COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Less than two weeks ago, Mitt Romney seemed all but certain to become the Republican presidential nominee.
But after being thoroughly routed Saturday by Newt Gingrich in a primary Romney seemed likely to win just days earlier, the GOP frontrunner appears weaker than ever and the race seems likely to last at least until the spring.
Continue ReadingNewt claims victory in S.C.
Winners and losers in 60 seconds
South Carolina historically brings clarity to Republican primary campaigns. This year, the Palmetto State has delivered drama, confusion and sparked a sense of growing concern for party elders.
With three separate candidates taking the first three states, none of the contenders has a convincing hold on the campaign. A contest that appeared increasingly clear following New Hampshire is now scrambled to the point that a protracted delegate battle is a real possibility.
Newt Gingrich heads into Florida emboldened by two assets that will test Romney?s organization and money there: the momentum from a double-digit victory and a conservative base that appears to be coalescing.
But the results here revealed Romney?s weakness as much as they hinted at Gingrich?s potential.
The establishment favorite didn?t just lose South Carolina ? he got thrashed. Less than a week after he was leading in the polls here, Romney found himself taking a twelve-point beating and dropping all but three counties of the state?s 46 counties.
Romney?s thumping defeat ? and his verbal miscues in the days before the election ? has many Republicans worried that he?s a more brittle candidate than they thought. As in the past, he had difficulty connecting with the party base and was walloped by Gingrich among conservatives and voters supportive of the Tea Party. It?s the former speaker who is captivating party activists looking for somebody to channel their burn-it-down anger toward President Obama and elites.
?I think a lot of folks saw some fight from Newt Gingrich, really going on offense, and I think our nominee needs to understand that America is really concerned about the direction of our country,? Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said in an interview. ?They know there are powerful forces in Washington and the media pushing us in the wrong direction. They want to make sure that the Republican nominee has got the courage and, you know, fire in his gut to go after that. And I think they saw a little bit of that in Newt.?
But the statement made in South Carolina wasn?t entirely about Gingrich?s attributes. He also served as a vessel for rank-and-file voters to send a message.
?The Republican primary electorate does not intend to do what the Republican establishment tells them,? said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a longtime strategist, comparing voters here to the independent-minded class of House GOP freshman.
It was impossible not to see the results as an indictment of Romney, though. The pulses of conservative activists just don?t go racing for the frontrunner ? and he?s paying a price for his inability to capture his party?s spirit.
the ides of march yankees espn magazine espn magazine anywhere but here wall street protesters att
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.