GAINESVILLE -- Of the 10 days leading up to and including Super Tuesday, Newt Gingrich is spending six of them in Georgia, an uncommon focus at a time when so many states are voting at once.
It's because any hopes for Gingrich to revive his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination start with winning the state he once represented in Congress on Tuesday, a fact he willingly admits.
“We’re going to win Georgia and win it decisively,” Gingrich said in the state House Wednesday morning, flanked by supporters including Gov. Nathan Deal.
Gingrich called Georgia “the key building block that we have to have to move forward in a presidential campaign. Georgia really does matter.”
In the midst of a four-day Peach State swing that traces a path from Dalton to Savannah to Columbus -- with plenty of detours along the way -- Gingrich spent Wednesday morning at the Capitol, then held rallies in Covington and Gainesville.
Gingrich addressed the House and reporters, with backers at his side, for about 10 minutes each, stressing the trio of issues he is using as a cudgel against President Barack Obama: gas prices, religious liberty and the president’s apology for U.S. soldiers’ burning of Qurans in Afghanistan.
He told legislators the federal government should allow drilling for natural gas off the Georgia coastline. Gingrich said the royalties could be used to expand the Port of Savannah in advance of the Panama Canal opening to bigger ships in 2014.
Gingrich has persisted through money woes and a string of third- and fourth-place performances in February primaries, including Tuesday night’s contests in Arizona and Michigan. Both of those were won by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania coming in second.
The Gingrich campaign thinks Santorum -- who recently rocketed to the lead in national polls -- will fall after losing Michigan, where he was tripped up by off-message comments on social issues and a pounding from Romney and others on his lapses from conservatism in the Senate.
Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond predicted that Southerners in particular -- Georgia and Tennessee both vote on Super Tuesday -- will not like Santorum’s pro-union votes, and that his star will quickly fade, giving Gingrich another opportunity for resurrection.
The Super Tuesday strategy, Hammond said, is to keep pace in delegates with the other candidates in what is likely to be a draw, with different hopefuls winning different states. The most hotly contested is Ohio, where Gingrich plans to campaign Saturday.
In past election cycles, Super Tuesday was the end of the GOP nomination process, but this time the proportional apportion of convention delegates allows for a drawn-out process, Hammond said.
Polls have shown Gingrich with a lead in Georgia, though the race remains close and the numbers could shift after Tuesday’s results. The state’s 76 delegates are an attractive haul for each of the three major candidates. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas has focused more on smaller caucus states and is not expected to visit Georgia.
Along with Gingrich, the Romney and Santorum campaigns will have a presence in Georgia on Thursday. Santorum will hold rallies in Dalton and at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. Romney’s wife, Ann, will meet with voters at the Smokejack Restaurant in Alpharetta, then open a campaign office in Buckhead.
Gingrich is scheduled to speak at a sold-out breakfast for the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, open an office in Woodstock, then stage a rally in Macon. The His campaign also is holding a fundraiser in Macon.
The campaign is employing high-wattage surrogates in Georgia, including Deal and former presidential hopeful Herman Cain of McDonough. Hammond confirmed Wednesday night that actor Chuck Norris, best known for his title role in the TV show "Walker: Texas Ranger," will join Gingrich on the trail in South Georgia on Friday.
Gingrich finished his day Wednesday with a rally in Gainesville. He was introduced by Hall County native Deal and Gingrich's wife, Callista.
Gingrich, buoyed by hundreds of feisty supporters in the Gainesville Civic Center, gave a punchy speech in which he contrasted himself with Obama as well as Santorum and Romney.
“The Gingrich vision of America’s future is dramatically different than the Obama vision and dramatically bolder than the management approaches of my two major competitors for the nomination,” he said.
Gingrich recounted the many ups and downs of the Republican race so far and predicted more to come after Super Tuesday.
“By next week we’ll be back on a level playing field,” Gingrich predicted, knowing that is only possible if he wins Georgia.
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