Gingrich keeps campaigning - and keeps drawing an audience

Photo/The Wilmington News-Journal, Gary Emeigh

(CBS News) MILLSBORO, Del. - At 7 p.m. on Thursday, in the back shed of a firehouse, a presidential candidate who continually concedes he's unlikely to capture the Republican nomination held a rally - and 350 people showed up.

Earlier, Newt Gingrich spoke to more than 150 people in nearby Magnolia. And a day earlier, he greeted a sold-out auditorium that seats more than 400 at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

The Republicans who come to Gingrich's campaign events, signs in hand and ready to offer standing ovations, are under no illusions that the former House speaker is going to overtake Mitt Romney to become to Republican nominee. In fact, many say they're ready to support Romney if he gets the nomination as expected.

For now, they just like hearing what Gingrich has to say.

"I love the guy," said Linda Creasy of Lewes, Del. "I'd love to see him in there. I think he's the smartest; I think he has the most to offer. He just doesn't have the most money."

That last fact has become clearer as Gingrich continues his seemingly quixotic effort. His campaign just underwent a restructuring that included dramatic cuts to staff and budget; in Millsboro, he and his wife Callista took to a podium decorated not with campaign insignia but wireless microphones stranded haphazardly by panicked reporters who arrived at the event to find no audio setup, no press riser and no advance team.

After the speech, Sussex County Republican Party spokesman Duke Brooks said he'll vote for Gingrich in the Apr. 24 Delaware primary. "There's no question about it," he said. But Brooks added that "of course in the general election I will absolutely get behind whoever the Republican nominee is."

Asked whether he holds out hope that his candidate will somehow become that nominee, Brooks shrugged and acknowledged, "Mathematically, it seems not." But he said he finds "interesting" Gingrich's argument that however unlikely, a win in Delaware could reverberate in larger states such as North Carolina and Texas.

"Even if we still can't get the nomination, we roll into the [Republican National Convention] in Tampa with a brokered convention in the offing," Brooks said. "And if we do that, in the long run I think that can only be good for the party because it's going to flesh out a lot of ideas, and a lot of people are going to pay attention to it."

That's Gingrich's message as well. On Thursday he announced he will soon be amplifying some of his more conservative policy planks in an effort to "pose for Romney, is he prepared to be, as he put it, 'severely conservative?' Or does he want to try and have an Etch A Sketch platform?" Questioned by reporters on whether this new phase underscores Romney's inevitability, Gingrich said "no," but added that "part of the debate for the next two months ought to be, is [Romney] prepared to say up front that he wants a conservative platform?"

Brooks likened Gingrich's new priority in shaping the party's dialogue to that of the other also-ran, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has yet to win a single state. "In terms of personal enthusiasms for the candidate, as a group, [Paul supporters] are off the scale," he said. "That's what you need if you're going to affect change in what people are talking about."

But some voters remain skeptical about Gingrich. Rich Collins of Millsboro said he came to the rally Thursday less to hear Gingrich and more to see what kind of turnout and reception he got.

"I'd love to vote for him," Collins said. "But that's if I thought he had any chance of winning at all. I like a lot of what he said today, but I just don't know that he can get elected. At this point it's unfortunate, but it will be tough."

So if Gingrich lacks the money, the campaign resources, and the poll numbers to become the party's nominee in November, why do so many supporters continue to show up at rallies across the map?

One attendee walking past in Millsboro overheard the question and channeled the baseball cinema classic "Field of Dreams": "If Newt debates, they will come," he shouted as he hurried past. He then turned around to clarify, "If Newt speaks, they will come."

[sharkboy234]

You way out of your phony head drop out the race now go home you're fired!

[stupidrules3]

Newt lost all credibility when he backed up on his statements about the Ryan plan after getting the "phone call" from the republican leadership. 24 hours later he was on tv saying that anyone who quoted him would be lying.

[ammonammon]

350 here, 400, here, 150 in another place ... what are these events looking like for Paul? Thousands and thousands are showing up for his events, where is the follow-up on that??? Following a sneaky liar like Gingrich around while he does extended book signings with a couple hundred people is hardly news worthy. Paul is making history with his message. Wake up and do your job!

[jdaryyl]

Facts and statistics, deoppressoliber1964 try not to be a silly ignoramus. It is true, Paul has a massive uprising the media is trying its hardest to ignore.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThnuVNaQBok

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." -Gandhi

[debz150]

Who is fooling who?
Gingrich is on an extended book tour to promote his sales!

If his former mistress who is his current wife was not by his
side, attached like glue he probably would have another mistress by now too.

[tafhdyd]

He admits that he does one thing and says something else. He just tells them what they want to hear, does not mean a word of it.

[MikeForTruth]

...""It looks to me like what Obama's trying to do is two things: one is run on class warfare ... and (two) just demonize his opponent," said Charlie Black, a former adviser to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain who is now advising Romney." I found that quote so full of IRONY, I was ROFLMAO. Is this not exactly what Romney did to Newt?? Did not Romney falsely claim that Newt was attacking him for his money, and Did not Romney run 30 million in Negative ads against Newt Non-Stop. Ohhh...I forgot, what goes around comes around. God is JUST.

[sharonshown]

Excellent way to look at it. Seems that this election has indeed been 'bought' by Romney's money and all of the other folks who are voting for him who do not SEE what he is doing or the GOP Elites are doing...one thing for sure, the country will reap what it has sown

[TomMariner]

I hope that President Romney will find a place for Newt. Secretary of HHS, Chief of Staff, even Veep -- maybe Mitt needs a loudmouth like Biden, but this one would have the facts straight, researched and have the talent to convince. Then let the legislators legislate and the Supreme Court deliberate, and administer the administration.

A government of grownups -- Can you imagine!

[tafhdyd]

Where do you buy that stuff? Do you smoke it or drink it? I would like to get some.

[susannecore]

QUOTE FROM NEWT GINGRICH!!

"Don't tell me how much you've given, don't tell me how tired you are, don't tell me how frustrating it is. This country was created by people who were willing to say 'Victory or death' while marching in burlap bags in the middle of a snowstorm."

[TomMariner]

Susanne -- gotta be honest -- that is the way that successful businesses are run -- why shouldn't we expect our elected officials to work so hard 23 hours a day that they wonder if they really want to run for reelection.

But it does sound like the Newt I know leading the Congress -- Get to work or go home. I'm getting excited about a government that really does something rather than plot and scheme and campaign.

[DreadneckSKD]

Newt had 350 people show up at a rally? Definitely more newsworthy than the thousands who have consistently showed up at Ron Paul rallies.

[label206]

everybody is out of work with nothing better to do. possibly they will get a free lunch