Florida Primary, a Romslide: Mitt Romney Rolls in the Sunshine State, Wins Big … Romney 46%, Newt 32%, Santorum 13%, Paul 7%

Mitt Romney wins big in Florida …

After all the debates, after all the ads, it was not even close.  With nearly 100% of the votes in, Mitt Romney wins in a landslide with 46% of the vote, Newt Gingrich second with 32%, Rick Santorum third with 13% and Ron Paul fourth with 7%. Romney gained a greater percentage of the vote than even the polls predicted.

It was an emphatic comeback for the former Massachusetts governor, who successfully fended off a major threat from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga).

With 74 percent of precincts reporting, Romney led Gingrich 47 percent to 32 percent. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum came in third with 13 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul was last with 7 percent.

Exit polls showed the factors that most Florida voters used to make their decision clearly favored Romney.

Voting by county can be seen HERE.

The primary battle moves on to Nevada and Michigan, both Romney territory. Some have questioned the nastiness of the tone that the GOP primary has become; however, Mitt Romney took a different perspective on the negative campaigning during his victory speech tonight.

Welcomed to the stage at his election-night party in Tampa by his wife, Ann Romney, the former Massachusetts governor said he had news for those in the Democratic Party who hoped a hard-fought primary would leave the eventual nominee too weak to win in November.

“I’ve got news for them: A competitive primary does not divide us, it prepares us, and we will win,” Romney said. “When we gather back here in Tampa seven months from now for our convention, ours will be a united party with a winning ticket for America.”

However, if Romney continues to win primaries, Newt Gingrich is going to have to bow out for the good of the party and unity. Although Newt pledges a drawn out primary battle. Really Newt? You are so quick to tell Santorum to leave the race, yet if you get beat in primary after primary, you with stay in the race. Who does that benefit but Obama? At some point if it comes to a continued primary thumping like Gingrich suffered this evening, he is going to have to act like a statesman and for the for the good of the Republican party end his Presidential run and endorse the GOP nominee. A continue drawn out primary is a mistake.Newt, you might want to think of country first and not yourself, it that is possible.

But the former House speaker is vowing a drawn-out battle for delegates as the Republican race turns next to Nevada, and then a batch of primaries in western and midwestern states. Gingrich said at his Florida rally that the latest primary showed the election has come down to a “two-person race” between him and the “Massachusetts moderate.”

As supporters waved signs emblazoned with the words, “46 States To Go,” Gingrich declared he plans to defeat “money power” with “people power” in the coming months — casting his campaign as a counterbalance to the “establishment.”

Good grief Newt, how about some cheese with that “whine”? I am no avid Romney supporter but dude … you lost and lost badly. Your complaining about negative, false ads is pathetic. What do you think that Barack Obama is going to do with $1 billion and a MSM who is in the tank for him? And also no congrats to Romney for the win in Florida. Newt may be the greater conservative, but that thin skin is hardly a positive.

Hat Tip: Hot Air

It is pretty obvious that Romney will win Nevada as it has a huge Mormon population. Romney won the 2008 Nevada caucus with over 51% of the vote. It would be a huge upset if Mitt did not do the same in 2012.

If Elected Mitt Romney Would Be One of the Most Richest Presidents Ever

Here is one for Barack Obama’s class warfare campaign ads …

If nominated and then elected President, Mitt Romney would be among one of the richest Presidents ever. I can see it now, Obama referring to Romney as the 1% President and playing the class warfare game. What else does Obama have, he certainly cannot run on his record.

GW beats me by this much

However, guess who is the richest President ever elected, adjusted for inflation … that would be the Father of our country, George Washington of course.

Just how rich is Mitt Romney? Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. Then double that number. Now you’re in Romney territory.

He would be among the richest presidents in American history if elected — probably in the top four.

Of course Obama and other Leftists might have a bit of an issue using this type of class warfare seeing that former Democrat President JFK was worth more than Romney. I wonder if George Washington had to provide his tax returns back in 1788? Before the Leftists wingbats go nuts with comments, obviously there were no tax returns.

Ask yourself what is worse … having one of the richest Presidents ever elected during a terrible economy or one that just promotes class warfare and has had 3.5 years to accomplish something and have done little to none.

Reversal of Fortune … Newt Gingrich Takes Lead in Florida Primary Polls

Newt Gingrich on a roll …

What a difference a South Carolina primary makes … Prior to the primary, the RCP average of polling was Romney 40.5%, Gingrich 22.0%, Santorum 15.0& and Paul 9.0%, or a +18.5% lead by Romney.

