How Newt Gingrich won South Carolina

The media and the blogosphere are full of speculation the last two days about how a philanderer and ethics violator like Newt Gingrich could win South Carolina and win it big. It's pretty simple, actually.

Marianne Gingrich (and Drudge and ABCNews) provided Gingrich with all he ammo he needed to blast off the last debate with a brilliant bit of victimhood. CNN's rather dense John King handed Gingrich the trigger he wanted and poof, the whole thing blew up in Romney's face. South Carolina is still hurting from losing the Civil War and rife with evangelical fire and brimstone; the persecution complex runs deep. Gingrich exploited this indignant rage in much the way he has done his entire life. He knows an opening and he ran through.

In a state as racially charged as South Carolina, code words are part of daily life. The former Speaker is well versed in this language of race. With a wink and a nod, Gingrich has been speaking the language of the white-intensive audiences to whom he has been addressing the past months, much in the tone and vigor of a southern preacher. Though he was on his best behaviour during the SC debate, he had already dropped enough codes by then to no longer need them. It was understood.

Gingrich's formidable debating skills, set up by John King's guileless questions, were never so in evidence as in the last SC debate. He was masterful. He timed his outbursts admirably and turned every attack into a positive. Sure, there was not a lot of substance to his answers but that's not the point. He appealed to these peoples' basic instincts. He was a showman. He was Robert E Lee as victor.

Hugh Romney is from Massachusetts. He's a northerner. He's not a great debater. Gingrich had him stuttering. Romney was on the defensive for most of the night. It was no contest.

Then there was the introduction in the last few days before the debate of Romney's taxes. To a Republican, taxes are sacrosanct. Even if many right wingers hold corporations in awe, they take a jaundiced view of their leaders avoiding paying their fair share. By refusing to offer up his tax returns, especially in the face of Gingrich's perfectly-timed issue of his tax returns during the debate, Romney not only dug his own grave during the debate but perhaps for the entire run.

Lastly, the issue of Hugh Romney's offshore millions hung over the debate like a noose. It wasn't brought up but it didn't have to be. Gingrich had it all in his hands by the first question.

No mystery here.