Polls across most of Florida are now open as of 7:00 am eastern time (the rest will open at 7:00 am central time).
As of yesterday afternoon, 600,000 votes had already been cast (308,416 absentee ballots and 283,250 early voters). That matches the total number of votes cast in the South Carolina primary.
Consider this your open thread for the day – it will be updated as time allows throughout the day. Polls close at 7:00 pm eastern/central time.
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Update #1: 8 1/2 hours until the first polls close
Here’s a compilation of all the final polls coming out of Florida — someone will have a little egg on their face when the day is over:
InsiderAdvantage: Romney +5 (36-31)
PPP: Romney +8 (39-31)
War Room Logistics: Romney +10 (40-30)
Mason-Dixon: Romney +11 (42-31)
Quinnipiac: Romney +14 (43-29)
NBC/Marist: Romney +15 (42-27)
SUSA: Romney +15 (41-26)
Rasmussen: Romney +16 (44-28)
Suffolk: Romney +20 (47-27)
We Ask America: Romney +22 (50-28)
RealClearPolitics Average: Romney +13.0
Pollster.com Average: Romney +8.5
—–
Update #2: 6 hours until the first polls close
Today isn’t only the Florida primary, fellow political nerds. It is also the filing deadline for the year-end FEC fundraising reports. We’ll be back later tonight with an official Q4 fundraising leaderboard, but here’s what we know so far: Huntsman’s daddy pumped $2 million into Junior’s campaign via his Super PAC; Rick Perry raised less than $3 million in Q4 (!) and blew through his entire cash on hand totals during the December leadup to Iowa; Gingrich’s Q4 haul neared $10 million.
Oh, and according to a new “study” released this morning, the Florida campaign over the past week has been measurably the most negative in modern political history, with 92% of the advertisements being attack ads. Yikes.
——
Update #3: 2 hours until the first polls close
This is the Hour O’ Exit Polls, folks, so post ‘em when you see ‘em. CNN, ABC, and the NYT should be releasing some information, among others.
The Drudge siren announces some (leaked) exit poll results:
Other numbers:
Update: NYT exit poll numbers peg the race at a 44-30 lead for Romney, the same 14% margin that Drudge is reporting.
A source inside one of the GOP candidate’s campaigns tells Andrew Breitbart that they have seen numbers indicating a 47-34 Romney lead — a similar margin.
Romney is winning seniors by a 15% margin over Gingrich.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:19 am
YES!
Fox and Friends just called out Noot for supporting Obamacare!
But they let him deny it without a challenge.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:38 am
It doesn’t matter much about Newt after today. Exit polls have Romney leading 49-27 (heard on the radio) of early voters…. That means Newt must win by 6-8 points of voters today, not going to happen…..
After Today, Newt has no where to go until Super Tuesday….. At least Santorum is smart enough to get a jump on Newt. I have a feeling that Santorum will rise, Newt will fall, but in the end, Romney is the nominee.
Santorum will get a cabinet post, and Newt will be left out…
January 31st, 2012 at 6:52 am
Go mitt!! Put Newt out of his misery for the good of all of us honest Republicans (and even for his own good … He’s like a fatally wounded animal thrashing around wildly and dangerously)
January 31st, 2012 at 6:55 am
Well Mitt has at least one vote iin Orange County. Turnout at my precinct wasn’t bad for 7:30 in the morning.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:57 am
4, What was the feel at your precinct? Lots of Romney people?
January 31st, 2012 at 7:01 am
Lots of elderly people (mine is an older precinct). There were signs for all the candidates but Ron Paul and they were a healthy mix of all three.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:11 am
Given how many absentee ballots were requested, chances are somewhere between 675k and 740k votes are already in (assuming between a 72 and 85% return rate for absentees). Everyone seems to have about 30-35% of voters having voted early. Which means, contra what a lot of people have been suggesting, we might just hit ’08 turnout levels. Or even surpass them. It’s really bad news for Newt if we actually end up closer to the 1.6 million some folks have been predicting. That would mean potentially that more than 45% of voters had voted early. And given that every poll shows Romney doing better with early voters, Newt could end up embarrassingly far behind.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:16 am
Jonathan,
Do you live near any Puerto Rican communities? I wonder how if the Fortuno endorsement has seeped in among the Puerto Rican population of Orange. Granted, Puerto are generally registered Democrats but there have to be at least like a quarter eligible to vote in the primary.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:19 am
Thunder, if you word is true. After calculate, 600000*(0.49-0.27)=132000, turnout 2,000,000 so 132000/(2,000,000-600,000)=0.94,
so Newt must overcome 9.4% if he want to win
January 31st, 2012 at 7:22 am
sorry, 0.094
January 31st, 2012 at 7:31 am
#8:
There isn’t a big Puerto Rican prescrence in my area so I couldn’t tell you. The Hispanic community around here are either well established Cubans or poor Mexican/Central American worker who don’t vote.
I should say though that not everyone was elderly at my precinct; we had a relatively diverse age group. Typical Florida electorate; diverse and hard to pin die .
Alright time for work. Catch you all tonight. Go Mitt.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:42 am
I am really liking Mitt’s chances at the nomination after today! Can’t wait for this! GO MITT! Do your job Florida!
January 31st, 2012 at 7:45 am
Lets Go Mitt!!
Just had lunch (yesterday) with someone very close to Mitt. He said they are very confident and invigorated as of yesterday.
I smell a win.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:47 am
Cannot wait for results party.
Custom Mittens 2012 t-shirt, adidas USA jacket.
Yeeeeuuuuhhh.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:49 am
I hope He continues repeating the lines of ‘America the Beautiful’ when he’s in the White house.
That is such powerful rhetoric.
I love America! Because it’s America and we love America in America that’s why America will always be America, for America.
America!
Brilliant!
January 31st, 2012 at 7:50 am
My favorite band growing up, Oingo Boingo, had a song that should become Mitt’s theme song against Obama (semi punk feel and harsh lyrics aside) I think Florida voters today are going to agree with the premise of this song:
There’s nothing wrong with Capitalism
There’s nothing wrong with free enterprise
Don’t try to make me feel guilty
I’m so tired of hearing you cry
There’s nothing wrong with making some profit
If you ask me I’ll say it’s just fine
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to live nice
I’m so tired of hearing you whine
About the revolution
Bringin’ down the rich
When was the last time you dug a ditch, baby!
If it ain’t one thing
Then it’s the other
Any cause that crosses your path
Your heart bleeds for anyone’s brother
I’ve got to tell you you’re a pain in the ass
You criticize with plenty of vigor
You rationalize everything that you do
With catchy phrases and heavy quotations
And everybody is crazy but you
You’re just a middle class, socialist brat
From a suburban family and you never really had to work
And you tell me that we’ve got to get back
To the struggling masses (whoever they are)
You talk, talk, talk about suffering and pain
Your mouth is bigger than your entire brain
What the hell do you know about suffering and pain . . .
(Repeat first verse)
(Repeat chorus)
There’s nothing wrong with Capitalism
There’s nothing wrong with Capitalism
There’s nothing wrong with Capitalism
There’s nothing wrong with Capitalism
*********
I KNEW I had good taste in music, even as a teenager.
Not all of the entertainment industry are libs. And if u don’t know the group, u may know the lead singer, Danny Elfman, who has gone on to be a great composer of movie scores. An amazingly talented man.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:53 am
15. Everyone let teledude lick his wounds and be snarky about Mitt. Us Longtime Romney fans will have plenty to celebrate and don’t need to kick people while they are down.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:04 am
16. Dude, thanks for that!
Normally not a fan of Oingo Boingo but that is very cool.
Me likey.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:06 am
My prediction for today:
A funeral dirge by the media both mainstream and alternative.
The American political scene will be boring for a few months and no one will listen to them.
They all tried to bury Romney but they got stomped.
There will be joy in the Romney camp but the pundits on all sides will be in the depths of depression.
They’ll have to regroup and try to knock him down, but in the end they will look silly.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:11 am
Watching Newt the last few days has doubly confirmed initial impressions: tone-deaf over-reaching rhetoric, a strange sense of entitlement such that rules don’t apply to him, he is such a unique and special candidate that the rules governing normal campaigns don’t apply to him, and when the political laws of gravity do apply to him, his embarrassing temperament is exposed in a most unflattering way.
When people vote in a general election, half of what they consider is temperament. Half. In this area Newt is an utter disaster for the Party. Fail the temperament test, (as I believe McCain did in ’08 when he suspended his campaign to rush to Washington over the financial crisis, very dramatic stuff, not very impressive) and you can write off any chance the voters will trust you with the office. Newt’s rantings at Romney are similarly dispositive of his temperament.
Total fail.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:13 am
I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve who can’t sleep thinking of what the morning will bring…
January 31st, 2012 at 8:13 am
I haven’t been watching FOX for about a week, but last night Romney was on Hannity so I watched. Palin was on first and boy did she look dark and rough, her world was crashing down and she did not look pretty. Interestingly, Palin did not smile once and telegraphed Newt talking points.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:15 am
Fixed it
January 31st, 2012 at 8:21 am
22, I can’t listen to her talk. It’s just diarrhea out of her mouth. Constant clauses, and commas, and no structure.
She has no insight, depth, or even a good voice. She isn’t even that hot.
I have no idea why anyone listens to her.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:23 am
Where have all the crapweasels gone?
Gone to Gingrich every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
January 31st, 2012 at 8:24 am
Talk Radio,FOX, and the MSM are already writing the byline for the Florida Election.
“Romney suffers a terrible set back as he failed to get the remaining 60% of voters.”
“Gingrich is riding a tsunami of enthusiasm and grassroots rage Romney could never hope to equal. This thing is going all the way to the convention”
January 31st, 2012 at 8:25 am
#25 LOL
Amen…
January 31st, 2012 at 8:26 am
You guys want something that will make you barf in your breakfast?
