Newt Gingrich says the GOP has “a moral obligation to defeat Barack Obama” – and he’s told New York GOPers he’s ready to take up the fight.
“I believe this is the most important election for the future of our country since the election of 1860,” Gingrich said in a speech at the New York State Republican Party’s annual dinner Thursday at the Sheraton Towers.
Gingrich is technically still in the presidential race, and says he’s staying in to espouse “big themes and big issues.”
But he acknowledges that Mitt Romney will be the GOP’s presidential pick. “I’m clearly the underdog by a huge margin,” he said.
“If [Romney] becomes the nominee, we are dedicated to a unified Republican Party to win the presidency.”
Gingrich, Romney and Rick Santorum were invited to the dinner, but only Gingrich showed up.
Romney – who has raised millions of dollars at New York fundraisers – was in Arizona, where today he is to address the Republican National Committee and state GOP leaders from across the country.
In the keynote speech last night, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal had a message for New York: hydrofracking for natural gas has produced jobs and lowered energy costs in his state. “This is clearly an effective technology,” he said.