USA: Republican presidential hopefuls Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum stump for votes in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's primary

Record ID: 346462

  • Title: USA: Republican presidential hopefuls Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum stump for votes in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's primary
  • Date: 8th January 2012
  • Summary: WIDE OF NEWT GINGRICH AT PODIUM SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWT GINGRICH, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SAYING: "We've had three years of amateurism and I would just suggest to you that yes it would be nice to replace Barrack Obama and that's important, but if all we do is replace Barrack Obama all the bureaucrats, all the structures all the institutions keep going into the wrong direction, so you'll have to elect somebody who has the knowledge, the experience, the persistence to actually change things, I have done it twice." PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JACK KIMBALL, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER, SAYING: " It's going to be difficult for him to win here but if he can come here and have momentum and come in a second or a third I think he's in good shape going into South Carolina and Florida." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RONNIE SCHLENDER, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER, SAYING: "Oh Mitt Romney of course. I think that he's just a good businessman, he'll turn the country around for us, he's a good family man. I've met him many times and his wife and his wonderful five sons. I just think he'll do a real good job and turn the economy around." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARK JOHNSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER, SAYING: "The more I find out about each candidate my opinion changes, so we'll see, it's coming down to the wire." RICK SANTORUM ENTERING BALL ROOM SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTERS WIDE OF SANTORUM AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) ( English) RICK SANTORUM, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "Pick the person who is the right person to do what is necessary for this country and be bold, because it is the time to be bold. We need the sharp contrast we need a real reversal of where this country is headed. Lead and be bold.," SUPPORTERS LISTENING SANTORUM LEAVING PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICK SANTORUM, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "A lot of other folks skipped, but I don't skip New Hampshire, I believe in New Hampshire." SANTORUM GREETING SUPPORTERS
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVASQIE5ZQ17BIA0B82B1PJE2F4
  • Story Text: Republican presidential candidates worked to galvanize support of New Hampshire voters on Friday (January 6, 2012), days ahead of the state's primary election.
    Newt Gingrich told supporters in Nashua he has the "knowledge, experience and persistence" to beat Barack Obama in November.
    "We've had three years of amateurism and I would just suggest to you that yes it would be nice to replace Barrack Obama and that's important, but if all we do is replace Barrack Obama all the bureaucrats, all the structures all the institutions keep going into the wrong direction, so you'll have to elect somebody who has the knowledge, the experience, the persistence to actually change things, I have done it twice," Gingrich said.
    Gingrich pledged to run a positive campaign when he was leading in the polls for the Republican nomination, but he has increasingly adopted an angrier tone as his lead diminished following repeated pounding from attack ads. Polls indicate that Gingrich's base of support has plummeted since this week's Iowa caucuses vote, where he came in fourth place.
    The sudden rise of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is threatening front-runner Mitt Romney. Santorum's events in New Hampshire drew large crowds on Friday He urged voters late Friday to "lead and be bold."
    "Pick the person who is the right person to do what is necessary for this country and be bold, because it is the time to be bold. We need the sharp contrast we need a real reversal of where this country is headed. Lead and be bold."
    Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the favorite candidate of establishment Republicans, is seen as having the best chance of defeating Obama.
    The New Hampshire primary, the second of the state-by-state contests to pick a Republican presidential nominee, takes place on January 10.
    Winners of the small New England state have had mixed success in getting their party's nomination, a fact that raises questions about the primary's relevance.
    John McCain won the Republican primary in 2000 but lost the bid to George W. Bush. In 2008, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary but the party nod went to Obama.
    Critics of the New Hampshire primary say it is arcane, unrepresentative and given undue media attention. Defenders say it acts as a leveler between the more politically conservative Iowa and South Carolina Republican contests.
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