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Faith & Cultureby Rod D. Martin
March 14, 2012
Newt had a big day last week. In Georgia. And his comeback this week in Alabama and Mississippi didn’t quite come off.
So where do things stand now?
The facts are simple – 1. Newt won almost as many delegates yesterday as if he’d come in first place; but 2. Rick is catching fire, and that’s taking on a life of its own. His $1.7 million haul from a reception last weekend at the Council for National Policy speaks volumes.
I’m staying with Newt. Here’s what’s going to happen.
Regardless of whether Newt wins, loses or draws, Newt and Rick are on the brink of depriving Mitt Romney of a majority.
There are three possible results which can come from that. First, there is the very real (but fast diminishing) chance that either Newt or Rick could win outright, with all three candidates continuing. Second, Santorum can cut a deal with Newt (or vice versa) and almost guarantee that one of those two men becomes the nominee. Or third, there can be a brokered convention.
Now regardless of all the propaganda spew from Dick Morris, a nomination decided at the Convention does NOT hurt our chances at all. Here’s why:
1. The media will have to cover our guys — for free — from here until they’re “not news”. A brokered convention forces wall-to-wall coverage, dramatically cutting the amount of cash they have to raise. Contrast this to 1996, when Dole clinched early, just to have the entire media ignore him (and boost Clinton) for the entire spring and summer. Without coverage, he looked as dead in the water as he was.
2. Without a single candidate, the media — and Obama — can’t focus fire. You saw some of this in the past two weeks, when Newt’s attacks on Obama’s energy policy drew blood, but the White House was reduced to “whoever says that is a liar”. Maybe, but they didn’t name “whoever”, because they couldn’t name Newt without shifting the momentum of the race in his favor. NOTE: This especially helps Romney, who can’t afford the full, concentrated barrage he’ll get over a “victorious” summer. But effectively, it puts three guys in the ring going after one tired, on-the-ropes boxer who can’t hit anybody because he’s too busy trying to stay up. And it does this in a race where “Generic Republican” is still beating Obama by ten.
3. The Convention will be the most watched in history. The Democrats’ convention will be ignored, as will Obama all summer long.
4. Romney will not be the nominee: having blown “inevitability”, there is almost zero chance he will be rewarded with what he couldn’t win at the ballot box. If Santorum comes close but does it with pizazz, he probably gets the nod: Newt’s delegates can put him over the top. If on the other hand Rick fizzles, Newt could easily win the Convention — everyone still wants to see him debate Obama — or a consensus candidate could be found outside the hall like Jeb Bush. Regardless, the nominee will probably be conservative, probably unite the party, and probably have all the momentum necessary to blow away an Obama who’ll have virtually no time to adjust.
Bottom line: a brokered convention puts all the excitement on our side, and negates most of the inherent advantages the Democrats hold. They’ll still have the unions, ACORN and so forth. What they won’t have is time to focus the troops on a single hated enemy, or to jazz them up about a President whose luster is gone.
Again, if I were Rick Santorum, I would not pass Go, I would not collect $200, I would go directly to see Newt Gingrich and pay whatever price it takes to forge a unity coalition. I say “price” because at the Convention, Newt presently holds the balance, and that’s worth more than a pat on the head (thank God: we need Newt!). But I also say “deal”: it’s the only way Santorum can possibly guarantee a win.
Whether Newt should take that deal is another matter. But either way, I’m sticking. Newt Gingrich’s continued success is the surest guarantee of real change in America. Whether that comes by his being President or it comes by his anointing one, he is still the man for this hour. And we should keep fighting to win him as many delegates as humanly possible until and unless he says “stop”.
(The preceding was originally a Facebook status update.)
Rod D. Martin is a leading futurist, technology entrepreneur, author and activist from Destin, Florida. He was part of PayPal’s pre-IPO startup team, serving as special counsel to founder and CEO Peter Thiel, and also served as policy director to former Governor Mike Huckabee. He is Founder and CEO of The Martin Organization, whose portfolio of companies includes Galectin Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GALT), Advanced Search Laboratories, Proxomo Software, Agincourt Ventures and the 10 X Fund. His charitable and church work is central to all he does, and he further engages our culture as President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA), as founder of The Vanguard Project, as a widely sought-after speaker and as author of such books as his forthcoming The Imperative of Excellence.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
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Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
The future of technology is the future of America. Rod Martin sees that future clearly, and also sees how to shape it for the betterment of all. He is firmly rooted in the traditions of faith and patriotism that have made America great. That’s why he has made, and will make, so many outstanding contributions in so many areas.