Michelle Cottle
The Daily Beast
May 2, 2012In the end, the media all came out to see him one more time. It was the least we could do after everything he’d given us this past year. Say what you will about Newton Leroy Gingrich (and I’ve said plenty), the man gives great quote.
For more than a week, we had known it was happening–that it had to happen. Gingrich had in fact already issued a video farewell to his supporters on Tuesday, so Wednesday afternoon’s speech was a mere formality. Still, I’m not sure we were adequately prepared. Despite the sea of cameras on hand, it is hard to accurately convey the atmosphere of the live event.
Maybe this will help: Think back to when Hillary bowed out of the Democratic race in 2008: the soaring rhetoric, the throngs of fans, the weepy-eyed Chelsea, the raw emotion of the evening.
This was nothing like that.
Newt left this race much the way he ran it: playing to a pack of journalists who had a hard time believing he was ever serious about a presidential campaign, yet still could not bring themselves to look away.
Read the rest here.
Newt Drops Out, Will Endorse Romney When He Damn Well Pleases
By David Weigel
Slate.com
Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2012I’ll have a longer, more profound take on Newt Gingrich’s campaign close-out in a bit. But first, to clear up any misconceptions: Gingrich’s faint praise of Mitt Romney today was not an official endorsement….
Read the rest here.