LUTZ, Fla. — Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich presented himself as the conservative alternative to rival Mitt Romney Sunday, labeling Romney a liberal who represents the insiders of Washington and Wall Street and vowing to remain in the race until the August convention.
“I am in fact the legitimate heir of the Reagan movement, not some liberal from Massachusetts,” Gingrich shouted to thousands of fired-up Floridians rallying in The Villages, a retirement community 60 miles from Orlando where golf carts outnumber cars.
With just 48 hours to go before Florida votes, the former House speaker pleaded with voters to help blunt Romney’s latest surge. Recent polls show Romney erased the lead Gingrich secured with a victory in South Carolina and is now leading by as much as 20 percentage points.
“The only thing that will stop Romney is a Gingrich vote,” he said outside a Baptist church here.
In a series of television talk-show appearances and campaign stops, Gingrich sought to regain his momentum with a barrage of attacks focused as much — if not more — on Romney and the establishment Republicans backing him than on President Obama.
And Gingrich’s anti-establishment message continued to stir conservative voters.
“The Washington establishment is coming unglued,” Gingrich railed at The Villages, drawing cheers from the rowdy crowd that pushed harder and harder against the metal railing that separated them from the former speaker. “There is a reason the New York and Washington establishment are opposed to me. I would genuinely change Washington. Romney would manage the decay.”
Gingrich on Saturday secured the endorsement of former presidential candidate Herman Cain. Cain will campaign with Gingrich on Monday along with former President Ronald Reagan’s son, Michael.
Cain’s endorsement is “fundamental proof that this is a grass roots movement against the establishment,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich also reminded voters of how supportive former Alaska Gov. and Tea Party darling Sarah Palin has been to his campaign, stopping just short of an outright endorsement of Gingrich. Palin told Fox News, “So, if for no other reason, rage against the machine, vote for Newt, annoy a liberal, vote Newt, keep this vetting process going, keep the debate going.”
Retired Air Force veteran Edward Smith, 78, said he’s voting for Gingrich because he represents “the old days of Reagan Democrats.”
“He’s not for Wall Street or the establishment,” said Smith, a Villages resident who was an independent but joined the Republican Party so he could vote for Gingrich in the primary.
“Oh he’s a wonderful debater I just love him,” said Smith’s 76-year-old wife, Roseanne.
Meanwhile, two new polls suggest Romney’s double-digit lead over Gingrich is widening in Florida and Gingrich acceded for the first time Sunday that he might not win the state.
Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, Gingrich plans to continue his campaign “all the way to the convention,” he said.
“The Republican Party will not nominate a pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase moderate from Massachusetts,” Gingrich said. “It’s very likely that at the convention there will be a non-Romney majority. My job is to convert that to a pro-Gingrich majority.”
