Could Newt Gingrich win the Delaware primary?

A Gingrich victory would be an embarrassment to Romney, who needs to make as smooth a transition to the general election campaign as possible, Republican strategists say. But were Gingrich to win Delaware – his first victory since winning South Carolina and Georgia – it would offer him a thin reed of hope, and perhaps some badly needed campaign cash. If Romney were to fail somehow in his quest for 1,144 delegates before the Republican convention in Tampa late in August, then there would be a contested convention, and in theory, Gingrich could be in contention. But this is all verging on political science fiction.

In addition to Delaware, four other states hold primaries Tuesday: Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut. In all, 200 delegates are at stake, not enough for Romney to cross the finish line. Still, the Republican National Committee and Romney campaign have moved toward closer coordination.

In an interview with ABC News in Scottsdale, Ariz., RNC chairman Reince Priebus said that while the committee would continue to “show respect” for Gingrich and the other remaining candidate, Rep. Ron Paul (R) of Texas, Tuesday’s primaries will pave the way toward a “total merger between the RNC and the presumptive nominee,” according to ABC’s The Note.

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