[TheRealVille]

(Reuters) - Leading Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has failed to meet the requirements to be in the presidential primary election in Virginia, where he resides, the state's Republican Party said.

Gingrich had been leading in a poll of Virginia voters and a spokesman for the former speaker of the House of Representatives defiantly pledged to run a write-in campaign for the March 6 vote. However, Virginia does not permit write-ins in primary elections, according to the state code.

The Virginia Republican Party also said Texas Governor Rick Perry's petitions also had failed to qualify him for the ballot. Only former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Texas Congressman Ron Paul qualified.

Three other members of the Republican field trying to unseat Democratic President Barack Obama - former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum - did not meet the Thursday deadline for submitting petitions.

Despite Gingrich's last-minute scramble to submit his petitions by the deadline, the state party said on its website on Saturday that a review process showed he did not have the required 10,000 verifiable signatures.

The Virginia state board of elections earlier had said Gingrich, among the top three Republican candidates nationally, had made the ballot with 11,050 signatures.

"Only a failed system excludes four out of the six major candidates seeking access to the ballot," Gingrich campaign director Michael Krull said. "Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates.

"We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice," Krull said.

But Virginia Code Section 24.2-644© rules out write-ins in its first sentence, saying: "At all elections except primary elections it shall be lawful for any voter to vote for any person other than the listed candidates for the office by writing or hand printing the person's name on the official ballot."

A December 22 Quinnipiac poll for Virginia had Gingrich ahead with 30 percent of the vote, compared with 25 percent for Romney and 9 percent for Paul. Virginia is one of 11 states holding a primary or caucus on March 6.

After Gingrich staged two campaign events in the state last week, his campaign had been confident that he had made the ballot even as his last-minute scramble raised concerns about Gingrich's abilities to run a national campaign.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/2...9E20111224

[Hoot Gibson]

This is the kind of thing that has convinced me that Americans got better candidates when they were selected in "smoke filled rooms" at national conventions. Both parties erect barriers to entry into national campaigns that place too much emphasis on fundraising and sound bites. Eliminating the primaries would do more to reduce the influence of money in elections than any kind of "reform" law that Congress will ever pass.

[TheRealVille]

If he can't run a campaign, can he run the country? I would think there would be no way he should have been able to fumble the ball getting into his primary. He knew the rules.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Just curious, does this mean he will not be able to get any votes from virginia in the primary?

[Hoot Gibson]

If he can't run a campaign, can he run the country? I would think there would be no way he should have been able to fumble the ball getting into hais primary. He knew the rules.

It's not a case of fumbling the ball or not knowing the rules. Candidates who are not well funded and who are not in 24-7 campaign mode year after year are placed at a distinct disadvantage by their party. The GOP's candidate of choice is Romney and the DNC's choice is Obama. The rules are stacked in favor of those two candidates to help ensure that the parties' choices win the nominations. A candidate like Gingrich, who started his campaign with little support and little money, but whose message has caught fire, has an uphill battle to get the nomination.

[Hoot Gibson]

Just curious, does this mean he will not be able to get any votes from virginia in the primary?

Gingrich has said that he will run a write-in campaign in Virginia. He will probably get my vote unless the field is shaken up with a late entry or two.

[Hoot Gibson]

If he can't run a campaign, can he run the country? I would think there would be no way he should have been able to fumble the ball getting into hais primary. He knew the rules.

It's not a case of fumbling the
ball or not knowing the rules. Candidates who are not well funded and who are not in 24-7 campaign mode year after year are placed at a distinct disadvantage by their party. The GOP's candidate of choice is Romney and the DNC's choice is Obama. The rules are stacked in favor of those two candidates to help ensure that the parties' choices win the nominations. A candidate like Gingrich, who started his campaign with little support and little money, but whose message has caught fire, has an uphill battle to get the nomination.

[TheRealVille]

It's not a case of fumbling the
ball or not knowing the rules. Candidates who are not well funded and who are not in 24-7 campaign mode year after year are placed at a distinct disadvantage by their party. The GOP's candidate of choice is Romney and the DNC's choice is Obama. The rules are stacked in favor of those two candidates to help ensure that the parties' choices win the nominations. A candidate like Gingrich, who started his campaign with little support and little money, but whose message has caught fire, has an uphill battle to get the nomination.

What he didn't make was the 10,000 signatures, with 400 from each district in the state. He missed another state before this.

[TheRealVille]

Gingrich has said that he will run a write-in campaign in Virginia. He will probably get my vote unless the field is shaken up with a late entry or two.

Write ins are illegal in Virginia.


Virginia Code Section 24.2-644© rules out write-ins in its first sentence, saying: "At all elections except primary elections it shall be lawful for any voter to vote for any person other than the listed candidates for the office by writing or hand printing the person's name on the official ballot."

