It was a veritable blow-out. This is the first time a candidate has won South Carolina without having won either Iowa or New Hampshire, so it’s entirely new ground. This means this process will go in for quite some time. Romney came in second, with Santorum third. Here are a few details, I know you all have something to say and a few things to add 🙂
Newt Gingrich wins South Carolina primary
South Carolina Votes: Newt Gingrich’s win fuels emotional tweets
Two maps of South Carolina that say it all. From 2008, check out the split of counties between Huckabee and “Electable Next-in-Line” (and eventual nominee) McCain:
Now this map from tonight’s 2012 South Carolina primary. Newt takes virtually the entire state, with 7 out of 10 Newt voters saying they are or support Tea Party:
Never doubt, the past and future is Tea Party.
CBS: Estimated Republican Delegate Scorecard
Ginormous blow to the Romney camp: Jeb Bush Refrains From Endorsing Anyone
Looks as though we have ourselves a horse race. Mittenz has once again shown he has a glass jaw. But can Newt win outside the South? And what about Santorum? Will he continue in the race? Will he be able to appeal to any voters besides evangelicals? Stay tuned to the next primary. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
I missed chat, but I’m delighted with this news, more so because now we have a real race. The elites must be fuming!
His acceptance speech was very good.
So nice for the Tea Party, once again, to show the media talking heads, and most of all the establishment Republican machine that we are still here and who you pick as “next-in-line”: NO LONGER WORKEY!
I never dreamed that I would be out there for Newt Gingrich…I was a Palinista way before the term was invented. Here we are…he’s the only one challenging the establishment and I’M THERE! just sayin 😉
Will support anyone, anything against the DB; hope it’s someone I can have a tiny bit of faith in…..Newt.
Does he mean it? Can he keep it? Will he screw it up? Who is the best VP match if he maintains momentum? Will Sarah Palin remain on board? What is Barack Obama thinking about when he sneaks a cigarette tonight? Many more questions. Enjoying the conservative wave.
LOL…perfect! That just about covers it. I love the sneaking of the cigarette comment.
chortal snort snort! LOL-polooza! What will TDB be thinking tonight as he sneaks a ciggy:) Priceless Ms. Begonia!
Like most here, I am thrilled. I am a bit concerned, as the next 5 states are Romney-friendly territory. My biggest worry is that a 5-state string of victory may propel the elite GOP narrative of “inevitability.” I think no matter who the nominee is, the more the struggle, the better the final candidate will be at the end. Also, the longer the nominating process goes on, the less able Team Obama is able to target their firepower on just one person.
The Palin effect.
“Fresh Today — Nikki Haley Tears! Exotically Sweet! Now accepting orders…”
Sarah still has it, Newt looks like he’s stepping up for the challenge, I hope he can handle it, there will be more drama. Trust? not yet….long way to go.
I missed the chat too, because I thought polls closed at 8pm, plus i apparently can’t figure time changes.
I am so happy for Palin (in your face Haley & Romney). I just saw Brit Hume on Fox. He had his glasses down on his nose (much like Charlie Gibson in Palin interview-condescending). He was VERY serious when he explained to us dweebs about Newt’s 56% (emphasis on 56%) unfavorability rating. He explained how that will not be good for the general election, because no one in Congress will want to run with this man. I say “Good.” What Brit, or any of the elites/talking heads/establishment fail to understand (STILL) is that with or without Newt, tea party is going to vote Congress out too! I know Newt’s downfalls, but he is espousing tea party views, and if people in Congress don’t agree and won’t run with Newt, it will be easy to pick which ones must go.
It is still so amazing to me, how these people continue to be wrong, yet never stop to think “what am I missing?” They just double down and give us even graver warnings of armageddon if we don’t do what they tell us, and vote Romney. I saw on Tammy’s twitter page, that Juan wants conservatives to realize that Romney is still the only one who can beat Obama. Why thank you Juan. Are you helping us? Do you want us to vote for Romney so he can beat Obama? How stupid do you think we are? No. 1 priority is to get Obama out of office, but if, in this process, we also break up the old GOP/establishment, all the better.
Sandyl, I saw that too! The TONE of his voice and the choppy, pompous way in which he…..emphasised…..each…..and…..every…..word…..about that oh, so ‘precious’ Fox News poll (as if the Lord Himself had spoken to us via a poll) showing Newt had 56% unfavorables was so snooty and so sanctimonious. It really was a sad thing to watch a grown man behave that way.