Read this about Newty’s current reinvention…
http://news.yahoo.com/bracing-loss-florida-gingrich-reinvents-himself-grassroots-insurgent-100500848.html
January 31st, 2012 at 8:32 am
What time do the FL polls close?
January 31st, 2012 at 8:33 am
22. Lol. My wife and I said the same thing. She did look really bad/sour/pale. Off to irrelevance she goes!!
January 31st, 2012 at 8:35 am
25. Classic!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 8:40 am
#29
Most close at 7pm eastern but those that are in the central time zone close at 8pm eastern.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:43 am
Given the superior Romney organization, absentee ballots and early voting may break more his way than the rest of the electorate. But at this point, not enough to deny him the win. In any case, undecideds may make up their minds to go with a winner.
I expect Santorum to outperform, as some Gingrich voters realize he won’t win and decide to vote for their preferred candidate.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:43 am
Only unknowns regarding today’s results are Romney’s victory margin (+8?) and who’s gonna come third, Santorum or Paul?
January 31st, 2012 at 8:49 am
Who cares what Palin thinks! Really..come on… People have misquoted Romney about not wanting to go back to Reagan/Bush and Palin didn’t stand up to that…now she has someone she wants to win and suddenly she wants quotes to be put in context..lol… Oh well, it is so easy to be upset by politics especially when you want your guy to win. Oh well. I love my country more than any one candidate, so I will support Newt, I will support Romney, I will support Paul, or Santorum over Obama! Note: I would whine a little bit, but I would learn to let go, because I am driven by principles, freedom of religion, capitalism, constitutionalism, and the respect of stable democratic change of power in America that has been consistent with its history…
January 31st, 2012 at 8:51 am
The only thing I am sure of today is that Romney will win anywhere from 10-20 pts.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:58 am
34
Santorum will come in 3rd.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:59 am
It’s entirely possible Romney hits 50% today, but it will depend on how many voters turn out on Paul and Santorum’s behalf. Neither has a chance to win Florida, and it’s winner-take-all. Both of them wrote off Florida as well, and the voters are aware of that.
If Paul and Santorum combine for 20% or less, Romney approaches 47-50%.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:15 am
#38 How could the Grinch, Mr. I am the nominee and the most electable, explain Romney with 47-50% away? Mitt with 50% would stop the flow of money and starve the Newt campaign out. I will be happy with a double digit Romney win and watching Newt, Pallin and Co. whine.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:21 am
25–Hey you can’t use “crapweasel!” That’s one of Harold’s words and he has so few.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:21 am
37- Probably. But he’s hardly campaigning in Florida, and has no TV advertisement, if I’m not mistaken.
I’m not betting against it. Only thinking aloud.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:24 am
#22
What is the deal with Palin. Was she implying that Romney was the only one lying?
Fox’s crawl was suggesting that Newt’s supporters were claiming that Romney was flat out lying.
Really…nothing that mitt said was any worse than what newt said. This is asinine.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:25 am
Mitt Romney is badass! Mitt Romney tears apart Newt Cobra. Mitt Romney don’t care! Ooooh, he’s using Newt’s ethics scandal against him! Mitt is sooo badass. He don’t care.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:33 am
Romney’s organization, combined with his momentum, could well get him over the 50% mark. My guess was 51%, so we’ll see. By now, everyone is expecting to see him win, which could compromise his GOTV effort, so several things are possible.
But what I’m banking on is that there are a lot of people who want to get in on the win.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:35 am
Palin was disgusting this morning. She was rambling on about the evil Mitt ads but doesn’t say a word about Newt claiming that Mitt hates all religions which is as low as you can go. I will watch the returns on CNN tonight. FNC lost my vote with the odious Palin. Go Mitt!
January 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
My prediction, reposted:
Romney – 46%
Gingrich – 31%
Santorum – 13%
Paul – 9%
Other – 1%
That’s probably a little on the high side of what could happen tonight. My prediction assumes low turnout for Paul and Santorum, which by default, means Romney and Gingrich end up with a higher percentage of the vote than the polls reflect between the two. My prediction assumes that Gingrich picks up roughly 20-30% of undecideds, with the rest going to Romney.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
Since this is the open thread….this is where SMACKDADDY will do the deed,
Congratulations to Mitt Romney and to all his supporters here at RACE42012 for your much earned victory in the GOP Florida Primary.
I did not think Mitt would win Florida, but I was proven wrong (again..in this blasted “12″ cycle)
Enjoy the night!
January 31st, 2012 at 9:39 am
She’s writing her own funeral when it comes to administration benefits. Romney is inevitable now. There is no stopping him. He is the honey badger of the GOP.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:40 am
47
Thanks, Smack. I hope Gingrich will make the same congratulatory remarks.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:45 am
Massachusetts Conservative,
“Battle of the Polls” is going to be very interesting tonight.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:46 am
If Romney wins the White House, Palin is done.
She’ll be on the back burner at best as new GOP star rise.
In addition, her brand of “analysis” will be passe and unneeded.
Back to Salmon fishing I guess.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:47 am
Palin is just finding out that her unconventional tease campaign is over and how completely unelectable, and irrelevant she has become. I think the -50 weather has frozen her brain.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:48 am
Smack very classy thanks.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:48 am
Palin wants to be the Huey Long to Romney’s FDR.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:50 am
51 We can only pray that this is true.
I found myself nodding off listening to her on hannity last night.
I honestly can’t remeber a single thing she said.
Very uninspiring.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:52 am
Anybody but NEWT,
“Smack very classy thanks.”
…..just don’t look into my office here at home and see my “Mitt Dart Board”.
“Classy Smack” will be over when the clock strikes Midnight.
..but yeah…congrats,
January 31st, 2012 at 9:53 am
I just want to take a moment to remark on the spectacular failure of Rick Perry in this race.
Just wow. He came in, and within a week, was the “presumptive nominee.” He was going to run the table.
And then, he blew it. And he didn’t just blow it. He blew it spectacularly beyond anything we’ve seen before. It was truly remarkable.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:56 am
just wondering do we really want to take this nomination to Tampa convention cause that gives obama a lot of free time like some in the media want to??
January 31st, 2012 at 9:57 am
Thanks, Smack! We appreciate your kind words!
Palin……..wondering if she’s getting extra $$$ for promoting Newt? Palin uses sooooooooooo many words to say so little.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:57 am
It turns out I was pretty close on my guesses about how much Perry had raised in the 4th quarter and how much he’d spent. I’m not going to go digging through past comments sections but I recall thinking he probably raised about 3 mil and spent 17 or so, leaving him with like a million on hand. Well, it turns out he raised 2.9 million and spent like 14.2, leaving him with 3.6 on hand. No wonder he vamoosed. Most of that was probably already spent by the time he dropped out (disclosures only run through the end of the year).
January 31st, 2012 at 9:57 am
45. “Palin was disgusting this morning. She was rambling on about the evil Mitt ads but doesn’t say a word about Newt claiming that Mitt hates all religions which is as low as you can go.”
Palin has gone anti-Mormon.
Here is the evidence.
http://www.article6blog.com/2012/01/30/gingrich-goes-nuclear-shame-on-gingrich/
Check out the part about Palin’s facebook page.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:00 am
That was a MEDIA and religious right “presumption” or push on Perry.
Perry has never been “intellectually” prepared for a run to the WH. Organizationally, his campaign was not prepared for the BIG time. It was a phony rise anyway you look at it.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:02 am
just wondering do we really want to take this nomination to Tampa convention cause that gives obama a lot of free time like some in the media want to
January 31st, 2012 at 10:05 am
61. that is total bullshit.
your “evidence’ is lacking dude.
Palin has not gone ‘anti-Mormon’ and you guys need to get off this persecution kick.
It’s ugly.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:07 am
ARG poll released today:
Romney – 43%
Gingrich – 31%
Santorum – 13%
Paul – 9%
Others – 1%
Undecided – 3%.
Now THAT tracks my prediction exactly, except mine has those 3% undecideds going to Mitt. Wow.
I guess if ARG is as bad as we all believe they are, I’m going to look bad tonight.
http://americanresearchgroup.com/
January 31st, 2012 at 10:08 am
CNN just said Mitt has 51% of the early voting
January 31st, 2012 at 10:08 am
This primary season has been interesting. Bachmann was on a high for one day until Perry knocked her out. Perry was on a high until the first debate knocked him out. Cain was on a high for quite a while as the old Palin people/ABRs doubled down on supporting him through thick and thin–until they couldn’t. Then the same with Newt (I hope.)
How many brainless talking heads predicted the race was Mitt v. Perry; Mitt v. Cain; Mitt v. Newt. Next I guess it will Mitt v. Santorum?
All the other ABRs fell of their own weight. Mitt has had to actually wrestle Newt to the ground and stick a fork in him. It’s been a good excerise for Mitt to have to fight. All this talk about a brokered convention? I dunno.
Palin and Limbaugh won’t be at the convention, will they?
January 31st, 2012 at 10:10 am
#64 No matter what, Palin is supporting the guy who accused Mitt of hating all other religions. That’s obnoxious and untrue.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:10 am
Palin and Grinch need to be called out for the religious bigotry, but they won’t. I wish Coulter would chime in and put these two discriminating losers in their place. They aren’t grassroots and aren’t what the party is about. Yeah, we need Tea Party and some flavor of populism, but not this ignorant, back-country, hypocritical stupidity they’re spewing. The deletion of pro-Mitt/mormon posts and maintaining of anti-Mitt/mormon posts is ridiculous (of course, red state already does it, so I’m not surprised). The Grinch’s characterizing Mitt as being anti- “OUR religions” is insane and a dog whistle. I’m surprised the left hasn’t eviscerated him for it.
