Newt Gingrich, addressed supporters in Alabama, after coming in second place to Rick Santorum tonight in both that state and Mississippi — and indicated that he is still in the race. He also took credit for steering the national political conversation toward gas prices, with his call for increased energy production to lower the price to $2.50 per gallon.
After thanking particular local supporters, he began: “It’s quite an evening. Obviously we would have liked to come in first, but I would like to start by saying I congratulate Rick Santorum on a great campaign. he has won a victory in both states and he’s worked very hard to achieve it. I know how much he has put into this campaign, he and his entire family over the last year, and I congratulate him on a positive evening and a positive result.
“I would also point out that because this is proportional representation, we are going to leave Alabama and Mississippi with a substantial number of delegates, increasing our total going towards Tampa, and we are very grateful to you because you made this outcome possible. And with your help we are going to take a much bigger delegation than we had yesterday. So thank you very much for that.
“I emphasize going to Tampa, because one of the things tonight proved is that the elite media’s effort convince the nation that Mitt Romney is inevitable, just collapsed. The fact is, in both states, the conservative candidates got nearly 70 percent of the vote. and if you’re the frontrunner, and you keep coming in third, you’re not much of a frontrunner.”