The establishment was already on the edge prior to SC results. Case in point: Bill Kristol’s article from 1/19. It seems he’s dropped his Ann Coulter-esque love affair for Christie and is throwing his slobber all over Mitch Daniels now.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/exclusive-weekly-standard_617264.html
Kristol’s article is pathetic. He’s fantasizing that Mitch “I’m a bore” Daniels would use the opportunity of giving the GOP response to the Dumb Bastard’s State of the Union address to announce that he’s a’ jumping into this race. As if Daniels is a symbolic knight on a white horse, riding in to save the day.
If the establishment thinks that MRS. Daniels will let her husband enter this race, they are more desperate than I thought! There’s no way she will allow her marital infidelities to get the Newt treatment – no way.
After the way they tried to Palinize Newt, Mrs. Daniels is probably saying to ol’ Mitchy boy right now “See, THIS is exactly why you are not running for president”. Could you imagine the ‘exclusive’ ABC interview with her lover around say, October?
I imagine that the elites far and wide are on the horn reserving their rubber rooms somewhere – they must be going out of their collective minds!
P.S. – Palin Power is alive and well! I’d rather it was front & center, but at this point, I’ll take what I can get 😉
I”d rather listen to commentary by Brit Ekland.
What a sweet win!
Sorry for the 2nd entry, and this may not be the place for this question, but I would like to see what TAMs think.
Theory: Romney wants to wait until April to release his 2011 tax returns, and not 2010 or earlier, so what is in there that is damaging? I am wondering if he has donations to Democrats? That for sure would end his “conservative” mantra. What do you guys think?
I don’t think it’s so much that he only wants to release his 2011 tax returns, although that could be the case.
I think he doesn’t want to release them anytime soon for a number of reasons. Here are just a few that come to mind:
(1) The Bain Capital stuff has been front & center and those tax returns could add to that fire (rightly or wrongly)
(2) He’s been running for president for 8 yrs now. He probably never anticipated being confronted with this issue until he was the nominee (because of course, he’s the ‘next in line’, right?). He anticipated having his ‘coronation’ complete by the time Super Tuesday rolls around, so why mess with that mental time-table on their release
(3) He practically said it himself in the last debate – he knows he’s going to get slammed -whether justified or not – over the amount of $$ he makes, possibly any donations to charities, etc. Given the climate in this race, he’s probably figuring why should I allow my GOP opponents AND the Dems attack me?
I’ll just stick with my plastic-man, well-oiled, 8-yrs in the running, game plan and timetable and release them when I have the nomination wrapped up and not before.
(4) The tax returns will be spun into a nice ‘fact’ addition to any Morman-related attacks he feels the Dems will throw at him. You have to anticipate that there will be a great deal of $$ given to Morman charities, etc. and somehow this will get spun as $$ given to advance a ‘voodoo religion’, etc. and anything else the Dems can dream up and lie about.
Good analysis. Thanks for your input .
Thanks, very kind of you! You’re welcome 😉
Keep this in mind, people, how things keep changing. Hours ago, we were looking at a Romney sweep, unstoppable Mitt triumphant from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina. And, as if there were any remaining doubts, Newt put the final nail in his own coffin with the attack on Bain, and then his ex- moved in to administer the coup de grâce. Under this unauspicious aura the debate begins, a grudge match, unfairly stacked, the world eager to take its revenge against one lone man, a man outnumbered and outgunned and past his prime. And the cheating pitcher opens with a spitball heaved straight and hard and true at the batter’s head, and we know it’s all over. But, surprise of surprises, the batter steps back and swings and the ball rockets square into the stomach of the pitcher, who collapses in a heap and has to be carried from the field as the batter takes the base and the crowd screams its approval in a fit of catharsis that’s almost orgasmic. And suddenly it turns out the Mitt didn’t have Iowa after all, and Newt takes South Carolina. Oh, yes, this is a story, an American story, how can we not love it? I feel that thrill, not in my leg, but in my heart.
What does this mean? Is it a good thing? Is this a trend, or a flash in the pan? What comes next? I do not have answers, I do not know answers. But, for this fleeting moment, I feel something energetic, something good. Yes, a moment to savor, it seems to me. That’s all I can say.
