But Gingrich said Saturday he would go “all the way to the convention” and predicted a “wild and woolly” campaign for the next few days. His well-financed allies showed no signs of letting up their televised assault on Romney, while former Alaska governor Sarah Palin rushed to Gingrich’s defense, in a sign he might mobilize the party’s grass-roots conservatives.
The former House speaker, who has drawn large and enthusiastic crowds all week, said he would become the nominee if he wins Florida. And if he doesn’t, he said, he would be back in Tampa for this summer’s Republican National Convention.
“I will go all the way to the convention,” Gingrich said. “I expect to win the nomination. You just had two national polls that show me ahead. Why don’t you ask Governor Romney what he will do if he loses since he is behind in both national polls?”
But nobody has asked Romney that; the candidate has not held a media availability since last Monday. Instead, Romney is campaigning here with fresh energy and a more carefree spirit.
Earlier this week, Romney fired methodical attacks at Gingrich designed to rattle him and raise questions about his trustworthiness and leadership skills. But the past few days, while Gingrich takes bitter swipe after bitter swipe at him, Romney has hardly attacked his rival at all. When he has, his lines have been more humorous than high-handed.
In Pensacola Saturday morning, Romney jabbed his sidekick, John McCain (R-Ariz.) about the mischievous tales of the senator’s Navy pilot youth. He won polite laughter after telling an awkward joke about a pick-up driver in Wyoming with stinky animals in the back. He confided his nervousness about making “chitchat” with actor Jon Voight while phoning him to seek his endorsement.
And Romney said nothing about Gingrich other than to liken him to “Goldilocks.”
“We’ve had about 18 debates so far,” Romney told hundreds of supporters who filled the docks and balconies at a Pensacola restaurant Saturday morning. “They’re getting more and more fun as time goes on. This last one, Speaker Gingrich said he didn’t do so well because the audience was so loud. The one before, he said he didn’t do so well because the audience was too quiet. This is like Goldilocks, you know, you’ve got to get it just right.”
Aides say Romney is having more fun here than he has all during the campaign, and the campaign put that confidence on display here Saturday afternoon by turning up Van Halen and driving Romney’s campaign bus up to the dock at a Panama City shipyard to deliver the candidate to his rally in grand fashion.