Flash-forward to present day and the RCP average polling is Gingrich 37.7%, Romney 30.3%, Santorum 11.7 % and Paul 10.3%. The Newtster now finds himself at +7.4% or a near 26% turnaround. No wonder Romney and his surrogates are in full attack against Gingrich and felt the need for Romney to finally release his tax returns.

According to PPP’s first poll following the SC Primary, Newt is up by 5%.

PPP’s first post-South Carolina poll in Florida finds Newt Gingrich with a small lead.  He’s at 38% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 13% for Rick Santorum, and 10% for Ron Paul.

Gingrich has gained 12 points since a PPP poll conducted in Florida a week ago. Romney has dropped 8 points. Paul and Santorum have pretty much remained in place. Their favorability numbers show similar trendlines. Gingrich’s has increased 8 points from +15 (51/36) to +23 (57/34). Meanwhile Romney’s has declined 13 points from +44 (68/24) to +31 (61/30).

At Rasmussen, Gingrich leads by Romney by 9 points, 41% to 32%.  WOW, just two weeks ago Mitt Romney had a 22% lead. Just a few days ago pundits were saying, if Romney wins SC, does that mean its all over and he has wrapped up the GOP nomination. Now, we learn that Santorum really won Iowa, Newt wins handily in SC and Gingrich prior to the first debate in the Sunshine state is up big in Florida. One now has to ask the question, if Newt Gingrich wins big in FLA, is the race over?

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Republican Primary Voters, taken Sunday evening, finds Gingrich earning 41% of the vote with Romney in second at 32%. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum runs third with 11%, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul attracts support from eight percent (8%). Nine percent (9%) remain undecided.(To see survey question wording, click here).

NJ Governor Chris Christie Says He Would Consider Being Mitt Romney’s Vice President

Today on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told David Gregorythat he thought in November 2012 he would still be the Governor of the Garden State; however, because he loves his country and his party enough, if he were asked by Mitt Romney to be VP, he would consider it. However, if he were a betting man, he sees himself still as NJ Guv in 2012.

Interestingly enough, a majority of NJ voters see Christie as Vice President.

The key numbers: 55% of New Jersey voters say it is “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that Christie will be the GOP running mate. But nearly seven in 10 voters, or 68%, say the blunt-speaking Christie doesn’t have the right personality for the job.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From the WAPO, Christie would consider a Mitt Romney VP spot.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Sunday that he would consider being Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate if Romney asked him, but said he remained skeptical that he would ever be on the ticket.

Christie, who previously denied that he was ready to be president but then briefly considered entreaties to run, also appears to have softened his resistance to the idea of being vice president.

“I absolutely believe that, come November 2012, I’m going to be governor of New Jersey and not in any other office,” Christie said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But the fact of the matter is, if Gov. Romney, who’s going to be our nominee, picked up the phone and called me to talk about this, I love my country enough and I love my party enough to listen.”

Last year, when asked about the idea of being vice president, Christie said, “I don’t think there’s anybody in America who thinks my personality is best suited to being Number Two.”

FOX News Calls South Carolina Primary for Newt Gingrich

The polls have closed in South Carolina and Fox News has called the primary for Newt Gingrich. The late Newt Gingrich surge takes the Palmetto state of South Carolina. So now each candidate has won one primary/caucus. Onward to Florida.

The South Carolina by county vote can be seen here.

ABC News also calling it for Gingrich as well. CBS counting the votes.

Newt Gingrich will defeat Mitt Romney to win today’s South Carolina primary, according to ABC News projections based on exit poll data.

Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were battling for third place.

According to exit polls, two-thirds of South Carolinian’s said that the debates matter and that the Newt affair or “open marriage” accusation from Gingrich’s ex-wife did not.  However, what should matter to GOP primary voters is why Newt Gingrich left office amid his ethics scandal. Mark my words, this will come out in the general election if Newt wins the GOP nomination and we best know up front why he left rather than face an October surprise.

Fox News calling Santorum will be third and Ron Paul a distant fourth.

As the GOP candidates head into Florida the RCP average polls are as follows: Romney 40.5%, Gingrich 22.0%, Santorum 15.0& and Paul 9.0%.

UPDATE I: Final South Carolina primary results:

Gingrich: 40.4% 243,153
Romney: 27.8% 167,279
Santorum: 17.0% 102,055
Paul: 13.0% 77,993
Cain: 1.1% 6,324
Perry: 0.4% 2,494
Huntsman: 0.2% 1,161
Bachmann: 0.1% 494