Regardless, the win tonight, I’m feeling it, will be by a large enough margin that it will silence their stupidity. Also, the SC win will be an afterthought and Newt won’t get another debate or win for about 6 weeks…he’ll be exposed by then. During that time, I expect the sideline watchers to jump on the Mitt Train and put this thing Newt/Sarah out to pasture. They’re embarrassed the party long enough.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:11 am
update, 650,000 or so early vote/mail in votes so far…
January 31st, 2012 at 10:13 am
64 Facebook screenshots are not evidence. The person who made the comment could have just as easily removed the comment herself as have Sarah Palin’s Facebook person do it. I question why anti-LDS comments remain on the site while pro-LDS or neutral LDS comments tend to “self-deport” or disappear. Sarah needs to get control of her Facebook page before she gets associated with the Pastor Jeffresses of the world. Her brand will be nothing but perpetual victimhood and intolerance.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:14 am
There’s no doubt Palin’s Facebook page is anti-Mormon…..but was it under direction? There’s no way she could run it herself.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:14 am
Newt/Palin/Limbaugh. Go now, to the trash heap of history.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:14 am
Mass Con,
ARG has actually been pretty good for the last two cycles. It’s funny how pollsters get a bad reputation and then can’t seem to shake it. They came the closest in South Carolina, with Newt at +14 (he ended up at +12). Only PPP (+9) and ARG were even remotely close. Of note: ARG had another Florida poll a few days ago which had Romney at +11. So that puts a kabosh on the idea that Newt’s got any momentum. It’s going to come down to which pollsters created the best models. Because, if anything, Mitt seems to have maintained his momentum from late last week. But it’s probably been pretty static since the weekend.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:15 am
#66, I keep hearing those levels this morning. If Mitt has 51% of early voting, and he has this huge momentum swing which the majority of polls are reporting, I think the undecideds break for Mitt and he wins with > 50% if he does, or even comes close (> 48%) then the party needs to coalesce around him and get this thing over with.
A near-50% win in Florida with 4 candidates is unmistakable. Yeah, he outspent. He also out-debated, out-organized, and out-attacked everyone. It’d be great if Santorum bowed out after Nevada and said, “The people have spoken, and I don’t want us to fight amongst ourselves while Obama controls the message.” or something along those lines ala Mitt in 2008. Then Mitt could pick a strong running mate and go on the attack and take Obama and the Dems to the mattresses.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:15 am
This talk of a brokered convention is a farce.
Most of the states before April are proportional. The brokered convention people are all saying how Mitt can’t get 50% in these states, so we will have a brokered convention.
Actually, the VAST MAJORITY of these proportional contests select delegates the way South Carolina did. Winner-take-all by congressional district, and some delegates are winner-take-all for the popular vote winner.
This model is in at LEAST 10-15 states as I can recall. It is the exact same model that was used in South Carolina. In that case, Noot got 40% of the vote, but he got 23 out of 25 delegates. You don’t need a majority of the vote to get the vast majority of the delegates in any states. Just a plurality big enough to take enough congressional districts.
The only TRULY proportional contests are Nevada and one or two other states, ones so small I cannot remember them.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:18 am
66- Just heard on NPR that Mitt has more than 50% of early vote.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:18 am
The 51% of the early voting Mitt is getting is exactly what I predicted he would get. For that to carry through, I’m banking on the bandwagon effect, combined with a backlash against Newt’s recent insanity.
Could happen.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:18 am
The “proportional” contests before April are much closer to winner-take-all than people are suggesting.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:21 am
#74 All the outspending shows is that Mitt ran a very organized, professional campaign. That’s a positive not a negative. He did what he had to do to win. If nutty Newt hadn’t been propelled into his present position by attrition of other candidates, Mitt wouldn’t have had to spend as much as he did.
I do agree with the main point you made. It’s time to move on. The problem is that Newt won’t move on. Even Dr Krauthammer said Newt is not even about winning. He’s about vengeance.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:22 am
16. Oh man, Jeff Fuller, I’m afraid your favorite song is almost certainly satire. The song is deeply sarcastic, and, well, influenced by punk rock. Also, Danny Elfman more recently did this: http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20081028_sarah_palin_scares_danny_elfman_into_politics/
January 31st, 2012 at 10:26 am
So now Palin is anti-Mormon?
Wow.
Just wow.
If you are not yet on “Team Mitt” you are considered a very bad person here at RACE42012.
Palin is not anti-Mormon.
We must defeat Obama…we can’t have this party split in two…..with that sort of talk we will.
Dark days ahead, I’m afraid.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:32 am
#75: MassCon: I agree. And what faction would lead the charge against Mitt in favor of another candidate? Name names. There is no other candidate. None. And no group to support one. Talk show hosts? Fractured Teavangelicals? Anti-Mormon pastors?
Hard-core conservatives, Mike Lee, O’Donnell, Ayotte, Haley, Jason Chaffetz, Jeff Flake, Thune, Darryl Issa, Sheriff Babeu, Orrin Hatch support Mitt. Paul Ryan seems simpatico with Mitt and so does Marco Rubio on Fox just now: “Floridians want jobs and I’m confident they will vote for the right person.”
The White Knight is a Phantom Knight. And yes, Sarah, you will be sitting on the back of the bus–or not even on the bus. It looks like the Crazy Conservatives are going to lose this one.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:34 am
K.G.
“Crazy Conservatives”
Keep in mind…you need the “Crazy Conservatives” to beat Obama.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:36 am
LOL.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:39 am
There is nothing “Conservative” about someone if they have no idea what they are talking about. Palin and her ilk couldn’t even sit down and convince an undecided voter to believe a single thing they believe.
When people like Romney (and frankly, myself) are done talking with an undecided voter or liberal, the person comes out of the conversation a Capitalist and a Republican.
One of my family members was a Socialist 5 years ago. I convinced her to vote for Romney 4 years ago, and she’s been a Conservative ever since. I spoke with my brother on the phone the other day, and he was bashing Romney for being rich and “taking advantage of people.” He came out of the Conversation confident in Romney and opposed to Obama. My father supported Hillary Clinton early on in the process in 2008. I convinced him to be a Conservative and he voted Romney.
I could go on.
Someone like Noot or Palin would NEVER, EVER convince someone to join their team. They are unconvincing and ineffectual.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:40 am
Newt brought a pocket knife to a tank fight.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:42 am
64. & 81. “Palin is not anti-Mormon”.
I provided the evidence. What have you provided?
January 31st, 2012 at 10:45 am
70. “64 Facebook screenshots are not evidence.”
Yes, they are evidence.
“The person who made the comment could have just as easily removed the comment herself as have Sarah Palin’s Facebook person do it.”
Nah. Why would someone go to the effort to write a reasoned comment simply to remove it later with no explanation?
It is far more likely that it was removed by the account owner.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:48 am
As a long time reader, rare poster, seriously, please cut the anti-mormon accusations out. They are unnecessary. Sure, there are bigots out there – both non-LDS bigots and LDS bigots. Why would you be surprised that they would flock to the candidate they can most identify with? That doesn’t mean Palin is anti-Mormon or that Huckabee was back in 2008 or that Romney is a anti-evangelical just because some of their supporters are.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:53 am
#83:
Let’s hope that enough people come to their senses and quit being so crazy and start making friends with reality.
(1) Mitt is the only one that has the ability to beat Obama.
(2) Mitt is way more conservative than he’s been portrayed by Newt, Limbaugh and Palin.
(3) Mitt has the potential to be a sane, hard-working, straight-thinking POTUS who will fight for conservative ideals as well as create a good economic climate.
(4) A Mitt presidency will not cause a bunch of people to become Mormon.
(5) Mitt is not the “establishment” candidate Limbaugh and Palin portray him to be.
(6) When it comes to working with Congress and the financial powers-that-be, being a Harvard summa cum laude with vast business experience is not a bad thing. People will respect him and he will have credibility with those he needs to get things done.
The Crazies like Palin and Limbaugh need to face the fact that nobody forced Mitt down their throats. They just couldn’t come up with a candidate who would make a good POTUS.
PS: It seems so odd that if Palin just could not vote for Mitt, that she wouldn’t have endorsed Santorum. Supporting Newt makes no sense on any level. It is the last nail in her political coffin.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:55 am
Massachusetts Conservative,
With victory, comes the added responsibilty of “building” the factions together for the ultimate goal of victory against Obama.
Of course it’s ok to say Palin is not as good as Mitt….not as smart as Mitt….not as successful as Mitt…yadda..yadda..yadda
But when some of you go down the road of calling Palin a Hater…well…..good luck building that support you will need in Novemeber.
Not everybody is a bad person for not being a Mitt supporter.
I’m not sure how many of you truly understand that.
It’s time to build…not tear down.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:59 am
Most of us aren’t seeing bigotry behind every tree. I only mention it because Newt Gingrich is repeating lies about Gov. Romney’s record with regard to Catholic hospitals being forced to provide contraceptives and the lie about him cutting off funding for kosher food for Jews. Then Gingrich compounded his lie by claiming victim status and asking when Gov. Romney was going to respect “our religion”. Now if you can’t see the dog whistle in that statement you never will. We are all one party here. We share common values. Calling attention to differences due to race or religion is out of bounds behavior and many of us are upset that Palin and Fox News have not repudiated this kind of hatemongering.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:59 am
91
Did I call Palin a hater?
I think these accusations are ridiculous. She doesn’t sit on her facebook deleting comments.
It’s time to bring the team together. That’s why Noot needs to be stopped before he continues destroying the party.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:00 am
“It’s time to build…not tear down.”
Pious baloney. We in the Romney were very gracious to you when Pawlenty dropped out and to tele when Palin announced her non candidacy. But how did you treat us? Where has this building the party sentiment been for the last few months with you two?
