Does Ginrich staying in help or hurt Romney?

[Likely Voter]

There are two sides to the coin of Gingrich staying in

Gingrich helps Romney by...
Splitting conservative/anti-Romney vote with Santorum

Gingrich hurts Romney by...
Driving up Romney negatives (assuming he continues to attack Mitt)
Could gather enough delegates to deny Romney majority (forcing open convention)

[King]

Gingrich could be a useful debate attack dog against Romney. The help ends there for Santorum.

[Likely Voter]

oops put this in the wrong forum. Can someone with the power put this in the main 2012 forum

[Torie]

I suspect Newt is by and large going out of the bash Mitt business. I suspect that is the quid pro quo among other things for Adelson giving Newt another 10 million for the Newt PAC. It also is probably Newt's best strategy for his probable pipe dream that he can rehabilitate himself out from the persona non gratia zone to which he is currently consigned.

[ajb]

I suspect that Newt staying in tends to prolong the process, since the more candidates there are, the harder it is for any of them to win a majority of the delegates. Don't know if that increases the chances for the nomination for either Romney or Santorum, but it probably makes winning the general election slightly harder for either of them.

[2952-0-0]

If I were the Obama campaign director I'd dish out any anti-Gingrich propaganda I had previously saved up, now.

[© tweed]

how is this even open for debate?

[TomC]

If I were the Obama campaign director I'd dish out any anti-Gingrich propaganda I had previously saved up, now.

Why would the Obama campaign want to put him back in the headlines and make Republicans feel defensive about Gingrich?

[2952-0-0]

If I were the Obama campaign director I'd dish out any anti-Gingrich propaganda I had previously saved up, now.

Why would the Obama campaign want to put him back in the headlines and make Republicans feel defensive about Gingrich?

It will all be "unofficial" of course, through an officially independent conservative PAC with no website, no public profile, and no press releases. I'd highlight how Gingrich is just a crass opportunist like Romney, and that he's "not the proper conservative". The goal is to shift half of remaining Gingrich supporters to Santorum to overcome Romney's money bags.

[Politico]

I suspect Newt is by and large going out of the bash Mitt business. I suspect that is the quid pro quo among other things for Adelson giving Newt another 10 million for the Newt PAC. It also is probably Newt's best strategy for his probable pipe dream that he can rehabilitate himself out from the persona non gratia zone to which he is currently consigned.

This. There is no other explanation for Adelson throwing another ten mill at Newt. He's allowing him to save face, I'd say.