Video of the Day: These 6 People Want Newt Gingrich to Stay in the Race

More

The cash-strapped, vote-deprived campaign releases a rough-hewn ad.

Why is Newt Gingrich still in the race? Here's at least six reasons. The former Speaker's campaign released this video, which doesn't exactly make the case that he's got the polish and resources to take on Mitt Romney, to say nothing of Barack Obama.

The ad is homespun at best. BuzzFeed's Zeke Miller cracked that the video resembled the short-lived fad Chatroulette, and he's got a point: The viewer is treated to choppy, unexpected commentary from unidentified strangers. Luckily, there's no nudity, although it's a little odd that one participant seems to have set up his webcam before he put sheets on his bed, which sits unmade in the background. If the video is any indication, Gingrich's few remaining supporters are overwhelmingly white males with facial hair -- again, not unlike Chatroulette.

Rough-hewn advertisements may suit an insurgent campaign well, but they suit a broke one even better. The campaign can't spend too much on ads because it's in debt $4.5 million and renting out donor lists for cash. And in an even worse sign, even Gingrich's beloved animals are turning on him: Last week, he was bitten by a penguin at the St. Louis Zoo.

Jump to comments

David A. Graham

David Graham is an associate editor at The Atlantic, where he oversees the Politics Channel. He previously reported for Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and The National.

Get Today's Top Stories in Your Inbox (preview)


Elsewhere on the web

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register. blog comments powered by Disqus

Video

Miami: The Next Big Start-Up City?

How the city became a center for innovation

Video

Video

A Brief History of Romantic Comedies

From The Atlantic's Chris Orr

Video

Video

Life in 'the New Arctic'

A moving portrait of a fading landscape

Video

Video

The Rise of New York City

A fascinating look at Manhattan in the 1940s

Video

'I Thought It Was Really Funny, but No One Else Did'

A day with New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator

Video

New Yorkers: The Winemaker

Make your own wine ... in New York City

Video

What Is Methane Hydrate?

"Flaming ice" is a vast natural energy source

Video

NASA's Time-Lapse of the Sun

Now with epic dubstep music

Video

A Video Letter From the Editor

Highlights from the May 2013 issue

Video

Shaken Not Tuned: Cocktail Experiments

Can a tuning fork improve a cocktail?

Video

Video

The Rise of Environmentalism

Tracking 50 years, from the Love Canal disaster to Greenpeace

Video

Is He Cheating? A 1950s Guide

'That little blonde secretary from the office?’

Video

New Yorkers: Vintage Vacuum-Tube Amps

Risking electric shock to restore old amplifiers

Video

The DIY Piano-Bicycle

Everybody needs a hobby

Writers

Up
Down

More in Politics

In Focus

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Just In