January 31st, 2012 at 11:06 am
#91:
Sane people are going to agree with you 100%.
So far, here’s been the problem:
Mitt says: I’m now pro-life: The anti-Mitts say: No you’re not.
Mitt says: I governed as conservatively in my state as I could in a liberal state. The anti-Mitt’s say: No you didn’t. Mitt says: Lookk at my record. The anti-Mitt’s say: No, we won’t.
Mitt says, MassCare is good for my state, but not for America: I’ll dismantle ObamaCare. The anti-Mitt’s say: No, you won’t. Mitt says I worked hard against same-sex marriage, here’s my actual record. The anti-Mitt’s say: No, you didn’t and we’re not looking at your record.
Mitt says, The NRA was pleased with what I did in Mass; the anti-Mitts say, No, we don’t care. You’re anti-2nd Amendment.
On and on.
The building will come when people finally look at what Mitt’s saying he will do in office and find they are pretty OK with it. Yeah, Perry wants to “take a wrecking ball to Washington” and Palin wants to send “Big Dog Newt to shake things up,” but Mitt’s plans are “clear, consistent and realistic.” You cannot just tear the place apart in a day and expect a good outcome.
The building will come when people realize Palin, Newt and Limbaugh have been misleading them.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:13 am
92 – understood and thanks for the clarification. Yes, I do realize most of the commenters here are not “seeing bigotry behind every tree”, but man, is it obnoxious when they do and then the entire discussion goes down the crapper.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:15 am
85
There is nothing “Conservative” about someone if they have no idea what they are talking about. Palin and her ilk couldn’t even sit down and convince an undecided voter to believe a single thing they believe.
One of Palin’s books got given to me by a relative, and it actually did a pretty good job explaining conservative patriotic principles, IMHO. I haven’t seen the same thing in her talking head appearances, however.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:16 am
64 Facebook screenshots are not evidence.
Of course they are. They aren’t proof. They aren’t great evidence. But they are evidence.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:18 am
97
That’s because she probably didn’t write it. Politicians rarely write their own books. I don’t know if she wrote it or not, but I’m skeptical.
Besides, my point stands. She and her fans don’t know why they are “Conservatives.” They just are, because they dislike northeastern rich people.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:22 am
I don’t know if she wrote it or not, Mass Con, but if someone else did the whole thing, they did a good job of sounding Palinish and of capturing a distinctive conservative vision that was much better than the normal political book.
I’ve only had the misfortune to read a couple of books by politicians. They mostly read like they were written in crayon.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:22 am
In the generous Rombot spirit, I think Mitt should demand not just petty concession speeches, but total capitulation from his
rivalsenemies when he wins. Champaign for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends. That sort of stuff.January 31st, 2012 at 11:24 am
Reuters/Ipsos has a new poll, showing Romney up 15. They had him up 8 earlier in the week.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:25 am
102
Isn’t that the online poll?
January 31st, 2012 at 11:33 am
101
Capitulation is far too gratuitous. It ought to be a lifetime of slave labor, pasting “Romney 2012″ stickers on AMC Ramblers for eternity. Those who deviate even slightly from the still undefined set of workplace standards would be fired and re-hired repeatedly for ultimate suffering.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:33 am
Newt and his supporters would announce victory if they come within 10 points with Mitt.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:35 am
96 I’m going to put this one to bed. Newt is flailing at this point. I don’t believe he has some coordinated network of intolerant people. He is just grasping at whatever he thinks will move the conversation away from his failings and the religious stuff is an easy target. It is disappointing but it is the religious dog whistle just this week. You never hear politicians call other politicians “dishonest”. It never happens. But it is fair game to call Gov. Romney dishonest. I believe this is being used as a dog whistle to those predisposed to believe “Mormons lie”. Gingrich has been caught in many lies but neither Mitt or his surrogates are calling him dishonest. It just isn’t done. Its a bridgeburner.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:35 am
Exhibit #666 in an infinite series: Why Mitt Is an Awful Candidate:
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/romneys-massachusetts-mandate-deception/348731
In other words, Mitt’s defense of RomneyCare is excruciatingly laughable. And Mitt is so full of crap that it squirts out his ears. He should be mandated to wear Depends as headgear.
It would have been far cheaper for Mass denizens, state taxpayers, and the creaking federal government if Mitt had refrained from his Big Government boondoggle and simply swallowed the outright losses resulting from EMTALA.
I guess when you’re an English major with a tacked-on Harvard Law/Biz degree, you’re too clever by half. Not to mention oblivious to the obvious: Fixing a problem that results from government overreach by vastly expanding that overreach will not work. Dipschlitz.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:37 am
107
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&src_vid=TM-8Y_phsII&annotation_id=annotation_783213&v=QSXJLZx5mpY
January 31st, 2012 at 11:38 am
10000 people or so voted in first 4 hours of voting in Collier county
January 31st, 2012 at 11:41 am
108. Yeah, Newtie has been naughty, too. That leaves Ronnie P. or Santo Ricky as the only serious alternatives. Or Buddy Roemer.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:44 am
98 All I’m saying is that I can just as easily delete my own comment as Sarah Palin could delete my comment. If I wanted to make Palin look bad, I could post something totally harmless, make a screenshot and then delete my own comment and take another screenshot showing the comment deleted.
I am not saying this is what happened here, bc SP’s FB page has a long history of deleting anything remotely critical of her. My guess is the defenses of LDS from anti screechers fall under that category. The anti stuff doesn’t criticize Sarah, they indirectly hit Mitt, so that is fair game according to some twisted standard.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:45 am
I give first hand account of pro-mitt comments being removed… Mine were removed. A friend of mine had all her posts removed and was banned. Neither of us were inflammatory, but showed the hypocrisy of SP on her fb page.
She has that right. But a lot of the vile attacks remained untouched on her fb page. This was 2 nights ago.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:47 am
107. Wow! Using last year’s data to attack Mitt. That is, last year’s data using last year’s policies which are affected by last years liberal legislature and governor. I think I just might vote for … Oh, right, I’m still voting for Mitt.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:53 am
Marque,
If RomneyCare sucks so bad, you ought to like Romney even more. He wants states to decide what to do on their own.
If Romney is not elected, Obamacare is permanent law in this country. And then, every state has mandates and financial problems.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:54 am
Mitt learned from his mistakes in RomneyCare as well.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:55 am
tele/Smack –
I understand the frustration over some of the Rombots commentary ad nauseum. However, when it comes to Palin and her commentary as of late it just come across as antithetical to everything she has stood for over the last number of years. I’m sorry – but being the soccer mom full of family values that is a staunch conservative that hates the DC filth and despises the media she sure is coming off as somebody that is throwing all of that behind her for the context of keeping Newt’s #s up with an anti-mitt message.
Can you tell me that Newt has not been just as negative in FL as Mitt has? I’m not talking about $ spent – I’m talking about message and attacking points. He has gone after record @ Bain, he has gone after Mitt’s wealth with his requests for tax returns, he has gone after Mitt because of some bogus Medicare fraud case that Mitt was never part of, he has gone after Mitt over cutting costs in Mass for the sake of not catering to a religious group (kosher meals for elderly Jewish people), I could go on, but those are a good start.
Mitt has gone after Newt’s baggage that has been stored for a number of years but had kind of been forgotten my many a voter. His $300K fine – FACT His resignation as speaker because 80%+ of the republicans in the house wanted him out – FACT His “vision” of a moon colony – FACT His sitting down w/ Pelosi & various other leftist stances – FACT Romney hasn’t even gone down the character issues about his marital issues and his calling serial adultery “normal” and that faithfulness is “too perfect” today. I find that to be the most appalling thing I had ever heard out of a politician – yet I don’t hear the Mitt campaign bringing that up.
So how is it that Palin feels that Newt is picked on and that he is the “outsider” fighting against the establishment? Do you feel that every one of us Rombots are part of that establishment? Every person who votes for him is of that establishment? Just can’t make sense of any of it and it is causing frustration and anger.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Any exit polling numbers yet?
January 31st, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Did any of you brainiacs read the screen shots from Palin’s facebook page?
because there is nothing posted that is “anti-Mormon”
If there is evidence of “anti-Mormon’ stuff – POST IT!
You can’t.
All that guy does is show HIS post whining about Mormon bigotry, which was probably deleted because it isn’t true and here FB page isn’t the venue to debate religion.
And who can control what over 3 million people might post on a facebook page?
That doesn’t mean Governor Palin has gone “anti-Mormon”
This shows the lengths of character assassination you are in store for if you are not supporting Mitt.
This is ugly stuff.
Knock it off.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:10 pm
The Fox Newt Channel line tonight is going to be “Romney only won because he has money and he’s part of the Establishment.”
It’s a NewsCorp line concocted in the wee hours of the morning some moons ago during smoke-filled focus group sessions (which are only legal in Australia) with a group of carefully selected angry weak souls who were payed graciously for their “efforts” forthcoming. The thinking was, that accusing Romney of having reliable campaign funds would make Romney himself seem unreliable by comparison, allowing Noot to become the “reliable” candidate in the race.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:17 pm
I am shocked and appalled that I was censored when I called for Mitt Romney to make bowls of his enemies skulls and drink their fresh blood from them while listening to the lamentations of their chained wives and daughters.
When I lived in Soviet Russia I expected my calls for more civility to not be suppressed, but not here!
If we can’t put our differences aside and amicably agree to viciously slaughter each other in the most crudely barbaric ways ways possible, the resulting disunity might hurt our chances against Obama.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:18 pm
So including absentee and early ballots, it seems like about 40k people have voted in Collier by 11 am. Around 53k voted in ’08. If turnout holds up for the rest of the day (and I’m a little fuzzy on when “peak” turnout typically is on an election day) Collier will probably get close to 60k votes- up like 10 to 13%. If that’s mirrored statewide, and Romney’s margin surpasses 10%, it’ll be fantastic night for the GOP.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:20 pm
121
Interesting. So, the term “disunity” is used in a literal sense, with respect to body parts.
