Why Gingrich’s staff quit: When Gingrich constantly spoke of his candidacy as “Callista and I,” he really meant it.

Fred Barnes writes at The Weekly Standard:

The last straw for the campaign staff was Gingrich’s decision to go on a two-week cruise in the Mediterranean, from which he returned on Tuesday. His advisers urged him not to go and take so much time from a campaign that was already in trouble. But his wife wanted him to go and she won the argument.

As a result, the morale of the Gingrich staff fell sharply. And fundraising declined as well with Gingrich absent from the day-to-day media coverage of the campaign.

While Gingrich was away, his aides talked among themselves about the course of the campaign. They wanted him to commit to seeking the Republican nomination on a full-time basis, including time spent in personal fundraising by Gingrich himself. Gingrich balked at this. His wife wanted him to pursue the presidency at less strenuous clip.

“The professional team came to the realization that the direction of the campaign they sought and Newt’s vision for the campaign were incompatible,” strategist David Carney told Jonathan Martin of Politico. The advisers believed Gingrich could not win the nomination without campaigning full-tilt.

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Paul K. writes:

If, as appears to be the case, Callista sank the Gingrich campaign, then I say, “Callista, you have earned the thanks of a grateful nation.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 10, 2011 08:57 AM | Send