Politics: Media? Hey, Media! Where?d You Go?

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Politics Media? Hey, Media! Where'd You Go? Newt Gingrich lost his media entourage this week. Does it even matter? By David Weigel Posted Friday, Mar 30, 2012, at 11:21 PM ET The official time of death for Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign was 4:02 p.m. ET, March 27, 2012. That was when Politico's Dylan Byers reported that the "last embedded print reporters" had disembarked the Gingrich bus, "$2.50 Gas" signs fading in the distance as they lugged away their laptops. They would not be in Hudson, Wis. to see Callista reading her history book to tykes. They would be elsewhere when Newt brought the gospel of hydraulic fracturing to Green Bay. How was the Gingrich campaign holding up? This had to be having an impact on them, right? "Absolutely zero impact," said Gingrich's spokesman R.C. Hammond. He ticked off, one by one, the ways that the fourth estate will get to interact with the former speaker. "Print correspondents cover the campaign—they might hit our event in the morning then Santorum in the afternoon. If a network correspondent wants us, they come meet us on the trail, just as they did when the embeds were around." Gingrich was still available for "the most important media: local media." He was still mic'ing up for Fox News, and by appearing on the "talking head shows so much there is always a fresh quote on his take of current events." Hammond was describing a return to normalcy. On June 9, 2011, Gingrich's campaign staff up and quit on him, and he became a curio candidate that networks didn't devote many resources to following. In early ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Government Already Has Penalties for People Who Don't Buy Health Insurance What Mad Men Got Wrong About Its George Romney Quip Last Night How The Hunger Games Righted a Wrong Against a Pioneering Musician	Advertisement
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