After winning the endorsement of the New Hampshire Union-Leader earlier this week, Newt Gingrich has only picked up steam. Like him or not — it’s now hard to deny that Gingrich’s momentum is for real. A new Gallup poll, for example, shows he leads the field in positive intensity. And Insider Advantage polls show him surging in the early states.
But his surge isn’t merely ephemeral; it transcends poll numbers which can quickly change. Here are just a few tangible things to consider: Eight New Hampshire house members endorsed him this week. Former South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer endorsed him this week. Gingrich now has reportedly one of the largest teams in the Palmetto State — arguably the most important state for a Republican to win.
Gingrich’s town hall this week with South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott was reportedly “the biggest local event so far in the 2012 election cycle.” And, perhaps the most solid proof that he is gaining steam is simply that Mitt Romney — who has heretofore viewed Rick Perry as his prime competition (despite the polls) — took a swing at him.
This is not to say that Gingrich’s momentum will continue. But it is to say that it would be shortsighted to simply write him off as merely the latest “flavor of the month”…