David Axelrod: Newt could be the nominee

Published December 8, 2011 5:00am ET



The New York Times reports an interesting dispatch from President Obama’s re-election campaign: Newt Gingrich is a genuine threat that they plan to take seriously.

“Look, for the longest time, Gingrich was not really a factor in this race, he was left for dead at the checkout counter at Tiffany’s,” said David Axelrod, a chief adviser to the president’s re-election bid. “Now he is resurgent and he could be the nominee.”

According to the Times, the campaign plans to portray Gingrich as “a symbol of the past” and the “godfather of gridlock.”