# How much damage will the Gingrich-Santorum pact do to Mitt Romney? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 5, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567 "2012-01-05T23:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/1 "2012-01-05T23:29:26Z")
The conventional wisdom is that Romney has an open route to the nomination. But Gingrich has sworn to do what he can to destroy Romney’s chances while leaving Santorum out of it. Intrade wagers say Romney will still win. I see Santorum as a Tonya Harding and Newt as her tire-iron welding goon. They could possibly knee-cap Romney. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/2 "2012-01-06T00:34:43Z")
Gingrich doesn’t have enough money to do enough damage to Romney, I think ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/3 "2012-01-06T01:37:18Z")
It’ll hurt, but Santorum isn’t going to beat Romney. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/4 "2012-01-06T02:41:03Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > The conventional wisdom is that Romney has an open route to the nomination. But Gingrich has sworn to do what he can to destroy Romney’s chances while leaving Santorum out of it. Intrade wagers say Romney will still win. > > I see Santorum as a Tonya Harding and Newt as her tire-iron welding goon. They could possibly knee-cap Romney. He can do damage during debates if he adopts a scorched earth policy. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/5 "2012-01-06T03:44:36Z")
I see Santorum as Donald Trump: he wasn’t running to win, so much as to boost his post-run employment. Mission accomplished. [Already a successful lobbyist](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/us/politics/after-senate-santorums-beneficiaries-became-benefactors.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=igw), Santorum now has enhanced standing on Wingnut news and the rubber chicken circuit. I say this because it’s consistent with an Iowa-only strategy: does Santorum [have any presence at all outside of Iowa](http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/rick-santorums-task-gets-tougher-in-florida-2080670.html)? The linked article reports that his Palm Beach County chairman and deputy state director of Florida is an 18 year old volunteer college student. Which is sort of cool, if not an especially plausible way of running a real campaign. Gingrich isn’t 100% committed to the Presidency either, though he’s a more serious candidate than Santorum. I’m hoping for a brokered convention. Go Newt go! ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/6 "2012-01-06T03:53:24Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > He can do damage during debates if he adopts a scorched earth policy. Well, I am no fan of Joe Scarborough but he said “There will be blood” about Newt vs. Mitt. Joe knows Newt. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/7 "2012-01-06T09:32:05Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > I see Santorum as a Tonya Harding and Newt as her tire-iron welding goon. They could possibly knee-cap Romney. I think this is an interesting comparison, as Nancy Kerrigan recovered to compete in the Olympics - and came second. In other words, something similar could come to pass. Whether it’s a useful analogy beyond that I’ll leave for others to judge. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/8 "2012-01-10T00:59:19Z")
Isn’t Santorum really standing to lay a marker for 2016? So if Gingrich downs Romney with Santorum being nominated as a result, Santorum’s going to be screwed when he comes up against Obama, as losing will ruin his chances in 2016. Right? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/9 "2012-01-10T01:05:35Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Isn’t Santorum really standing to lay a marker for 2016? No, that’s Huntsman. Santorum’s delusional if he thinks it’s him. BTW, **is** there any actual “Gingrich-Santorum pact”? ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/10 "2012-01-10T01:18:04Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > The conventional wisdom is that Romney has an open route to the nomination. But Gingrich has sworn to do what he can to destroy Romney’s chances while leaving Santorum out of it. Intrade wagers say Romney will still win. > > I see Santorum as a Tonya Harding and Newt as her tire-iron welding goon. They could possibly knee-cap Romney. This is crazy. Do the Republicans just not give a fuck? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/11 "2012-01-10T01:20:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > BTW, **is** there any actual “Gingrich-Santorum pact”? Yep. Signed May 22 [in fact](http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-pact-of-steel-is-signed-the-axis-is-formed). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/12 "2012-01-10T01:30:33Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > This is crazy. Do the Republicans just not give a fuck? I think they know deep down that they’re only picking a sacrificial goat this year. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/13 "2012-01-10T02:12:58Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > This is crazy. Do the Republicans just not give a fuck? Gingrich is a very bad guy to get on the wrong side of because he’s willing to take the party down with him. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/14 "2012-01-10T02:16:31Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Gingrich is a very bad guy to get on the wrong side of because he’s willing to take the party down with him. Thank Og! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/15 "2012-01-10T02:59:23Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > BTW, **is** there any actual “Gingrich-Santorum pact”? There was this - [http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/a-gingrichsantorum-nonaggression-pact-109733.html](http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/a-gingrichsantorum-nonaggression-pact-109733.html) but later denied. They would have to publicly deny though. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/16 "2012-01-10T19:22:58Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Gingrich doesn’t have enough money to do enough damage to Romney, I think …umm.. His Vegas billionaire backer certainly does though. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-will-the-gingrich-santorum-pact-do-to-mitt-romney/608567/17 "2012-01-10T22:11:00Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > The conventional wisdom is that Romney has an open route to the nomination. But Gingrich has sworn to do what he can to destroy Romney’s chances while leaving Santorum out of it. Intrade wagers say Romney will still win. > > I see Santorum as a Tonya Harding and Newt as her tire-iron welding goon. They could possibly knee-cap Romney. Except that her tire-iron wielding goon hadn’t been mugged in a dark alley by Kerrigan’s father. If Romney gets bloodied in this lovely mess he only has himself to blame. I wonder if these people are going to have second thoughts about Super-PACs after they get slimed by them. I’m sure that Romney lying out his ass about having nothing to do with the ads just has made Newt madder.