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Numbers Don’t Lie: Newt Gingrich Is Slowly Disappearing From TV

by Nando Di Fino | 1:51 pm, February 15th, 2012

» 18 comments

If it seems like you haven’t heard much about Newt Gingrich lately, know that it’s not you. The former frontrunner in the GOP nomination field, Gingrich has recently fallen into a state of near-obscurity, dropping to third place in most national polls and inching his way out of the public spotlight.

As subjective as it sounds to say that Gingrich hasn’t been as present lately on TV, there’s actually a way to prove this as fact. Using numbers culled from TVEyes, a company that archives and transcribes hundreds of television stations, we can see Gingrich fading into obscurity. On Feb. 1, Gingrich was mentioned on television — anywhere from C-SPAN to MTV to your local news station — 11,463 times. Only Mitt Romney had more mentions, with 14,085. Rick Santorum was mentioned 4,540 times, while “Ron Paul” was said 4,695.

Then things start to go awry.

Gingrich slowly saw his mentions dip, while Santorum had a tremendous surge. On Feb. 8, the day after the Colorado and Minnesota caucuses, Romney had 11,127 mentions. Santorum had 13,153. Gingrich had dipped to 4,235. On Feb. 13, Gingrich bottomed out, with just 698 mentions across all of TV. Romney had 2,978, Santorum had 1,978, and Paul got 1,155.

There are two ways to look at this, and neither is good for Gingrich. The first is his decline in mentions:

The second is how his share of TV mentions has been squeezed, as Santorum’s have increased. Watch as his area of red decreases as the days go by, while Santorum’s green area gets larger:

One thing Gingrich has going for him? He usually sees spikes after his tremendous debate performances. And CNN happens to be holding a debate in Arizona on Feb. 22. So perhaps that could provide a boost for him. But, for now, Newt Gingrich looks like he’s locked in a downward spiral, and he seems to be doing little to remedy the situation.

newt gingrich

Anonymous

To the moon Newt, to the moon
http://twitter.com/JCP1975 JCP1975

I suppose this was inevitable. I mean, he literally worked with hundreds of conservatives when he was SOTH, and I can’t name one who is supporting his campaign.

On the bright side, though, he has Palin in his corner.
Anonymous

Palin didn’t help him one bit…. neither did Church Norris.
Anonymous

I’m sure he’ll blame the mainstream media and the republican establishment for this when he finally drops out, painting them all as gangsters who want to silence any voice that criticises them, rather than admitting he was a hugely flawed candidate with no mainstream appeal whatsoever that would never have made it this far were it not for one big donor and his family giving him millions to play with.

But hey, he can always go back to being the world’s best paid ‘historian’ when all this is over.
Charles Ulysses Feney

Mitt, Newt, Rick – absolute zero enthusiasm from those forced to vote for them by their tired neocon ideology.

Only Ron Paul has a machine based on solid principles, with young, fired up followers.
Ron Paul has already won!
_____________________________________
Ninety-Nine Monkeys For Ron Paul!

This process by which we select
Our President that we will elect
Has yielded this Year
The neocons worst fear:
The Ron Paul Hundredth Monkey Effect!

No matter how hard the media tries
To make Paul look bad in our eyes
We know his program’s correct
‘Cause we think and walk erect
And know the media only tells lies!

They’re reduced to trying to dissect
Ron on some old newsletter subject
But these media whores
Ignore neocon wars
and the Constitution they never protect.

They speak death to Paul’s message of Life
‘Cause they only know how to sow strife
But now masses reject
CNN’s neocon disrespect
And FOX news is really the Devil’s wife

So we howl and we hoot at their ire
For we know that their only desire
Is to see America wrecked
But now even presstitutes detect
That Paul’s campaign has unquenchable fire!
______________________
Charles Ulysses Feney
Anonymous

So Newt is basically turning into Glenn Beck.
http://twitter.com/word_34 SpreadTheWord

Please let Santorum be next.
Anonymous

I really can’t wait to see how he goes out. Probably in complete disgrace like last time.
Anonymous

I wonder if he would accept an invitation to be interviewed by Rachel Maddow?
Anonymous

“How would you like to go to the moon?”

Words spoken on numerous occasions by Ralph Kramden to his wife Alice in “The Honeymooners” which was boadcast on television while Newt Gingrich was still in grade school!
Anonymous

What are you talking about? As soon as he had been endorsed by Todd Palin, Newt won in South Carolina! An endorsement from “First Dude” Todd packs a powerful punch!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SMUGSPLRKQOJBS5T6I4S5H2YSE Andy-48

If he’s disappearing from the TV really…could he take Sarah with him. I’ve been tired of hearing her voice for over 3 years now. Can we “Stop the Insanity” as some late night tv ad said…
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SMUGSPLRKQOJBS5T6I4S5H2YSE Andy-48

If it helps you any…He won South Carolina for one reason only he was from Georgia. Look for how close they are on a map and you might figure out something.
Anonymous

You liberals have no sense of humor! Do we have to put LOL next to everything?
Anonymous

lol
Anonymous

I suspect he’ll just melt away like the Wicked Witch,cue the flying monkeys!!!!!!!
expatpatriot

Newt who?

Isn’t he the guy who played Larry Storch’s sidekick on F Troop?
expatpatriot

No, let’s keep Santorum in the mix as long as possible. The Republican base needs to steep in his medieval creepiness for a little longer to improve the taste.