April 25, 2012, 9:48 amGingrich Says Romney Will Be Nominee and Urges Unity By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Newt Gingrich sounds like a man who is throwing in the towel.
At an appearance in North Carolina, Mr. Gingrich conceded that Mitt Romney would be the party’s nominee and suggested that he would be transitioning out of the race in the next several days.
“I think you have to at some point be honest with what’s happening in the real world, as opposed to what you’d like to have happened,” Mr. Gingrich said, according to a brief report in the National Journal.
Mr. Gingrich has repeatedly said that he would press ahead to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., this summer, where he hoped that conservative delegates would give him — not Mr. Romney — the nomination.
Mr. Gingrich, a former House speaker, continued to sound that theme Tuesday night after Mr. Romney decisively won all five contests in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. In a speech, he suggested he would continue his campaign until the convention.
But at the appearance in North Carolina on Wednesday morning, Mr. Gingrich sounded more conciliatory and appeared ready to suggest that unity behind Mr. Romney’s candidacy is the most important consideration for Republicans.
“Governor Romney had a very good day yesterday. He got 67 in one state, and he got 63 in other, 62 in another,” Mr. Gingrich said in alluding to Mr. Romney’s winning percentages. “Now you have to give him some credit. I mean this guy’s worked six years, put together a big machine, and has put together a serious campaign.”
He added: “I think obviously that I would be a better candidate, but the objective fact is the voters didn’t think that. And I also think it’s very, very important that we be unified.”
The National Journal reported that Mr. Gingrich told the audience in North Carolina that he would continue to be in the state “as a citizen” throughout the week. It is not clear what that means for his presidential campaign, which is millions of dollars in debt, according to reports filed recently with the Federal Election Commission.
But he also suggested that his campaign may be coming to an official close.
Mr. Gingrich said that: “We’re working out the details of our transition and we’ll have information for the press in the next couple of days.” |