Well said Maynard. I too got a thrill when I heard that Newt won it. Loved that he slammed it right back at all the elites and their bought pundits. The people of S.C. said loudly, WE pick whom we choose, and not whom they say we must.
a very nicely articulated point! This could only happen in America!!! The land of opportunity.
I guess Palin’s endorsement means more that turncoat Nikki…Now that’s gonna leave a mark!!! Sweet Sarah kicked her ass big time…gotta love it!!!!
and I do love it.. Sarah, the ass kicker — yeah!
Right on. Don’t mess with a mama grizzly, she’ll eat you for breakfast.
Oh what a lovely night! I listened to some of the commentary on CNN afterwards. Gloria Borger was uneasy and annoyed. Donna Brazile mentioned “tea party” and the two words just slithered off her lips… so condescending. Oh, they were not happy campers! And many thanks to CNN’s John King who so gloriously helped to bring US to this triumphant moment!
I love our Sarah! I wanted her to be a candidate, but maybe this will all work out. She will continue to be a great influence and force. Tough night for Gov. Nikki..too freakin’ bad!
Newt gave a great acceptance speech. Wow, he is NOT AFRAID to sock it to the DB. This is going to be fun.. oh things have changed. So many people out there do not know who Saul Alinsky is, do not really understand what conservatism is, and do not have a clue to what is in the constitution. Oh, they will before this is all over .
Let’s all enjoy this happy moment. We deserve it. Then we will press forward to the day when Barack Obama is Newtered!
“Newtered” love it 😀
Let me add one more thing. I’m not going along with any Romney-bashing or the quick dismissal of players that have thrown or will throw their support behind Romney. Romney remains favored to take the prize, and some people I respect believe he’s the best man available. If he ends up being the man that stands between America and the suicidal policies of Obama, then I’m standing unreservedly with Romney. For all his faults, Romney brings skills to the table that might be what we need to put the nation on track. I’m glad that Newt has brought some spirit to the table, but we’re well-aware that Newt, too, has his issues. Be it Newt, be it Mitt, I’m not going to quibble.
Maynard, I will be for whomever gets the Republican nomination. I think that we will be our strength. We know we have to rally around the Republican nominee. Remove the db from office.. that is the goal!
Newt has been a pleasure to watch. He really is the only one beside Palin and West who is not afraid to speak plainly. Whoever wins the nom, this will be fun. And with Newt out there, the way I see it, even if the Boob wins, at least we’ll exact a fairly huge pound of flesh from the skinny guy. It will probably be so bad the Dems will be forced to bring Hillary in from the bull-pen where she’s been warming up her Golda Meir/Eva Peron bun.
this was obviously from the support & power of the tea party peeps, BUT people must be aware, newt is a progressive. unless we’re not to believe his past statements about which presidents he admires most, which were the 3 progressives who did the most damage to us (before obastard) t.roose, wood wils, & fdr….. which is very dangerous, especially at this time in history when people need someone to govern in the style that puts the power BACK INTO THE PEOPLES hands..he’s gotta be TIGHTLY restrained by WE THE PEOPLE…i’d like someone to ask him if he understands that he must SLASH govt…let’s just hope
good point! Let us never forget about Newts prog tendencies. I have not heard that he was into W. Wilson, but will check that out.
SE Cupp tweeted “Will Mitt be the first nominee to lose South Carolina?”
THIS is what Tea Party is up against! A staggering win in SC by Newt and this is the drivel we get?
I see this chick as a more polished Meghan McCain – trying so hard to sound intelligent in her little world by spewing elite establishment talking points and coming off as a know-nothing, pompous child who’s trying so hard to fit in.
Look at me! (pom-pom shake) Look at me! (pom-pom shake) Look at how clever I am getting our message out there boys! (leg kick in the air, hand on hips, cutesy smile).
For what it’s worth, I replied to her tweet and said:
“Your Q should be “Has anyone who’s LOST IN SC TWICE ever become the nominee?”
Great job Carrie. These people just refuse to consider that their assumptions/predictions just might be wrong!! We can’t even get fair and balanced on our side. Romney may very well be the nominee, but it is not a foregone conclusion. He actually has to win votes (pesky detail I know). So simply report on facts, and not twist them to support the hypothesis. It is even more clear that we have a tough fight ahead of us.
