Gingrich: South Carolina Is My Campaign's Firewall

Although Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich remains optimistic about his chances in Iowa and New Hampshire, the nation’s first two primary/caucus states, South Carolina represents his campaign’s “fire wall” if he fares poorly in the first two states, the former House speaker told The Des Moines Register.

“My goal is to do very well in Iowa, very well in New Hampshire and then win South Carolina and win Florida,” Gingrich told the paper while campaigning in Iowa Monday. “If we get lucky we’ll come in first [in Iowa.] If we come in first here, we’re really going to be on a roll.”

If he bombs out in Iowa, “it would be bad,” Gingrich said. “It doesn’t mean we get out. South Carolina is still my fire wall.”

Gingrich sees the campaign coming down to a two-man race between himself and front-runner Mitt Romney. “Once we get down to a two-person debate, then I’m reasonably confident I will win,” Gingrich said.

He acknowledged that he faces an uphill climb but said that, after his success in recent presidential debates, more people donated to his campaign in the past month than in the previous three.

The “elite media” may not see him as a viable candidate, but Gingrich begs to differ, saying his experience and ideas can bring him back.