Here's the delegate snapshot from The Wall Street Journal, showing the new totals for each candidate after Super Tuesday.
Romney's lead is making all the headlines, but Gingrich's surge yesterday was the most significant. But can Gingrich keep it going?
Gingrich went from a total of 33 to 105, a gain of 218 percent.
Romney went from a total of 203 to 415, a gain of 104 percent.
Santorum went from a total of 92 to 176, a gain of 91 percent.
Paul went from a total of 25 to 47, a gain of 88 percent.
Gingrich is as vulnerable as Romney on the individual mandate. Newt has believed in it at least since 2006, and famously agreed with Romney in a Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas last October that they both got the idea from the so-called conservative Heritage Foundation (source of following transcript):
MR. ROMNEY: Actually, Newt, we got the idea of an individual mandate from you.
MR. GINGRICH: That's not true. You got it from the Heritage Foundation.
MR. ROMNEY: Well, it was something - yeah, we got it from you and the - you - got it from the Heritage Foundation and from you.
MR. GINGRICH: No, but - well, you - well, you - (inaudible) -
MR. ROMNEY: But let me - but let me just -
MR. GINGRICH: Wait a second. What you just said is not true.
MR. ROMNEY: Well, I thought -
MR. GINGRICH: You did not get that from me.
MR. ROMNEY: I think you -
MR. GINGRICH: You got it from the Heritage Foundation.
MR. ROMNEY: And - and you've never - never supported -
MR. GINGRICH: I was - I agree with them, but I'm just saying what you've said to this audience just now plain wasn't true. That's not where you got it from.
MR. ROMNEY: OK. Let me ask - have you - have you supported in the past an individual mandate?
MR. GINGRICH: I absolutely did, with the Heritage Foundation, against "Hillarycare."
MR. ROMNEY: You did support an individual mandate?
MR. GINGRICH: Yes, sir.
MR. ROMNEY: Oh, OK. That's what I'm saying. We got the idea from you and the Heritage Foundation.
MR. GINGRICH: OK. Little broader. (Laughter.)
MR. ROMNEY: OK.
MR. ROMNEY: Actually, Newt, we got the idea of an individual mandate from you.
MR. GINGRICH: That's not true. You got it from the Heritage Foundation.
MR. ROMNEY: Well, it was something - yeah, we got it from you and the - you - got it from the Heritage Foundation and from you.
MR. GINGRICH: No, but - well, you - well, you - (inaudible) -
MR. ROMNEY: But let me - but let me just -
MR. GINGRICH: Wait a second. What you just said is not true.
MR. ROMNEY: Well, I thought -
MR. GINGRICH: You did not get that from me.
MR. ROMNEY: I think you -
MR. GINGRICH: You got it from the Heritage Foundation.
MR. ROMNEY: And - and you've never - never supported -
MR. GINGRICH: I was - I agree with them, but I'm just saying what you've said to this audience just now plain wasn't true. That's not where you got it from.
MR. ROMNEY: OK. Let me ask - have you - have you supported in the past an individual mandate?
MR. GINGRICH: I absolutely did, with the Heritage Foundation, against "Hillarycare."
MR. ROMNEY: You did support an individual mandate?
MR. GINGRICH: Yes, sir.
MR. ROMNEY: Oh, OK. That's what I'm saying. We got the idea from you and the Heritage Foundation.
MR. GINGRICH: OK. Little broader. (Laughter.)
MR. ROMNEY: OK.
In 2009 Romney specifically argued for the individual mandate in this USA Today op-ed as an acceptable alternative to the public option as embodied in Nancy Pelosi's version of ObamaCare which passed in the US House. Since then Romney has flipped on this issue, claiming repeatedly that he has been against imposing a RomneyCare-like plan on the whole country.
The Senate version of ObamaCare, which eventually became the law but is now going to be challenged before the Supreme Court, represents what Romney hoped for: government compulsion in healthcare insurance which kept government out of the insurance business itself (public option) while preserving the system of private, free-enterprise, health insurance more or less as it exists.
Historically, Republicans have been against a government-sponsored health insurance enterprise because of the perception that government has an unfair advantage against which private business cannot hope to compete and succeed. A case in point today would be Fannie and Freddie, the failed government mortgage giants without whom, alas, few people today can hope to get a mortgage. If you want a vision of failed government healthcare in about ten years, consider the miserable failed condition of those GSEs today.
This is Santorum's opportunity, but many of us wonder whether he's got the right stuff to ride this issue to the presidency. And it might become a moot point after the Supremes rule on ObamaCare by this summer.
Gingrich for his part has tried to change the subject to jobs and growth viewed through the lens of energy independence. It is a good strategy, but it leaves many voters who are worried about the growth and intrusion of the State with a nagging question unanswered: how is Newt really different from Romney philosophically if he's been willing to flirt with mandates?
Historically, Republicans have been against a government-sponsored health insurance enterprise because of the perception that government has an unfair advantage against which private business cannot hope to compete and succeed. A case in point today would be Fannie and Freddie, the failed government mortgage giants without whom, alas, few people today can hope to get a mortgage. If you want a vision of failed government healthcare in about ten years, consider the miserable failed condition of those GSEs today.
This is Santorum's opportunity, but many of us wonder whether he's got the right stuff to ride this issue to the presidency. And it might become a moot point after the Supremes rule on ObamaCare by this summer.
Gingrich for his part has tried to change the subject to jobs and growth viewed through the lens of energy independence. It is a good strategy, but it leaves many voters who are worried about the growth and intrusion of the State with a nagging question unanswered: how is Newt really different from Romney philosophically if he's been willing to flirt with mandates?
