Video: Gingrich Uses Town Hall To Jab At Romney

Just hours before Monday night's debate in Myrtle Beach, Newt Gingrich used a town hall event just a few miles from the debate site to attack frontrunner Mitt Romney's centrism. 

"I believe I am far and a way the person most likely to defeat (President Barack) Obama," Gingrich said at the Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse. 

Repeating an argument he's stressed to audiences for weeks now, Gingrich defied opinions of national politicos who have labeled Romney as the most likely candidate to compete against Obama. What conservatives need, Gingrich said, is a candidate who is different enough from Obama to provide voters in a general election with a clear alternative to the president. 

"By contrast, I think a Massachusetts moderate has a much harder time because the gap isn't as big," Gingrich said. "You cannot be close to Obama on key issues and think you can win. Because he's going to drown you in negativity and he's going to be reinforced by the elite media."

Gingrich seemingly took a shot at another moderate candidate's past presidential aspirations, using Sen. John McCain's failed candidacy as an example of how the GOP establishment incorrectly backed a candidate who was not staunch enough in his conservative stances. 

"These are the same people who got us beat in '96 and the same people who got us beat in '08," Gingrich said. 

He then went in for another jab at Romney. 

"Let me ask you a simple question," Gingrich said. "Why would you want to nominate the guy, who lost to the guy, who lost to Obama?"

Gingrich also postured himself as the man who is more electable in the conservative tier than former Sen. Rick Santorum, citing Santorum's inability to get reelected in the state of Pennsylvania.