[Hoot Gibson]

What he didn't make was the 10,000 signatures, with 400 from each district in the state. He missed another state before this.

Only two Republican candidates qualified for the ballot in Virginia. I have my own issues with Gingrich but I can assure you that the man most responsible for ending the 40-year Democratic stranglehold on the House of Representatives in 1994 is smart enough and competent enough to run an effective campaign.

[TheRealVille]

Only two Republican candidates qualified for the ballot in Virginia. I have my own issues with Gingrich but I can assure you that the man most responsible for ending the 40-year Democratic stranglehold on the House of Representatives in 1994 is smart enough and competent enough to run an effective campaign.

How do you figure? He knew the rules of VA., and still didn't gather enough signatures. He has had plenty of time to gather those.

[Hoot Gibson]

How do you figure? He knew the rules of VA., and still didn't gather enough signatures. He has had plenty of time to gather those.

10,000 signatures, including a minimum of 400 from every single Virginia Congressional district is not a trivial task. Given that there are 50 (or 57 by Obama's count) states, candidates who entered the race late, as Gingrich did, face long odds to win the nomination. I know that you are just echoing the wishful thinking of the liberal media and Obama campaign by charging that Gingrich is not competetent enough to run a campaign or the Executive branch but given the incompetence of the Obama administration, it is a ridiculous assertion to make.

[TheRealVille]

10,000 signatures, including a minimum of 400 from every single Virginia Congressional district is not a trivial task. Given that there are 50 (or 57 by Obama's count) states, candidates who entered the race late, as Gingrich did, face long odds to win the nomination. I know that you are just echoing the wishful thinking of the liberal media and Obama campaign by charging that Gingrich is not competetent enough to run a campaign or the Executive branch but given the incompetence of the Obama administration, it is a ridiculous assertion to make.

FYI, the only two articles I have read on the matter are Reuters, and Fox News.

[Hoot Gibson]

FYI, the only two articles I have read on the matter are Reuters, and Fox News.

FYI, Reuters is on the left end of the mainstream media and by virtue of bing the #1 cable news network, FNC is also in the mainstream. The Romney campaign is also, not surprisingly, pushing the idea that the fact that only two GOP candidates managed to get on Virginia's ballot proves that they are not qualified for the presidency. I will not vote for Romney in th Virginia primary under any circumstance. I will not be surprised to see Ron Paul win the state if Gingrich and other viable candidates are left off the ballot.

[TheRealVille]

FYI, Reuters is on the left end of the mainstream media and by virtue of bing the #1 cable news network, FNC is also in the mainstream. The Romney campaign is also, not surprisingly, pushing the idea that the fact that only two GOP candidates managed to get on Virginia's ballot proves that they are not qualified for the presidency. I will not vote for Romney in th Virginia primary under any circumstance. I will not be surprised to see Ron Paul win the state if Gingrich and other viable candidates are left off the ballot.

Do you see anything in that Reuters article that even hints at taking one side or the other? I saw on Fox News that they think the only candidate that has a chance to beat Obama, is Romney.

[SKINNYPIG]

Do you see anything in that Reuters article that even hints at taking one side or the other? I saw on Fox News that they think the only candidate that has a chance to beat Obama, is Romney.

Romney will go in whatever direction the political winds guide him in. Obama will make him look like a fool in debates. Both establishments and the media want him to be the nominee, this should be reason enough to NOT vote for him.

[TheRealVille]

FYI, Reuters is on the left end of the mainstream media and by virtue of bing the #1 cable news network, FNC is also in the mainstream. The Romney campaign is also, not surprisingly, pushing the idea that the fact that only two GOP candidates managed to get on Virginia's ballot proves that they are not qualified for the presidency. I will not vote for Romney in th Virginia primary under any circumstance. I will not be surprised to see Ron Paul win the state if Gingrich and other viable candidates are left off the ballot.

Just for the record, and future reference, tell us what news outlet you will accept as a non "liberal media"?

[TheRealVille]

Romney will go in whatever direction the political winds guide him in. Obama will make him look like a fool in debates. Both establishments and the media want him to be the nominee, this should be reason enough to NOT vote for him.

So, you are saying that your "mothership" wants Romney to get the nomination so Obama can beat him? Even they say that he is the only one that can beat Obama. Do you want to beat Obama, or put a candidate up for the nomination that can't beat Obama? I'm not debating you, I'm just trying to figure where you are coming from.

[Hoot Gibson]

Just for the record, and future reference, tell us what news outlet you will accept as a non "liberal media"?

Just for the record, and for future reference, any source that you quote is suspect. I read and watch a wide variety of media reports and none of them have a monopoly on the truth. The media and the GOP would like to have another moderate Republican like McCain run in 2012 because that just worked out so well for Americans in 2008.

