A Mitt Romney win in S.C. won’t force him out, Newt Gingrich hints

This morning from Florence, S.C., GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich called into the syndicated radio show of Laura Ingraham. Clearly a fan, she wanted to know if Gingrich could clear some space in his schedule to arrange for the departure of his two non-Romney rivals.

“Is there not a time when you and Rick Perry and Rick Santorum can have a conclave?” she asked. Could not Rick Santorum be offered a cabinet position in a Gingrich administration? she posited.

“First of all I don’t think you can’t legally do that. It would be truly wrong to offer someone a cabinet position for their behavior,” said a wary Gingrich.

“We certainly can communicate, and we do communicate with each other. But it’s pretty hard to ask a guy to give up his ambitions,” the former U.S. House speaker said. Especially, he added, when he’s likely to be the beneficiary.

“Everybody agrees that I’m the one with the most staying power and most resources,” Gingrich said. And went on to list his advantages in Florida. Marco Rubio’s former campaign manager and such.

In essence, former Georgia congressman was quietly backing away from his Sunday statement, made on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that a Romney win here on Saturday would mean the end of his campaign. It’s not something Gingrich can say too loudly, because it would undermine his current apocalyptic message to South Carolina conservatives: Vote for me Saturday, or crown Romney the nominee.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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