Newt Gingrich is well-known as the big-brained man of ideas, so there must be something to this secret plan of his to take his campaign to Hawaii, even as everyone else in the field is traipsing around Iowa and New Hampshire, mustn't there? Let's see, the Hawaii primary is set for a week after Super Tuesday, so there's nothing pressing as far as the schedule goes. Just last week, we learned that Hawaii is the most Democratic state in the nation, so it's not like Gingrich has a lot of critical base-building to do. STILL! He must be up to something, because there's no way Newt Gingrich is running some sort of fake campaign!
The Hawaii trip follows a visit to California, where Gingrich and his wife will screen their film, "Nine Days that Changed the World." Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond says the candidate's trip is focused on fundraising.
My colleague Kendra Marr notes that the Pacific jaunt nearly coincides with the Gingriches' eleventh wedding anniversary, which is tomorrow.
Oh, so there's a merchandizing opportunity followed by an anniversary jaunt? Carry on, then! (This is a great opportunity for any remaining Gingrich staffers to do a "quit en masse part two," if there are, in fact, any remaining "Gingrich staffers.")
[Politico]
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Oh, looky-look at this Magellan Poll of New Hampshire voters! As expected, Rick Perry seems to have cut into Michele Bachmann's support. And Ron Paul is third, Bachmann fourth, so the story will be "Bachmann now trails Romney, Perry." This is despite the fact that, as Dave Weigel notes, Paul is "polling at about twice what he scored in New Hampshire last time." Herman Cain is poised to have the fifth place finish he wants. August poll fever! Catch it! [Weigel]
The New Hampshire GOP is filled, stem to stern, with revolting people. By which I mean they are all incredibly angry and in "full-blown revolt" at "embattled Republican State Chairman Jack Kimball," whose "tenure as Chairman has been plagued by dismal fundraising, brutal infighting, and two stunning special election defeats." Plus, this whole matter could have "implications" for the New Hampshire primary. So, that's what I mean by "revolting." What did you think I meant? [NH Journal]
Michele Bachmann promises to bring gas prices down to under $2, through some sort of magicks. [Politico]
Mitt Romney is mad at Barack Obama for going to Martha's Vineyard on August 27 because going to Martha's Vineyard on August 27 was apparently Mitt Romney's idea first. Why is Obama always stealing all of Mitt Romney's best ideas, like health care reform? [ThinkProgress]
...And that's the incredibly true story of how Meghan McCain became the last person in America to figure out that Sarah Palin is not running for President! [The Daily Beast]
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