Gingrich Won't Be On Missouri's Ballot

Newt Gingrich's campaign team failed to file the paperwork necessary to have his name appear on Missouri's primary ballot in February. Does it matter? Maybe.

Missouri's primary is a "beauty contest," meaning that no delegates will be awarded. The state Republican Party will hold caucuses in March for that purpose. However, Missouri is a major state, and the nonbinding contest will be the only primary in the country between the Florida primary on Jan. 31 and the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Feb. 28. Candidates wishing to maintain their momentum, and media visibility, through that dry spell in February may well see Missouri as a place to compete for bragging rights.

The omission is fueling rumors that Gingrich has never been serious about being president and has only used the visibility of his campaign to further his books sales and lobbying career.