Just a week ago, all the talk was about Mitt Romney being on the verge of winning three straight primaries and locking up the nomination with a likely win in South Carolina.

Now, Romney has had one win taken away and looks to be going down in SC. If Newt Gingrich wins in SC as many polls and pundits are now predicting, this could be the biggest and quickest turnaround in GOP primary history. As Mitt said in NH, “We’ve just made history!” Or maybe he should have said, “We’re now history!”.

Mitt Romney is still the odds on favorite to win the GOP nomination for President but instead of the cakewalk he was expecting just a week ago, it could be an expensive and bruising fight with Newt Gingrich to get there.

Though I’ve made the arguments as to why a quick win for Romney would leave him less prepared to face Obama, a prolonged battle with Newt looks to strip him of his smart executive facade who can handle any situation.

And though some are suggesting a parallel between Obama’s battle with Hillary strengthening Obama, I completely disagree.

Romney’s battle with Gingrich is a fight with a junkyard dog. If Romney becomes more experienced in that kind of fight, it hardly prepares him for a fight that will be far more strategic and powerful than an angry slapping contest.

The polls in South Carolina close tonight at 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST and you’re invited to join us here to blog about the primary tonight in South Carolina and what it means going forward.

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SueInCa
Member

What in the hell was NE thinking? Steven Tyler singing the National Anthem?

bito
Member

More like screaming it!

SueInCa
Member

That was just embarrassing for him.

funksands
Member

This is the Newt we’ve all come to know and loathe. Check out this video from “Up”. Newt’s magic starts at 3:49 http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.msn.com/

SueInCa
Member

When the “white people” are unhappy. the country is going in the wrong direction.

choicelady
Member

Wow – my understanding is that it’s all about cats.

“When the cat ain’t happy, NOBODY’s happy.”

But it does not mean the cat is correct. Just self-interested and complaining as cats are wont to do.

I don’t give into the cat when she’s wanting something dumb and yowling about it. Why do we cater to cranky white people?

SueInCa
Member

Because they think they are the only ones who deserve anything, especially a White Republican president

choicelady
Member

My cat is usually wrong about what she wants. So are they. Giving in will just make them spoiled and rotten to live with. Tough love is called for in both cases!!

SallyT
Member

CL, because cranky white people can’t learn to use the litterbox. So, they keep shitting on everything until they get attention. Personally, I hope they get a hairball!

choicelady
Member

Sally!!! LOL!!! Incredibly disgusting and terribly funny all at once!

Thanks for a GREAT laugh!

SallyT
Member

Gingrich

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/DisneyCheshireCat.jpg[/img]

escribacat
Member

That kitty is way too cute for Mr. Gangrene.

SallyT
Member

Escrib, so true but I was just seeing the comparison in the grin. AdLib’s is better in capturing the face.

SallyT
Member

Escrib, better picture of Gingrich????

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Fat_bastard.jpeg[/img]

choicelady
Member

OMG. Is this for real? How sad!

SallyT
Member

Love you, CL! No, it is not for real. It is from the movie Austin Powers and it is a costume. But, your empathy is admirable. Love ya!

choicelady
Member

Whew! I’ve never seen that movie, so I was TOTALLY suckered – and sad! Have to admit though – even NEWT doesn’t look THAT bad! Quite…

kesmarn
Admin

Someone just commented on a FB thread regarding Newt’s win: “He won because, as they used to say, South Carolina is too small to be a country and too big to be an insane asylum. And that was in the 19th century, when they tried to be polite.”

SueInCa
Member

Wow that is one good comment. When i was down there I noticed the strain in relationships. It almost seemed like there was something bubbling just below the surface and everyone was being super nice in order not to blow completely.

kesmarn
Admin

Yes, BFF! That is a great way to describe it.

I was down there about 3 1/2 years ago and, as you say, there was this latent but very real tension everywhere. It was bizarre.

