Charles Dharapak / AP Photo
Well, Newt just lost the French vote. In a bizarre online ad titled “The French Connection” that’s sure to go viral—for all the wrong reasons—Gingrich’s campaign emphasizes the similarities between Massachusetts politicians Mitt Romney and John Kerry. The ad hits on Romney’s record as a governor who donated to Democrats, as a moderate, and then suddenly shifts gears in its final moment. “He’ll say anything to win,” the narrator says. “And just like John Kerry, he speaks French too.” What follows is not for the faint of heart—a 2002 video of Romney speaking about the Winter Olympics in French. Meanwhile, Gingrich expanded his campaign from South Carolina to Florida, the next battleground state. He opened his Florida headquarters in Orlando, just a few weeks ahead of the Jan. 31 primary.