The withdrawal of Jon Huntsman from the Republican presidential race is drawing a range of reactions from his competitors. Newt Gingrich told
Politico that he could be a beneficiary of the move.
"It narrows down the field, and I think the next five or six days are going to tell the tale. If the conservatives consolidate, it's clear that I'll beat Romney,” he said.
Gingrich said he is looking forward to the candidates debate in South Carolina tonight. “I'm having to re-gear myself,” he said.
“Notice that they said we're now going to get 90 seconds to answer. The next five days are going to be wild. Really, the test here is simple: If the conservatives consolidate, Romney loses decisively. If they don't consolidate, it's going to be very close,” he said, referring to the South Carolina primary on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Rick Perry apparently will miss the campaign entertainment that Huntsman’s three daughters. "I was hoping I'd get the Huntsman girls,” he said, lamenting the fact that Huntsman moved into former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s camp when he dropped his own bid today.
“We love the Huntsman girls, our kids get along well, and Mary Kaye [Huntsman’s wife] and Anita [Perry’s wife] are best friends. Jon’s a dear friend, too, and we’ve had a wonderful time getting to know the candidates.”
Although Huntsman and Perry were competing for the same job, insiders said they indeed developed a real friendship.
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