Romney thumps Gingrich

**TheRealVille** · 01-31-2012, 09:47 PM

Quote:Tampa, Florida (CNN) -- Mitt Romney will win the Florida primary, CNN projected Tuesday in a result that will cement the front-running status of the former Massachusetts governor for the Republican presidential nomination.
The CNN projection was based on unofficial returns and exit polling that showed Romney with a double-digit lead over his closest challenger, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
With 51% of the unofficial count, Romney had 48% of the vote compared to 31% for Gingrich, 13% for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and 7% for Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
Final polls closed at 8 p.m. ET, and the early trend for Romney -- buoyed by strong support among more than 632,000 voters who cast absentee or early ballots -- indicated a solid victory to blunt any momentum Gingrich gained from last week's victory in South Carolina.
According to exit poll information, Romney led in most categories to show his appeal to Republican voters who said their main concern was choosing a candidate who can defeat President Barack Obama in November.
The victory gives Romney all 50 of Florida's convention delegates, and more importantly, new momentum heading into a series of caucuses and primaries in the next month building up to Super Tuesday on March 6, when 10 states will hold nominating contests.
"I think the winner of Florida is in all likelihood going to be the nominee of our party," Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told CNN Tuesday. "Florida is a mini America."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/31/politics/f...?hpt=hp_t1

**vundy33** · 01-31-2012, 10:01 PM

Newt single handily lost my vote over the last 2 weeks...I'm for Santorum, and if he exits the race, I'll be for Romney I guess.

**Hoot Gibson** · 01-31-2012, 11:22 PM

vundy33 Wrote:Newt single handily lost my vote over the last 2 weeks...I'm for Santorum, and if he exits the race, I'll be for Romney I guess.

I am with you, Vundy. I am for Santorum as long as he can hang on. Between Newt and Romney, I have been disappointed in both their campaigns, but I would probably pick Gingrich just to send Romney a message. Neither man has been a reliable conservative, so to me it is pretty much a toss of a coin between them.

It is a shame that party insiders have written rules and scheduled primaries and caucuses early in the process in such a way to make it so difficult for a true conservative to win the nomination. Once again, the process will spit out a moderate at a time when moderation is not what is needed.

I only hope that Romney will attack Obama at least as enthusiastically as he has attacked his fellow Republicans.

I think Newt just became desperate after being outspent 5 to 1 by Romney but he ran an ugly, slimy campaign.

***Wildcatk23*** · 01-31-2012, 11:24 PM

It dont matter. Newt is going to the moon.

***Wildcatk23*** · 01-31-2012, 11:36 PM

"Mitt Romney didn't win on the issues in today's Florida primary. He bought his way to victory—via $15.4 million in negative ads"

"I'm surprised he left enough money in US to buy an election!"

ShamWow.

**RunItUpTheGut** · 02-01-2012, 02:57 AM

I think Romney will win the nomination.

Pick your poison...

**nky** · 02-01-2012, 10:49 AM

Santorum didn't spend much down in Fla. I like Santorum also I guess the next few weeks will be the tell tale for him

**TheRealVille** · 02-01-2012, 07:15 PM

I heard on the TV tonight that if the election were held today, polls had Obama over all of the republicans.

**nky** · 02-01-2012, 07:39 PM

^ only because GOP is really only running against each other and not putting much effort into Obama..........................yet

**vundy33** · 02-01-2012, 08:20 PM

We're so screwed...

**TheRealVille** · 02-01-2012, 08:22 PM

vundy33 Wrote:We're so screwed...

Donald Trump has said he is going back into the political process, which means he will probably run as an independent, which will pull votes from the republicans, and only help Obama.

**Hoot Gibson** · 02-01-2012, 08:28 PM

TheRealVille Wrote:Donald Trump has said he is going back into the political process, which means he will probably run as an independent, which will pull votes from the republicans, and only help Obama.

If Trump runs for president, then I will suspect that some of Obama's $1 billion war chest will find its way into Trumps pockets. But I don't believe that Trump has any plans to run. He just likes to avoid paying for publicity.

**vundy33** · 02-01-2012, 08:30 PM

I don't think he'll run either...

**Hoot Gibson** · 02-01-2012, 08:31 PM

vundy33 Wrote:We're so screwed...

I'll bet that is what many Reagan supporters said in February 1980. Reagan trailed Carter for most of the campaign, but voters came to their senses in time to avoid another four years of misery.

Polls are meaningless this early in a presidential campaign. Consider how fast Gingrich went from enjoying a comfortable lead in the Florida polls to getting trounced by Romney yesterday.

Nine months is an eternity in a presidential campaign.

**vundy33** · 02-01-2012, 08:47 PM

^^Of course...I just hope people get their heads on straight in the coming months. I'm not to confident in American's these days...

**TheRealVille** · 02-01-2012, 08:47 PM

Hoot Gibson Wrote:I'll bet that is what many Reagan supporters said in February 1980. Reagan trailed Carter for most of the campaign, but voters came to their senses in time to avoid another four years of misery.

Polls are meaningless this early in a presidential campaign. Consider how fast Gingrich went from enjoying a comfortable lead in the Florida polls to getting trounced by Romney yesterday.

Nine months is an eternity in a presidential campaign.

Oh yea, I remember him. The drug dealer, gun trader.

**Hoot Gibson** · 02-01-2012, 09:04 PM

TheRealVille Wrote:Oh yea, I remember him. The drug dealer, gun trader.

Funny how you have not voiced any concern here for the Obama Justice Department's Gun Walker scandal, Eric Holder lying under oath before Congress about the matter, or for all of the deaths that resulted. Especially considering that you are not an Obama supporter. :biglmao:

**TheRealVille** · 02-01-2012, 10:12 PM

Hoot Gibson Wrote:Funny how you have not voiced any concern here for the Obama Justice Department's Gun Walker scandal, Eric Holder lying under oath before Congress about the matter, or for all of the deaths that resulted. Especially considering that you are not an Obama supporter. :biglmao:

It's no different than you ignoring that Reagan did the same thing, yet still think of him as a god for the right.

**Hoot Gibson** · 02-01-2012, 10:34 PM

TheRealVille Wrote:It's no different than you ignoring that Reagan did the same thing, yet still think of him as a god for the right.

Actually, whether what you say about Reagan is correct or not, he is in no position to do any damage to this country. You should be much more concerned with the lawlessness of the current administration than your belief that a dead president was guilty of something that was not proven despite a great deal of effort put forth by the Democratically controlled Congress.

Eric Holder is a thug who has no respect for the law - not good credentials for the nation's Attorney General- and the fact that Obama has still not fired him speaks volumes about the lawless nature of the current administration.