During Saturday night coverage of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume said that incumbent Republicans are probably hoping that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich doesn’t keep up the momentum he will gain from his win. Hume pointed to Gingrich’s high unfavorabilitymarks in a recent Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, which he said would make it difficult for Republican members of Congress to align with the former speaker. (RELATED: Gingrich wins big in South Carolina, heads to Florida as race heats up)
“And they’ll be more to the case to be made against Newt Gingrich as a possible nominee by Republican officeholders —especially those in the House and the Senate across the country — and here’s why,” he said. “From the latest Fox New/Opinion Dynamics poll — these numbers will change as they do from time to time — this is favorability versus unfavorability: Mitt Romney, 45 [percent] favorable, 38 [percent] unfavorable; Ron Paul 35 [percent] favorable, 40 [percent] unfavorable; Rick Santorum, 31 [percent] favorable, 34 [percent] unfavorable; Newt Gingrich 27 percent favorable, 56 percent unfavorable.”
That, according to Hume, will force something of a revolt from these members of Congress against Gingrich so they won’t suffer in the November election cycle.
“Believe me, Republicans in Congress will be terrified to run with this man for fear they will lose the House and Senate,” Hume said. “They will begin to do what they can to try to defeat him because they fear he can’t win the election and, moreover, he may drag many of them down to defeat with him. He has a lot of work to do to change their minds. I’m not sure he can.”
(h/t Brent Baker, Newsbusters)