[TheRealVille]

Just for the record, and for future reference, any source that you quote is suspect. I read and watch a wide variety of media reports and none of them have a monopoly on the truth. The media and the GOP would like to have another moderate Republican like McCain run in 2012 because that just worked out so well for Americans in 2008.

Is any part of the article I posted wrong in the facts? He needed 10,00 signatures, including 400 from each district. He didn't get those, and that's what Reuters reported. So Fox and the GOP want Obama to win? Is that what you are saying?

[Hoot Gibson]

So, you are saying that your "mothership" wants Romney to get the nomination so Obama can beat him? Even they say that he is the only one that can beat Obama. Do you want to beat Obama, or put a candidate up for the nomination that can't beat Obama? I'm not debating you, I'm just trying to figure where you are coming from.

The media and Democrats also said that only a moderate like McCain had a chance to beat Obama in 2008. It seems like they were badly mistaken. What makes you think that "they" are right this time around. Are these not the same people who said that Huntsman would be a formidable candidate?

[Hoot Gibson]

Is any part of the article I posted wrong in the facts? So Fox and the GOP want Obama to win? Is that what you are saying?

I said that any soure that you post is suspect - not that any source you cite is wrong. The GOP establishment wants Romney to win. Is that so hard for you to understand?

[TheRealVille]

I said that any soure that you post is suspect - not that any source you cite is wrong. The GOP establishment wants Romney to win. Is that so hard for you to understand?

Ok, who do you think can beat Obama?

[Hoot Gibson]

Ok, who do you think can beat Obama?

Anybody who wins the Republican nomination will be capable of and likely to beat Obama. His record will be extremely difficult for him to defend. Since FDR, no president who has been saddled with such a horrible economic record has come close to winning the presidency.

[nky]

Newt has some organizational issues. He's had them since last summer when a large group of his national campaign staff quit. There is an "art" to running a national campaign based on individual state primaries and some of the candidates are showing there lack of preparedness to do it

[Hoot Gibson]

Newt has some organizational issues. He's had them since last summer when a large group of his national campaign staff quit. There is an "art" to running a national campaign based on individual state primaries and some of the candidates are showing there lack of preparedness to do it

Organization requires money andor an army of enthusiastic volunteers. Paul has an army of fanatical supporters and Romney has money and the backing of the GOP party machinery.

The Republican Party will regret writing rules that attempt to hand the nomination to a moderate. I think that Romney is potentially a very strong candidate but he needs to win over the conservative wing of the party. A stacked deck will not give him that opportunity.

[TheRealVille]

Organization requires money andor an army of enthusiastic volunteers. Paul has an army of fanatical supporters and Romney has money and the backing of the GOP party machinery.

The Republican Party will regret writing rules that attempt to hand the nomination to a moderate. I think that Romney is potentially a very strong candidate but he needs to win over the conservative wing of the party. A stacked deck will not give him that opportunity.

What is it about VA.'s rules that lean toward a moderate candidate? They have to abide by those same rules as conservatives. You say anybody that's nominated will likely beat Obama, what are you talking about now, with the "stacked deck won't give Romney that opportunity"?

[Hoot Gibson]

What is it about VA.'s rules that lean toward a moderate candidate? They have to abide by those same rules as conservatives. You say anybody that's nominated will likely beat Obama, what are you talking about now, with the "stacked deck won't give him that opportunity"?

You seem to be arguing that all rules are fair if they are applied equally to all candidates. Is that your position? That rules that place a heavy financial burden on candidates early in the camapaign cannot possibly be unfair to any candidate?

[TheRealVille]

You seem to be arguing that all rules are fair if they are applied equally to all candidates. Is that your position? That rules that place a heavy financial burden on candidates early in the camapaign cannot possibly be unfair to any candidate?

So Gingrich is too poor to get foot soldiers to help him get signatures? He got the signatures Hoot, they just weren't right, as far as districts go. If Gingrich wasn't so pompous as to think they would change the rules for him, and sailing off to the Greek Islands (the reason his staff quit him), maybe he would have gotten in. Maybe he should have used that 250K that he spent at Tiffany's to help his campaign.

[Hoot Gibson]

So Gingrich is too poor to get foot soldiers to help him get signatures? He got the signatures Hoot, they just weren't right, as far as districts go. If Gingrich wasn't so pompous as to think they would change the rules for him, and sailing off to the Greek Islands , maybe he would have gotten in.

Gingrich scares liberals to death. Both parties attempt to create an environment that favors certain candidates. Gingrich's mistakes were made before he decided to run for president. He put himself in a hole by alienating conservatives by making some political blunders like cozying up to Nancy Pelosi and openly opposing a popular conservative candidate in a campaign in upstate New York.

Funny that you should criticize Gingrich for his choice of vacations but you have never criticized Obama for his expensive, taxpayer financed vacations to equally snobby locations. Funny but not surprising.

However, I agree that Newt is an arrogant man - almost as arrogant as Barack Obama.