Yep, Obama’s a shoe-in.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:21 pm
119, it’s that the anti-Mormon stuff was not removed, but the calls for civility toward Mormonism and all other religions were taken down.
That’s the point.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:23 pm
122
It will be very interesting to see if turnout in Southern and coastal Florida goes up from 2008, and if at the same time, turnout in the Panhandle and rural areas goes down at the same time.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:23 pm
122, and an affirmation of his across-the-party appeal. They constantly called for someone to unite the party. If Romney cracks 40% in a state that has every kind of Republican, it’s hard to say he hasn’t done that.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:27 pm
124. No, the point is there is no “anti- Mormon stuff.
I haven’t seen any.
No one has posted any evidence of it.
This guy posted an accusation and had it removed. It was insulting.
If I went to your facebook page and said, “I know you beat your wife and always beat her, why don’t you stop beating her?”
Would you remove it?
I mean, after all, all I’m doing is calling for you to stop beating your wife, you abusive bastard. What’s wrong with that?
See how the game is played?
So, Booyeah, when are you going to stop beating your wife?
January 31st, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Mitt needs a “wow” speech – like the one in NH to start appeasing people – at least here in my neck of the woods – IL. I keep hearing “He really need to give us more if we are going to be happy with him” – an AWESOME victory speech would be a good start!
January 31st, 2012 at 12:32 pm
127
I’d LOVE for a debate moderator to quickly look at one of the candidates on stage and ask “are you still beating your wife?” The correct answer is not “no” or “yes,” so it would be interesting to see how the candidate reacted to the question. It would most likely result in an extremely flustered look of outrage and befuddlement, followed by an admonition. During said befuddlement, an accidental “no” might come out, causing the savage, drooling audience to erupt into bellicose laughter not heard since Obama’s 57-state gaffe.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:32 pm
it’s that the anti-Mormon stuff was not removed, but the calls for civility toward Mormonism and all other religions were taken down.
That’s the point.
In Telefele’s defense, I think his point was that we had screenshots of the the calls for civility being removed, but no screenshots of anti-Mormon stuff that wasn’t removed.
So while we have some evidence that the calls for civility were removed, the only evidence we have of unremoved anti-Mormon postings were some random persons statements that there were some. Which is pretty thin.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Thank you Mr. Hubitt.
Your rationality and clear thinking on this matter does, however, make me question your allegiance to His Mittness.
I urge you to tread carefully.
if you know what I mean
January 31st, 2012 at 12:35 pm
I heard newt this morning on a saying how he raisted 10 million, from 100,000 people all over the nation…WHAT!!!! Try almost EXCLUSIVELY from your vegas money daddy, rather than the masses. No one even TRIED to challenge it! Who does their homework anymore in the media, or has guts to call people out? VERY FEW!
January 31st, 2012 at 12:36 pm
I tend to think that this high turnout bodes well for Newt. Just probably not well enough. There’s little question he’s doing better with today’s voters than he did with early voters. Had early voters accounted for 40% of the total, a 20 point victory would have been in range. If it only accounts for 33%- and it seems like it will- a 10-14 point victory seems more likely. But if it drops below 10 then Romney’s going to wish he’d gotten a “GOP Voter turnout is Below ’08 levels- shows GOP still unsatisfied with Choices” storyline.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:37 pm
I have to laugh at all these ABR’s who insist the base hates Romney.
He’s been drawing huge crowds in Fla and they look pretty energized.
Gallup recently polled him as the most acceptable to both Conservatives and Moderates, clocking in with 59% for both groups.
The only folks decrying him are the Right Wing influence peddlers he doesn’t suck up to, or as this cycle has proven, need.
He’s going to win this thing, the whole enchillada, on his own.
I can’t stop smiling!!!
Don’t doubt me.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:39 pm
133
High turnout almost always is a good indicator for the one with the momentum. And Mitt has the momentum.
Perhaps high turnout in today’s voting would indicate a heavy break of undecideds to his column, exceeding any numbers in the polling.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:39 pm
132. I’m sure he was talking about money donated to his campaign, not his SuperPac.
Get a grip, it’s still several hundreds of millions less than Mitt’s Wall Street bankers have given him.
Mitt can still buy the election by carpet bombing a state with sewage.
No worries Mittbots. The Borg should be must calmer today than it is today.
What’s up with that?
January 31st, 2012 at 12:39 pm
132. i think that was what his campaign raised, not the super pac money from the vegas money daddy.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:40 pm
so tele –
How are you liking the robo calls from the Gingrich camp about Mitt wanting to starve Holocaust survivors?
Yeah – this guy is a winner. Sheesh!!
January 31st, 2012 at 12:42 pm
For my prediction to bear out, Mitt would need something like 44% of today’s voters. The surveys mostly show Mitt with about 36-42% among those who have not voted. Allocate the undecideds, and it could actually happen.
That is, Mitt getting 46%
January 31st, 2012 at 12:46 pm
138. I hate that this campaign has degenerated into a mudslinging contest.
It didn’t have to be that way.
but
the aggressor sets the rules.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Medved last night finally pins the “establishment” the talkheads (Rush, Hannity) have been talking about – he pinned it RIGHT BACK ON THEM, saying you can’t get anymore establishment than Palin and Rush – HAH!
Rush yesterday became a flat out lier – kept repeating that “the liberals are afraid of running against Newt” when millions are being spent to attach ROMNEY in FLORIDA from the DEMS!! Unbelievable how many liers this ’12 election has made!!
January 31st, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Official Newt Concession speech prediction – I prequote, “I have NEVER seen this kind of NEGATIVE and DISHONEST advertising from any presidential candidate in any election cycle, EVER. ” Then he will go from there. No vision. No projection. No congratulations. Just bitterness and negativity.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:57 pm
140.
So the most recent week full of “pious baloney” over falsehoods being spread is……………?
That is called hypocrisy at it’s finest tele.
“Mitt is the most dishonest campaigner I’ve ever seen”
at the same time as his campaign is running completely false ads that Rubio, Huckabee, and many other conservatives have called him out on their complete false content. Yup – pious baloney must taste good Newt.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Someone I have always respected is Thomas Sowell
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/289700/florida-smear-campaign-thomas-sowell
Rombots in denial should read
January 31st, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Teledude – last night one guy went off on mormons and their ” necrodunking”. I will find the post and post it for you. There were other comments about mormons trying to take away religion. Don’t look today look at posts posted yesterday.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:12 pm
144. Tele – did 80%+ of the republicans in the house oust him/force him to resign or not? Did he pay a $300K fine? did he get that $ back at some point? Why aren’t more people that worked with him then backing him now? He is POISON!
January 31st, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Tele,
You need to change candidates. Seriously dude. Gingrich is not a Conservative, he’s unelectable, and he whines and complains and blames others just like 0bama.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:15 pm
144 Ann Coulter disagrees with Thomas Sowell. She doesn’t understand this endorsement, no Palin’s. Newt has no history of enacting entitlement reform or cutting spending. Quite the opposite in fact.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Will we start seeing returns at 7:00 eastern when the first polls close? Or will we have to wait until 8:00 eastern when all the polls close?
January 31st, 2012 at 1:18 pm
145. I looked last night when this was first posted on this site and didn’t see it. Couldn’t find anything and I scrolled down a long ways.
There are over 3 million ‘followers’ who have posting rights on Governor Palin’s FB site. She doesn’t monitor it personally, and whoever’s on her staff doing it may miss some things.
She is not anti-Mormon and to say so is dishonest and disposable. Period.
Do you beat your wife too?
January 31st, 2012 at 1:21 pm
144
I read your article. Mitt’s “smear campaign” isn’t just making stuff up.
Fact:
1)Newt resigned the speakership
2)Newt was reprimanded by 88% of Republicans in the house at the time
3)Newt has hardly any endorsements from people with whom he has/had worked with for years and years
ANY of these three facts alone are reason to not support Newt, and spin them how you will, they are all bad. If you try and spin the first two in a positive way, then it leaves no explanation for #3. The only other option left, which many have taken, is to simply attack all those Newt worked with as “the Establishment” – as if we should inherently distrust those we just voted into office.
This doesn’t even touch his marital issues, his undisciplined nature, etc, etc. Newt is the most flawed candidate to be taken seriously in a LONG time.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
151, not since Pat Buchanan. He’s that level of toxic and crazy. Makes Howard Dean look like Bush 41.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
#149 8:00 because they can’t release any real results until all of the polls are closed in the state.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Newt resigned the day after being re-elected. If that isn’t resigning in disgrace I don’t know what is. Maybe this is why Palin has quasi-endorsed Newt. Quitters gotta stick together against those mean-nasty term-completers.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Tele – you said you hadn’t seen any. I have. I didn’t juxtapose as to the reason it was there. Did not call palin a bigot, maybe whoever monitors her site fell asleep, fine. Sure. It’s there though, that was what I said.
It’s been a rough week I get it. But read a little before you start lashing out.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:34 pm
70% of Huntsman super PAC money came from his dad:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/huntsman-sr-gave-million-to-super-pac-112921.html
January 31st, 2012 at 1:55 pm
2 votes for Romney in FL. Mitt is the man!
January 31st, 2012 at 1:59 pm
81 guy, song is legit. Quote from Danny Elfman: He told Lawrence Henry of Music Connection:”I’m not a doomist. My attitude is always to be critical of what’s around you, but not ever to forget how lucky we are. I’ve traveled around the world. I left thinking I was a revolutionary. I came back real right-wing patriotic. Since then, I’ve kind of mellowed in between. It affected me permanently and totally. “‘
There are some quotes where it was an American music retaliation to the UK band “The Clash” (who I also love, go figure) and their strong socialism themes while they were benefiting big time from the capitalist model.
