Earlier today, I posted this story about the number of political journalists who have recently admitted to having a “rooting interest” in the Republican primary—favoring an extended campaign, and specifically an extended campaign involving Newt Gingrich. I compared this bias to an umpire having an interest in calling the game to keep the underdog close. And I kidded Politico for hitting every angle of the story—producing one piece that presumed a Mitt Romney victory, another that saw the race as still open, and a third that commented on the media’s interest in drama.
If only I’d waited! Leading the Politico site at the moment is Alexander Burns’s article, “How Newt Gingrich Could Bounce Back.” And in this case, offensive coordinator is perhaps the more apt analogy. Burns hands Gingrich the playbook for staging a dramatic comeback and stopping “Romney’s candidacy from becoming a runaway train.”
Among his tips? “Demand more debates.” “Keep up the identity politics.” And, of course, “embrace the conservative media circus.”
Erika Fry is a former assistant editor at CJR.