SueInCa
Member

It was really weird. I went to the mall with my cousin and there was a group of AA kids coming toward us, she tensed up I could feel it and they walked all the way around us. It was just creepy. I also sat in(what I did not know was) the AA section of the burger king. this little ole lady came up to me and told me i should sit on my own side because the white people would get upset. She was so sweet, she told me “it is an unwritten rule”.

bito
Member

Bernie Sanders Takes Down Every Single GOP Presidential Candidate
http://www.politicususa.com/en/bernie-sanders-bill-maher

One of the problems that I see in the Republican primaries is that these guys are so out of touch with the reality that the American people are going through that it is really quite amazing. We are seeing a middle class collapsing. We are seeing poverty increasing. We’re seeing a nation in which the rich are getting richer and we have the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country

[…]

These guys are way, way out of touch from where the American people are, and I think when you look at them issue by issue, tax breaks for the rich, cut Social Security, more money on defense spending, they are literally a fringe element in American society.

SallyT
Member

Bito, Bernie was having a hard time staying in his seat last night. In fact, at a point Bill put a hand on his shoulder and Bernie seemed to say, “Okay, I’ll calm down.”

SueInCa
Member

SallyI saw the same thing you did. I thought he was going to go across the table.

Nirek
Member

Sally and Sue and Bito, I live and was born here in Vermont. Bernie Sanders has had my vote every time he runs. I know him well and have knowledge that he is real. He cares about you and me ! Bernie is correct on almost 100% of his issues. It is my opinion that Bernie is the best Senator America has.

SallyT
Member

Nirek, although I don’t live in Vermont, I do feel like Bernie is my senator, too. I am on SSD and I know he is looking out for me. Even when he takes a different side from the President, he is taking a side he feels need heard and not getting that. He supports the President but someone still is needed to point out something that he might be missing and Bernie is that man. There is no better guard for SS and Medicare than Bernie Sanders! Thank you for voting for him and keeping there for all of us.

SueInCa
Member

Bito
I saw this last night (we have not gotten rid of HBO yet) and he was dynamite. He had them all gaping lol.

KQµårk 死神
Member

The other story here is this is the first state where there has been a significantly higher GOP turnout, roughly 10-20% higher than in 2008 which I think shows the base was waiting for the red meat. Because in IA and NH turnout was less than 5% higher in both states and that was with big Ron Paul votes from moderates and even some Dems.

funksands
Member

Newt’s tax return. His individual tax return that is.

http://www.newt.org/sites/newt.org/files/GingrichIncomeTaxReturn.pdf

And his foundation.

http://www.newt.org/sites/newt.org/files/2010FoundationReturn.pdf

Pretty unremarkable except for a big liquidation of assets in April 2010

KQµårk 死神
Member

I got to go with Johnathan Alter here. I think the establishment is underestimating the angry in their party. Not just with Obama but with the GOP establishment. If Gingrich plays this anger right I think he’s got an even chance to be Romney or at least something in the 40-50% range. Gingrich is the quintessential mauler and brawler so at least up to Super Tuesday he is gonna make Romney earn every vote.

Of course this is the exact trait that would make Gingrich just about unelectable in the general against Obama.

funksands
Member

KQ exactly. I believe they call that a pyrrhic victory

PatsyT
Member

Newt would be the Corporate Stamp of approval President

Nirek
Member

Patsy, what you say is so true.
If money is speech these corporations are screaming ! NEWT !
I am speaking against Newt and all the other GOPTP candidates, but because I have little money it is but a whisper.

funksands
Member

As of January 19th: Ohio

Obama 44%
Romney 42%

Obama 52%
Gingrich 38%

KQµårk 死神
Member

he he

kesmarn
Admin

OH BOY!

KQµårk 死神
Member

Actually the SC election map was much worse for Romney than it was for the losers in 2008.

2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Republican_primary,_2008

2012

http://www.google.com/elections/ed/us/results?gclid=CNDsvoOh4q0CFdGP7QodxCHMTg

KQµårk 死神
Member

I noticed Gingrich changed his tune a little with the Food Stamp thing. He now does not say Obama is the ‘biggest’ or ‘greatest’ FSP but the ‘most effective’ FSP. The bastard is sly as a fox.

SallyT
Member

Seriously, how can the other elected Republicans in office support Gingrich when they threw him out as the Speaker of the House? Or do they handle it like the Christians and say he has been “forgiven” for his faults?

bito
Member

AriBerman Ari Berman
Hilarious to watch GOP strategist on cable news practically crap their pants about Newt win tonight