And for him to come out against Sarah Palin is no biggie in my book. M Cain chosing her and the IDE of having her “next in line” gave many a good republican and conservative pause.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Your rationality and clear thinking on this matter does, however, make me question your allegiance to His Mittness.
Its less any actual allegiance to the Mitt and more a distinct lack of allegiance to the other candidates.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Whatever margin Mitt wins by today was in spite of large sums of money spent by Democrats to destroy him….accompanied by every conceivable smear directed his way by his chief opponent….and the fact that 78% of network stories about him were negative, while most of their stories about his opponents were positive.
This doesn’t even bring up FOX, Rush, Hannity, Laura, Levin, and numerous other morons.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Newt has no room to complain about negative campaigning. to do is is the height of hypocrisy. i told newton that he better hold on to his pants after south carolina becaues he was about to get it. romney has what it takes to beat obama. gingrich doesn’t. this battle in florida just proved it.
gingrich can’t take the heat. obama would crush him as is evidenced by how he couldn’t handle romney going after him with his vast resources. those resources and smarts is what it will take to beat obama. gingrich is too thin skinned and too erattic to beat obama.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:32 pm
If you can’t handle the heat then get out of the kitchen newtons. Just give up and go do some lobbying so you can wrack up another million dollar bill at tiffanis.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Gotta wonder what Newt’s concession speech tonight will be like. If he’s stuck on bitter he’s going to wake up next week to find that Rick Santorum will have permanently replaced him as the final contestant against Romney.
Gotta be a lot of South Carolinians regretting their vote for Newt 10 days ago . . .
January 31st, 2012 at 2:51 pm
133
I disagree. In fact I think the last 8 days have been so bad for Newt that middle of the road voters may be excited to vote against him….there also could be late surge among evangelicals for Santorum
January 31st, 2012 at 2:53 pm
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR ROMNEY FROM HISPANIC LEADERS
Dear Governor Romney:
We are a group of Latino Republicans invested in the growth of the economy and the support of Hispanic communities. Some of us have supported Newt Gingrich from the beginning of his campaign, and others of us have supported you. Our purpose here is to advise you that those of us who have stood by you are now withdrawing our backing in favor of Newt Gingrich. We’ve come to our decision based on our belief that your support of the Hispanic community is not a clear representation of what we need.
For example, in Iowa you stated that you would immediately veto the Dream Act. Mr. Gingrich proposes to push an essential part of the Dream Act which offers citizenship to those young men and women who serve in military. Last Tuesday in Florida, you openly agreed with Newt on a partial acceptance of the Dream Act, reversing your original stance on the matter.
It appears you find it “dishonest” to consider yourself Mexican-American, even though your father was born in Mexico. Under that same pretense, would those of us born in the United States, but have parental ancestry from Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, Cuba, and other Latin American countries, be dishonest in claiming ourselves as Americans?
It is clear to us that you have not provided a real solution on behalf of the 12+ million immigrants who live in the shadows of the American communities. You fail to dignify the economic refugees who reside, work, pay taxes, and are otherwise productive citizens in this country. In stark contrast, Mr. Gingrich has a true history of supporting our community. He says we he means, and means what he says.
As examples:
As Speaker, he pushed through the Cuban LIBERTAD Act, which codified the embargo on Cuba, authorized aid to dissidents, and set the framework for principled engagement to support a genuine transition to democracy
Newt Gingrich pushed humane immigration laws, including the NACARA act (authored by former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart) to ensure that we kept our pledge to those who fled the Sandinistas in the 1970′s.
Newt Gingrich is the only candidate that has offered a humane approach to our immigration problem. He understands how inhumane and unrealistic it is to deport 12 million undocumented immigrants. He proposes to secure the border, deport criminals, and recognize the remainder through temporary work permits, and through establishing legal status for those with American sponsorship and deep ties to their communities.
Newt Gingrich proposes to push an essential part of the Dream Act which offers citizenship to those young men and women who serve in the military.
Newt supports a referendum for the people of Puerto Rico to decide between independence, statehood and continued commonwealth status.
Newt Gingrich has for years shown active support by reaching out to us, our organizations and our community to better understand the real concerns of American Hispanics. His interest in us did not begin last Tuesday in a Florida debate.
Mr. Gingrich has showed active support for the Hispanic community by reaching out to us, our organizations, and our communities to better understand the real concerns of American Hispanics. This is a quality that we respect, value, and appreciate.
Mr. Romney, without an open dialogue with us you are unable to understand issues important to the Latino community. Due to this absence, we are unable to support you.
Sincerely,
Rosario Marin – Former US Treasurer, California
Mario Rodriguez – Hispanic 100 Chair, California
Massey Villarreal – Former National Chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Texas
Vinicio Madrigal, MD – Former Chair Louisiana Republican Hispanic Assembly, Louisiana
Theresa Speake – Former National Secretary of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Virginia
Al Zapanta – President & CEO, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Texas
Lionel Sosa – President of Bromley Communications, Texas
Miguel Orozco – Immigration lawyer, California; Outstanding Americans by Choice Recipient; Actor & Producer
Elizabeth Orozco – Business Executive
Eduardo Verástegui – Pro-life activist, actor, singer. California
Joe Galvan – Former regional director HUD, Former chair RNHA. Illinois
Teresa Hernandez – Restaurateur
Saul Delgado – President of Caboraca
Fortino Rivera – CEO
Bertha Rivera – Business Executive
Nancy C. Acevedo – Chair National Republican Hispanic Alliance Florida
Robbie G. Munoz – Hispanic 100 Youth Chair, California
Julio Gudino – President, Gudino Financial & Insurance Services, Inc.
KV Kumar – Nat’l Vice Chairman, Asian American & Pacific Islanders Nat’l Republican Assembly
January 31st, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Rubio non endoresements continue to roll in
http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/01/31/rubio-florida-primary-winner-to-be-nominee-of-our-party/
January 31st, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Exit polls from dick morris as of 4 EST
My updated exit polls show at 2 Pm EST
Mitt 46 Newt 29 Santorum 15 Paul 10
Tea Party Mitt 34 Newt 31 Santorum 25 Paul 10
Women Mitt 49 Newt 25 Sant 19 Paul 7
Be back at 4 Pm EST with updated
Mitt 45 Newt 28 Santorum 16 Paul 11
Women Mitt 47 Newt 25 Sant 22 Paul 6
Hispanics : Newt 37 Mitt 34 Sant 27 Paul 2
Folks the FINAL one done between 615 and 630 will be the MOST accurate this is based by actual voters
Please check back for any updates
January 31st, 2012 at 3:19 pm
http://www.billspetrino.com/tag/florida-exit-polls-with-live-results/
January 31st, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Michael Steele just said FL wont end up being winner take all….im not going to re-explain it all. Its over at HA if you care to read it.
January 31st, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Mittman . . . thanks for the exit poll updates. Very cool. I wonder where all the cool updated stuff comes from, but if I just hang on here it shows up faster than if I’d been out searching for it.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:00 pm
168 From “the Fix”
Florida’s proportional,” said Steele, who opposes Florida’s winner-take-all status. “Florida violated the April 1st rule of the RNC, Rule 15, and their delegates, whatever number’s apportioned to them, will be proportional for the candidates.”
Alas, the RNC says it’s not true, and Florida remains winner-take-all, at least until this situation can be hammered out at the convention.
Looks like its a little up in the air as it won’t matter if there is a clear winner at the convention for now it will be counted winner take all. Until the RNC decides otherwise..
January 31st, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Again, I have to ask why this isn’t a FPP:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/289740/newt-s-unorthodox-attacks-patrick-brennan
Isn’t this the kind of 11th hour dirty campaigning that blogs like this should be exposing? This is far more offensive than a Ron Paul supporter getting his foot stepped on.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:11 pm
168 – Michael Steele doesn’t get to decide. The RNC can penalize the state, but the state gets to decide how to allocate the delegates. What are they going to do? Force the delegates to vote for a different candidate than they want to?
January 31st, 2012 at 4:11 pm
168:
Last I checked, Michael Steele’s opinion doesn’t carry much weight with the RNC.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Michael Steele isn’t even the party chair anymore. What is he talking about?
January 31st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
92 – Time to do your part, buddy.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:30 pm
DRUDGE SIREN: Romney Approaching Majority in FL!!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:33 pm
46-32 looks pretty good for Mitt.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Gotta love the Drudge Siren!
SOURCES, EXIT POLLS 5 PM ET: 46% ROMNEY 32% GINGRICH 12% SANTORUM 7% PAUL… DEVELOPING…
January 31st, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Double digits not good for Newt.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Look, if the exit polls have Mitt up 46-32, and they reflect the race accurately, when the early votes are factored in, he could approach 47-48%.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
If Mitt easily wins, he’ll likely get another shot to make a prime-time speech and lets hope he has hired a good speech writer and delivers some uplifting and inspiring remarks that give voters a vision for where he wants to take the country and a reason to get excited about his candidacy.
He did pretty well after his victory in New Hampshire and delivered probably his best speech to date but the stakes are getting higher and he needs a home run tonight. I always thought Obama inspired the next state to vote for him by delivering rousing victory speeches after each primary win.
I think Mitt would make an excellent manager/president but to get there, he must inspire voters and he’s yet to do that. Hopefully somebody like Peggy Noonan is putting the finishing touches on his remarks right now.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
A 14 point win by Mitt? I can live with that!
I just can’t stop smiling!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
13-15% seems to be the consensus/median point of all the recent polls. This exit poll data seems to reflect this.
It will be interesting to see Romney’s tone in his speech tonight. Does he take it hard to Obama, or does he shift into General Campaign (aka do not alienate moderates) mode?