What a glorious surprise to come home from a fantasy world of “Beauty and the Beast” with my 7 yr old granddaughter to find Newt had won the SC primary. W O W This is also a win against the GOP establishment and their hand selected “next in line” candidate, a win against the other two “down the line” candidates, a punch in the gut to the biased liberal media, and a bloody nose to Niki “stab those who help you up the ladder” Haley. How sweet it is! Newt’s victory speech hit all the right notes; pointing out only positive aspects of his opponents’ agendas (trolling for supporters in those ranks), asking for helping in FL and beyond and setting down his platform of reform if he becomes the nominee. And of course he offered a smack down to the WTF White House incumbent and the delusional anti-semite peanut farmer on his way off the stage. Sarah came through for us afterall…not the way we hoped for, but she hasn’t abandoned us and this Tea Partier, Palinista, TAM and Patriotic Heart is grateful.
Yep tonight proved what Nikki Haley believes……who needs the Tea Party or Sarah Palin’s support?(sarc) LOL…FOOLS!!!
While watching the Fox News panelists I was concerned they may have had some bad seafood at dinner! By the end of the night most of them were a bit green around the gills! (Sorry Karl, Juan and especially Brit, Palin and the Tea Party can still get the job done!).
Also, amazing how I didnt hear Mittenz getting slammed for going after Gingrich in his speech tonight, the way Gingrich was ripped for going after Mittenz during his Iowa speech.
Here’s a link to some of Mittenz speech….you decide! http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-rips-gingrich-without-uttering-name-election-speech-015014044.html
Here is another article that had a few decent remarks but I found they called the anti-Romney vote everything but what they really were….Tea Party! http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-defeat-exposes-significant-weaknesses-general-election-battle-030349623.html
Keep your powder dry and cleats sharpened TAMIMANIACS….its gonna be a long bumpy ride to November!
I saw Mittenz speech. He seems mad. LOL I find it interesting that as long as Mittenz and Newt have been in the public eye, we know more about Newt.
Here we go: Mitt Romney’s Problem is His Romneyness
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/01/22/george_will_mitt_romneys_problem_is_his_romneyness.html
I just want someone who will be able to “handle” the questions in any situation and who will take it to TDB without fear. I do not see Mitt taking it to TBD at all. We need the person who will.
And…..never doubt Sarah. Big Picture.
1. Ron Paul was finished before this race even started. That he is still refusing to acknowledge that he’s already out is sad (and that’s putting it mildly).
2. Santorum never stood a chance, but now that he’s been named the official victor in Iowa he’ll have too much pride to drop out. The evangelicals are not nearly enough to carry him. There are enough conservatives in America who don’t see religion as their deciding political factor, and he has alienated every one of them.
3. Romney cannot win with the Tea Party OR our supporters. He simply cannot – not after Romneycare and gay marriage passed into Mass. law under his watch.
4. While I would rather have a better candidate, Newt is the best one so far. Like any long-term politician, he has his baggage, but that never stopped us from forgiving anyone else. It strikes me as remarkably disingenuous that the media suddenly cares about the potential infidelity of a GOP candidate after giving Bill the rapist a free pass.
Has anyone noticed how snarky Brit Hume is about Gingrich? It is so obvious that Brit is in the tank for MIttenz. I like Brit; but he seems to have gone off the rails when it comes to 2012 presidential election.
“It’s not that I’m a good debater. It’s that I articulate the deepest felt values of the American people.”
Yep.
And if he succeeds in getting the nomination, I hope he makes a beeline for Allen West… . 🙂 That’s what the smartest guy in the room would do.
Amen!! Ging West 2012!! Game On!!
It just goes to show you that the smarty pantses don’t know their ass from their elbow.
