Gingrich pins hopes on 'Super Tuesday' comeback

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich looked to a "Super Tuesday" vote bonanza in March to rescue his faltering campaign after a second consecutive thumping from rival Mitt Romney. Gingrich trailed in Nevada by 25-percent of the vote with almost three-quarters of precincts reporting, a second big loss in five days that raises questions about the viability of his challenge as funds dry up. Speaking on two Sunday morning talk shows, the candidate put a brave face on the defeat and insisted things would be different in a month's time when 10 states votes at once and almost a fifth of all delegates are decided. "Our goal is to get to Super Tuesday, where we're in much more favorable territory," Gingrich said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that he expects to do much better in conservative southern states like Georgia and Alabama. Gingrich has vowed a long game in the state-by-state voting battle for the Republican nomination, where 2,286 delegates are at stake and a candidate must accumulate 1,144 votes to win. The Republican establishment hopes the contest will be over well before the August 27-31 convention, avoiding a bitter fight-to-the-death that could hurt the eventual nominee's chances against Democratic President Barack Obama. The former Massachusetts governor's Nevada win followed a decisive victory in Florida and he is now considered the clear frontunner for the nomination to take on Obama in November's general election. But there are 437 delegates up for grabs on "Super Tuesday" -- by contrast Nevada awarded 28 and Florida 50 -- and experts did not dismiss Gingrich's claim to still have a route to the nomination. Harvard University political expert Elaine Kamarck envisaged a long battle as she could see no one reaching the required number of delegates soon and she believed that the unlimited corporate money allowed by a recent Supreme Court ruling would keep candidates in. "This does not by any means end the nomination race," she told AFP. "Gingrich has been running a campaign with limited resources and has been plagued by organizational challenges," Herrnson told AFP. With 71 percent of Nevada votes counted, Romney had 48 percent of the vote -- a decisive lead, although below his 50 percent in 2008 -- followed by 23 percent for Gingrich. Texas Representative Ron Paul was third with 18 percent, followed by religious conservative Rick Santorum, a former US senator from Pennsylvania, with 11 percent. In his victory speech, Romney failed to mention a single one of his Republican rivals, training his attacks solely on Obama -- in a clear sign that he wants to reassert his above-the-fray frontrunner status. "This president's misguided policies made these tough times last longer," he said. "America needs a president who can fix the economy because he understands the economy, and I do, and I will." Romney's win in the Silver State -- helped by a large Mormon community which shares his faith -- came four days after his crushing win in Florida. It was was his third victory over Gingrich, after New Hampshire and Florida. Then three states will vote on Tuesday -- Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri -- and Romney hopes the Nevada win will help him sweep into the heartland states where unemployment and the struggling economy are top issues. Results from the Maine caucuses, which began on Saturday, will not be known until February 11.