January 31st, 2012 at 4:39 pm
1) aspire 6.0%
jaaron 10.0%
2) Massachusetts Conservative 6.0%
3) WasAlso 6.0%
4) Kevin W 6.4%
5) Heath 8.0%
6) Smack1968 10.0%
7) G Buttersnaps 10.0%
9) SoupDog 10.0%
10) Jason Demarcus 10.0%
11) Anybody but Newt 10.0%
12) Shane 11.0%
13) Matthew Kilburn 11.2%
14) Merkis 11.4%
15) Swint 11.5%
16) Greg 12.0%
17) Doug NYC GOP 12.0%
18) Paul8148 12.0%
19) lutie 12.0%
20) Gordon 12.0%
21) Matthew E. Miller 12.0%
22) Tony 12.0%
23) Jeff Y 12.6%
24) Mushroom 12.8%
25) BD1 13.0%
26) Heil Preußen! 13.0%
27) aj rabin 13.0%
28) Jeff Fuller 14.0%
29) Thunder 14.0%
30) TennJoe 14.0%
31) Nodaker 14.0%
32) NY4Romney 14.0%
33) Matt C 14.0%
34) Michael 14.0%
35) eric 14.0%
36) joe c 14.0%
37) Micah 14.6%
38) Johnathan 15.0%
39) OhioRepub 15.0%
40) Sean 16.0%
41) Abe 16.0%
42) jrcutler 16.0%
43) Ci2Eye 17.0%
44) alaska jake 17.6%
45) bumskyred 18.0%
46) Ryan 18.0%
47) glenn for president romney 18.0%
48) Jman 18.0%
49) Hudson Valley Rep 18.0%
50) Dave 18.0%
51) gatorboy 20.0%
52) Conservative Independent 20.0%
53) Chickentrooper 20.0%
54) RayinRI 20.0%
55) Adam Graham 20.0%
56) David 20.0%
57) davidg 21.0%
58) Joe (R42012 Groupie, Joe For Mitch) 21.0%
59) Machtyn 22.0%
60) Florida Conservative 22.0%
61) Tommy R 22.0%
62) OSUPhantom 23.0%
63) Ryan60657 24.0%
64) Case 24.0%
65) Todd Richmond 24.0%
66) ngthagg 25.8%
67) Dr J 26.0%
68) Huckarubio 28.0%
January 31st, 2012 at 4:40 pm
I can see how Newt turned off a lot of voters with his craziness. It was actually painfully to watch
January 31st, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Wow…30% moderate/liberal. That looks really good for Mitt. Even Suffolk only had 28% Moderate/Liberal. SurveyUSA only had 18%. PPP had 22%. Also 15% Latino. That ought to be good for Mitt as well. Feeling pretty solid here about a double digit victory.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Fact is, people did their homework on these attack ads: They found that Romney’s ads were true and Gingrinch’s ads were false.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:44 pm
181 – You haven’t been inspired by him? Have you been listening to him? His Iowa speech was fantastic!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Cool, MK.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:45 pm
Mass Con,
Exit polls usually include early voters. They interview people all during early voting. Not sure how absentees are figured in though.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:45 pm
187
I was thinking about that. You see an ad that says “Mitt had Holocaust survivors starved to death” and you look it up. It’s false.
Then, you see one that says “Noot took 1.6 million from Freddie Mac and he was on K Street” and you look it up, and it’s true.
No one takes the ads at face value. They use them to know what to look for.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:48 pm
The CBO report findings should be the center of the speech tonite. Let Ann do the pleasantries and thank yous. Romney’s should be stark and relentless about where we are and where we need to go. How Europe is an example of how not to go, and how XO Pipeline rejection is an example of how Obama wants us to be Europe in a few years…
January 31st, 2012 at 4:48 pm
190
Well, that’s even better. I imagine Mitt did better among absentee voters than he did among early voters. This is because early voting began right around when Noot was surging. But the absentee balllots were incoming and outgoing for weeks, during which time Mitt was way ahead for the most part.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:51 pm
187: Exactly. Newt was sure using the word “liar”, but then he didn’t use any specifics to illustrate his point, weird to begin with, but weirder by far because he had the debates at his ready, and so many people watched. If he had exammples, why not use them?
Then today we get the “Mitt takes Kosher away from Holocaust survivors” ad. Oh my goodness! Let’s take advantage of the natural sympathy people have for Holocaust survivors and use them as a prop to make a dishonest accusation at the 11th hour for political gain in a primary!
Holy bagels, Batman! Oy! I’m going to start a Despicable Meter here at R42012 and we can vote on levels of despicable in political ads. I submit this one as an example of a “10″, “1″ being low despicable, “10″ being highly despicable. Newt! Really, buddy? The Holocaust? You’re dragging that into the campaign? Despicable You!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Those exit polls are false! Gingrich will win in a landslide!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:54 pm
It will be interesting to see the contrast between Newt’s speech and Mitt’s speech tonight. I think Newt will be ten times as caustic as he was in his Iowa tantrum. Mitt will be gracious, as always.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:59 pm
40% older than 65 is higher than even Suffolk had (36%), much higher than PPP (33%), and a little lower than SurveyUSA (43%). All in all, the demographics look really good for Mitt. That said, they’ll probably get slightly less favorable by the time polls close. Older people without jobs tend to vote early.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Hey guys. I sure missed (most of) you.
I just had to take a break because this place was getting so toxic. I’d read some of the threads and feel an ulcer coming on. I know I shouldn’t take it so personally, but I did.
So, I took a break.
Thank you so very much to those of you less cowardly than I for sticking with it and keeping up your fantastic support for Mitt.
I’m in a PARTYING mood, tonight! Really looking forward to a double-digit win for Mitt and 4 weeks of good news.
I’m shocked at just how low Newt has gone in a desperate attempt to stop his plummeting fall.
Every time Newt opened his mouth, I pictured MWS’s Star Trek clip of the Kahn defying Kirk from the depths of hell.
Anyway, it’s really good to be back.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:01 pm
196,
Probably…..the more defiant he is the more likely it is that he sees the end in sight, this is what politicans do. In his case, with his ego, crashing and burning spectacularly is better than exiting gracefully
January 31st, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Will Paul and Santorum offer concession speeches, given they didn’t really compete, here?
January 31st, 2012 at 5:02 pm
198
Nice to have you back, Keith! Your consistent civility is welcome!
January 31st, 2012 at 5:04 pm
fl is the 1st huge state in the process do you all expect any one to close up there campaign tonight or tomorrow?
January 31st, 2012 at 5:05 pm
200 – I don’t even think they are in the state, so I doubt it. Maybe they are having events elsewhere.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Except for Mitt, which of the other 3 are actually in Florida tonite?
January 31st, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Keith…I don’t want to inflame your ulcer but has everyone seen this garbage by the fat man?
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/01/31/gingrich-robocall-romney-canceled-kosher-meals-for-holocaust-survivors-you-know/
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/01/30/romney-kosher-food-nursing-homes/
January 31st, 2012 at 5:05 pm
should we expect any concession speeches tonight??
January 31st, 2012 at 5:06 pm
202
No chance that happens.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:08 pm
FOX News Carl Cameron basically says voter turnout today was fairly light around the state what does that tell us?
January 31st, 2012 at 5:08 pm
The fact is that Romney is not a conservative. He is a continuation of Bush/Obama. There is no practical reason to have Romney instead of Obama. I would be very happy to see Gingrich take out Romney and start all over in 2016. Norm Coleman confirmed this by saying that Obamacare will not be repealed by Romney. That just happens to be the establishment position. Also the fact that Romney says he is open to a VAT suggests we might be better off with Obama.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:08 pm
204 – Newt is, I believe. At least he was earlier.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:09 pm
#181 Jax,
As I recall, the Iowa speech was standard fare stump speech which is just a mix of random thoughts with no real theme or message. He talks about Obama for a while and ending Obamacare and then debt and then talks about how much he loves America and about trips in the Rambler across the country. He relays a story about making calls to soldiers’ families on Memorial Day, etc. It’s all very disjointed and random which is fine for a stump speech. They usually do touch on many issues. It’s not hugely uplifting though. It doesn’t inspire me to want to vote for the guy. I read his resume’ and that makes me want to vote for him. He speeches leave a lot to be desired.
Tonight could be a major, and perhaps, decisive victory which likely could make his nomination a fait accompli. McCain effectively was the nominee after beating Romney in Florida in ’08 and Florida could be playing the same role as I am writing this.
Given that potential reality, he doesn’t need another renditition of his stump speech. He can’t merely recite much love hymms about amber waves of grain. He needs all new material and it needs eloquence. It needs to be poetic and Reaganesque and everybody that hears it should be uplifted. The Newtists and the Democrats alike should listen and have a new regard for Romney.
I didn’t like Obama in ’08 and never planned to vote for him but his victory speeches were truly uplifting. I had to remind myself that I was a Republican after each one. Romney needs to have that same effect on people tonight.
I doubt he’ll achieve the soaring rhetoric what I hope for but at the very least, it needs to be the best speech he’s ever given.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:10 pm
#210 was directed at #188 not #181
January 31st, 2012 at 5:11 pm
210 – I think you are thinking of New Hampshire. That was a much more standard stump speech.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:12 pm
FOX News Carl Cameron basically says voter turnout today was fairly light around the state what does that tell us? does that really mean anything already?
January 31st, 2012 at 5:13 pm
213
It tells us the ads turned off a lot of voters, and our field sucks.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:14 pm
http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/31/gingrich-robocall-romney-forced-holocaust-survivors-to-eat-non-kosher/
Tele – (and smack to a certain extent)
Can you tell me you think that the government should pay to appease religious beliefs? This was about as paltry and low as I think I’ve seen things go. Between this and Newt wanting society to think that serial philandering should be considered “normal” and faithfulness to spouses is considered “too perfect” I wipe my hands clean of this man.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:16 pm
213 – It is because many voters in Florida vote early. The final numbers will probably show increased turnout, just as has been the case in every state so far this year.