SC voters took a lemon and turned it into lemon merignue pie! We are all too aware of the flaws in the current field of candidates. They leave us mostly with a sour taste, but the fact remains, they are the ones we’re “stuck” with. The question becomes how do we turn them around, force them to see and hear what we want. To his credit, Newt appears to be listening to our voices. He has begun to “speak our language”. Whether he thinks he can “use” us to get what he wants, only to abandon us when he reaches his goal is unknown. For the moment, he has forced Mitten’s hand. Now Mitt will release his tax records on Tuesday. Now Mitt will agree to FL debates, which he made a point of not planning to do only a week ago. The narrative going into SC was based on the old playbook. It said religious groups, and women would vote as blocks. It ignored the passion and determination of that which we call teaparty. A sense of urgency among Americans to put aside that which might divide us, and instead to focus on restoring the concept of the American Dream where everyone can flourish. MSM will continue to get it wrong as long as they look to the old way of politics and fail to realize that we are in the Era of the individual, and we the people demand the right to be heard and vote for our choices. There are a lot of lemons out there, fortunately, no nation on earth knows better than Americans how to turn them into pie, pudding or atleast a decent margarita!
The wizard of extemporaneity speaks words the base loves to hear and they swoon. If Newt gets the nomination they may learn what it’s like to be his angry ex-wife.
I am not a Mitt supporter. His ineptitude is astonishing. He doesn’t need a teleprompter either. He has one script in his head and he never deviates. First and foremost, keep smiling.
It’s a mess.
At least somebody out there CAN make us swoon once in a while.
Gingrich has the intellectual ability, sufficient killer instinct, and a command of the facts necessary, to make mincemeat out of BO in a debate. There are too many people not really paying attention at this point. And they won’t until we get down to the wire. They most likely WILL pay attention to a debate with BO and we will need someone that can deliver the goods. He’s FAR from my ideal candidate, but he would be a helluva lot better than what we have now, and I think he’s the only one out there at this point who could rip the president to shreds when the time comes.
It could be a bigger mess… .
Yes, we have learned that we can’t vote and then go stick our head in the sand. Whoever gets the nomination will need to have his/her feet held to the fire to continue the trajectory that the WE THE PEOPLE want. Tea Party Congress is the objective above all else because of the Presidential candidates. But we are tired of shutting up, and getting along, and bending over to grab our ankles every time a liberal is offended. Newt espouses our feelings better than anyone has in a long time. I wouldn’t say we’re swooning over anyone in this race, but I am in Newt’s camp right now, because he is far ahead of the rest in knowing that the country has changed. Knowing the dialogue has changed, the tactics have changed. Any politician must always be watched, but he is the first “old” politician that seems to be catching on as to what it is going to take for us to accept him. That says that he can learn, and we are ready to teach the next Pres. what we want. Having a Representative Republic does get messy, but in the end Americans know how to clean up.
Pat’s words of caution are wise. Although I’m sure we all consider a stint as an angry ex-wife to be a huge step up after four hellish years playing the Bride of Frankenstein.
The Conservative Candidate Beats THE Establishment Candidate.
Compare the endorsements of Romney here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney_presidential_campaign,_2012#Endorsements
and Gingrich here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt_Gingrich_presidential_campaign,_2012#Endorsements
Notice that Romney’s endorsers include a gigantic number of ‘out of power’ technocrats, RINOS, diplomants, pissant bureaucrats and Republican apparatchiks. Even Robert Bork and John Bolton!
So, let’s ‘for fun’ recall what Newt said on December 1st: He’d be the nominee.
And after last night? Who’s to say he won’t be?
posted 1/22 330pm Texas[10th Amendment] Time
I heard today on the news that Romney is trailing Newt….IN MICHIGAN,,that ain’t good news for the mittens, no matter how you slice it.
One thing I forgot to mention about Santorum…he has gone on record saying more than once, including on NPR, that we have no right to privacy under the Constitution. His reason in 2005 was articulated thus:
“They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do. Government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulation low and that we shouldn’t get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn’t get involved in cultural issues, you know, people should do whatever they want. Well, that is not how traditional conservatives view the world, and I think most conservatives understand that individuals can’t go it alone, that there is no such society that I’m aware of where we’ve had radical individualism and that it succeeds as a culture.”
I’m not sure that Santorum knows the conservative base very well.
We have limited choices. MUCH less than ideal choices. But we’ll have to make the best of what’s left. So we either try to envision the half-way positive (realistic) possibilities or continue to bemoan the fact that independent, true Conservatives aren’t going to get their Knight/Knightess in Shining Armor this time around.
Most of us recognize the warning signs. Few (any?) are happy or truly “swooning”. Caution goes without saying and has for a while now.
I guess you could say that Romney got Newt-erd.