Compared to New Hampshire and South Carolina, turnout is light because about half the voters voted before today.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:18 pm
215 – Not to mention that it is a blatant lie that is proven false on its face. Does Newt really think Holocaust survivors were served Kosher food in the concentration camps?
This would be offensive even if Romney did do what Newt claims (which he most certainly did not).
January 31st, 2012 at 5:20 pm
16
Awesome!
My campaign song would be Minor Threat’s Guilty of Being White… the Slayer version.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:21 pm
#212 Jax,
IIRC, it was the other way around. Iowa was standard fare stump speech. I remember that the Romney team took down the teleprompter in Iowa and said they had a speech planned for him but in light of the results being so close and Santorum’s very moving remarks from a few minutes earlier, they elected not to use it.
In New Hampshire, if I am remembering right, he delivered a pretty good speech. Tonight’s needs to be his best ever.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:22 pm
208
Franklin, you keep using that word (“fact”). I think it doesn’t mean what you think it means!
The FACT (true meaning of the word) is that Mitt governed a very liberal state in a very conservative way.
Our nation will be very blessed, in deed, to have someone with his skill, desire, and conservative values working for us in the White House.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:24 pm
219. Ci, I agree. I’m really hoping for a knockout speech, tonight, that is not just a repeat of his standard stump.
I’m sure they’ve tested their stump speech and a victory speech is a great way to share it with millions of people, but I do hope they’ve come up with something much better.
There’s a good chance of that, since he seems to have hired new advisers.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:26 pm
“Franklin, you keep using that word (“fact”). I think it doesn’t mean what you think it means!
The FACT (true meaning of the word) is that Mitt governed a very liberal state in a very conservative way.”
Actually those would both count as opinions. Am I the only one that had the pre-School or kindergarten activity book where you put a “F” next to facts, and an “o” next to opinions, people seem rather confused about the distinction these days, but that’s just an opinion.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Looks like the bigoTea Party is going to fail in Florida. Their quest to stop Romney has fallen flat and since they have nowhere else to turn, they are now wishing for terrible (illegal) things on our candidate since they can’t stop him Democratically.
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AND THEY WANT MITT ROMNEY. They REJECT Newt Gingrich.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:29 pm
If Romney manages to cause electoral fraud in Florida, I will be launching the new website to solicit an investigation of Florida’s electoral system.
It is http://NewtGingrichReallyWonFlorida.com
We must defeat this capitalist.
Socialist for Gingrich!
January 31st, 2012 at 5:29 pm
but that’s just an opinion.
That’s a fact, Jack! …err, John.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hat tip to glw…this is too funny!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-30-2012/indecision-2012—floridal-kombat
January 31st, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Something oddball here. The Times 6PM exits have 44-30. Drudge 6PM has 49-33. Mittman’s contact at billspetrino.com has 47-36. How come three different sets of numbers, all coming out at the same time? I don’t understand.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Just got out of a class, so googled exit polls. Its amazing how many differing numbers come up from supposed credible sources. Drudge says 46-32 and then I read on another site CNN’s Candy Crowley states that Romney advisors are confident in a 6-7 point victory based on exit poll data. Regardless unless something is way off with the exit polls, Romney won.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:39 pm
226 – That was wonderful.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Give us one more hour to finish the job.
All anecdotal evidence looking positive.
Give em hell Mitt!
January 31st, 2012 at 5:41 pm
I would go with Drudge.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:45 pm
208
The fact is that Romney is a conservative.. Just the facts thats all.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:49 pm
I’ve done some exit polling outside of a precinct here in Miami and here are my results:
Among those who have had multiple affairs:
Newt 79% Mitt 9% Santorum 7% Paul 5%
Among those who want to “eat the rich”:
Newt 86% Santorum 8% Paul 5% Mitt 1%
So far this looks like a landslide for Newt.
DEVELOPING…
January 31st, 2012 at 5:51 pm
lol 233 . . .
classic.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:52 pm
How funny, Donna Brazile is 1.) Proclaiming Newt as a conservative and 2.) saying that because Romney has demolished Gingrich in this state, he somehow is not going to be able to win in the fall.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:53 pm
234. Lol
January 31st, 2012 at 5:55 pm
233.
I actually buy that. As someone who idolizes Newt, I have cheated on 6 women I married in the last 20 years. I have tried to out-Newt Newt.
But I don’t know if I can.. It is so much a far cry to outdo the infallability of the Gingrich.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:58 pm
#223 – Here’s one to add to your exit polling numbers.
Women were asked if they would ever sleep Newt Gingrich. 87% responded, “Never again.”
January 31st, 2012 at 5:59 pm
SOURCES, EXIT POLLS 6 PM ET: 49% ROMNEY 33% GINGRICH 11% SANTORUM 6% PAUL…
January 31st, 2012 at 6:00 pm
#228 If Mitt campaign insiders are saying they expect it to be 6-7 points, their internal polls likely show it at at least 9-10. They’re trying to control expectations by predicting on the low side.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:00 pm
#239:
I’ll take those numbers.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:01 pm
OK, just turned on Fox. Or should I watch CNN>
January 31st, 2012 at 6:02 pm
238 – wow – nice! haha
January 31st, 2012 at 6:02 pm
CNN. It’s easier when you already have low expectations.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Carl Cameron can stuff it – I heard another report earlier saying voting turnout was high….and lets nots forget how many did EARLY VOTING! All he can do is SPIN SPIN SPIN for the Grinch
January 31st, 2012 at 6:03 pm
I am officially calling it for romney. mark it down at 705 pm
January 31st, 2012 at 6:06 pm
#238 I thought they didn’t SLEEP with him wink wink:)
January 31st, 2012 at 6:07 pm
1% in 52% going for mitt!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:08 pm
How is CNN allowed to report results before the late polls close?
Showing 52% Romney
January 31st, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Love indian river county!! http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/Primary/FL
January 31st, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Google-
Mitt 47.3
gingrich 29.5
Sant 12.7
Paul 8.0
January 31st, 2012 at 6:11 pm
52% Mitt
25% Newt
8% reporting
January 31st, 2012 at 6:11 pm
8% in, 52 for Mitt!!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:12 pm
9% in, Mitts doubling Newt 52-26. drudge says all networks will declare him the winner at 8pm.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Romney has bribed the vote counters. Gingrich has 52%….but Mittens has paid them to switch names in his favor.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Looks like Ron Paul plans a speech, tonight. Got a rally going in Las Vegas.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:16 pm
253.
Lol, thanks. That sounds like a Gingrich style excuse. XDD
January 31st, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Carl Cameron is terrible….
But Fox had a nice side by side of Romney headquarters with lots of people and Newt’s Hq is almost completely empty
January 31st, 2012 at 6:18 pm
257….
What do you mean? It is the truth, you Romney sheep!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:18 pm
This is going to be a GREAT night.
Can someone can reach out to Craig and make sure he’s ok.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:19 pm
stuck in munich, staying up all night watching on tv. CNN world finally gave it up to CNN now so i can watch the results coming in. seems like the results are coming in so quick they are having to ditch half their prepared stories. its going to be over quick so i can score some sleep tonight after all.
good news.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Guys, let’s go to the next thread!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:22 pm
#194: Watch: Even Carl Cameron and the rest of the Fox fools don’t quite have it right with Bagel-gate. I recommend Fox begin listening to Medved to get the straight scoop.
There were 3 non-Jewish nursing homes in Mass which had a small minority of residents who kept kosher. These homes kept kosher kitchens, which (inspectors and all) drove up their costs. They never were going to deny kosher to anyone, but planned to get kosher food catered or receive kosher food from a kosher kitchen off site.
The Dem legislature wanted to ADD $600,000 for the kosher kitchens. Mitt vetoed the $600,000 INCREASE but the legislature overrode the veto.
NEVER were kosher-keeping residents going to be denied their kosher meals. Newt is an absolute nightmare in this primary season and he’s not going away. Nor will he be defeated by a truth-telling media if Republicans keep listening to Fox, Palin and Rush, who tell half-truths and distortions in favor of Newt.
I have abandoned them all in favor of Medved and Beck. Except to check out what the Fox fools are saying, if I can stand it.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Mitt is so pathetic…what about the 50% of voters he can’t get to vote for him? What a joke.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:28 pm
264.
Gingrich is so pathetic. What about the 71% of voters he cannot get to vote for him? What a joke!!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Mitt Romney. Stuck at 49%. What a weak showing
JFH
January 31st, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Networks calling this in 18min
January 31st, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Ann Romney to be on CNN shortly
January 31st, 2012 at 6:43 pm
uhhh. Are there site rules? I was just told I am posting too quickly…oh well
January 31st, 2012 at 6:48 pm
266.
Newt is stuck around 30% What a weak showing.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Ann Romney doing a nice job on CNN
January 31st, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Ann Romney should get major convention speaking role. Talking about families affected by the last 3 years
January 31st, 2012 at 6:56 pm
So happy for the soul of our party tonight. Newt is despicable.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Can’t wait to hear Newt’s rant…I mean concession speech in minutes!
January 31st, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Donna Brazille looks scared talking Romney’s can of whupass during the debates. She is very concerned about the fall
February 1st, 2012 at 5:46 am
you didn’t put dates on the polls you listed. If they are listed in chronological order, then the polls show exactly what happened. EVERYTHING that could, broke Mitt Romney’s way in Florida in the last 72 hours.
Interesting comment about egg on the their faces, which ones? Why did you think the pollsters would have egg on their faces?