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Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul prepare for a debate at the University of South Florida.
Updated at 12:45p.m. ET Republican candidates were using a lull in the primary season to reset the race for the nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in November.
Mitt Romney was trying to shore up his weakened standing as the party's inevitable choice, while Rick Santorum worked to sustain momentum from a stunning sweep of nominating contests Tuesday in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.
A flagging Newt Gingrich fought to recapture his place as Romney's top challenger, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul vowed to keep grinding away through the long primary season to capture a strong number of the 1,144 delegates needed to get the nomination at the Republican National Convention in August.
Romney, who served one term as Massachusetts governor and is hugely wealthy after a career in venture capitalism, remained the front-runner. He has a massive campaign treasury and well-oiled organization. He is generally seen as the most formidable potential opponent for Obama, who faces a tough re-election campaign because of the weak U.S. economy.
The Republican race has been especially volatile, with several candidates taking their turn as front-runner.
Noting Santorum's triumphs, Gingrich said Wednesday that the Republicans could arrive at their convention this summer without any candidate in control, the first time that would have happened since 1940.
As long as Gingrich and Santorum are both viable, they could split the conservative vote, allowing Romney to win nominating contests even if he falls short of a majority.
Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, remains poorly funded despite millions of dollars injected into his campaign by a Las Vegas gambling mogul and his family. His campaign organization is minimal, and no candidate debates — which Gingrich has used to win over some voters — are scheduled in the coming days.
The Santorum campaign reported a $1 million spike in donations after the former Pennsylvania senator's triumph this week, as donors started to take a second look at his candidacy.
"We definitely are the campaign right now with the momentum, the enthusiasm on the ground," he said.
But Santorum's campaign is pauper-like in comparison with Romney's.
The libertarian Paul, who appears to have the money to meet his limited campaign objectives, does not look to be a significant player in the campaign except as a spoiler who drains support away from the other candidates.
The next test, although not a definitive one, comes when Maine Republicans report the results of their weeklong caucus meetings on Saturday. Then there are the far more important primaries in Michigan and Arizona on Feb. 28. After that comes the delegate windfall available on so-called Super Tuesday, when 10 states vote March 6.
Romney holds a considerable lead in delegates so far, with 112 to 72 for Santorum and 32 for Gingrich.
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Round Two. Fight!
Santorum??!! Seriously???
He has now won 4 (four!) states in this never-ending Anybody-But-Romney republican circus----errrrr, primary.
You think Pawlenty is kicking himself for pulling the plug so early?
Romney will take the time to reinvent himself again. So this will be the 4th or 5th Romney that we have seen.........
Insane-torum, is too far right to win. All the while Gingrich is lost in the forest somewhere.
Google Rick Santorums proposal to cut social security to our seniors at azcentral.com
This from the guy who advocates tax cuts for the super rich and corporations.
Funny you say that Eric, I just saw that headline... "Romney retools message" in First Thoughts. That's a point for you!
so Romney's tool has Santorum all over it?
Heck, look at Santorum's position on contraception - as in "Personhood" NO contraception of any kind. The man is a radical religious right-winger who probably wants a theocracy with Christian Sharia Law.
Romney, he says he supports "Personhood" just so he's not out-done. You know dang good and well they've all used birth control, all but two people in the entire nation, Santorum and Huckabee. As with abortion, it's disturbing how MEN spew so much "pious baloney" about women's rights.
No wonder Teapublicans do so poorly with women voters--even McCain. The GOP/TP can't afford it. But hey conservatives, carry on with your extremism, we're all for reelection of the president.
"Santorum is a total loser that would destroy this Country."
lets just hope they can come up with a real plan instead of just saying they have a plan ...as has been the case for to many years ...I would like to see the plan Romney Gingrich Santorum or Paul ..have to offer on paper not just the old when I get elected we will make changes ... come on GOP ..show us the plan .. you said there was a plan to create jobs in 2010..WHERE ARE THE JOBS ..was it all just talk ... does the GOP have any plan other than the NO to anything Obama wants
Pawlenty's waiting for 2016, like every other semi-sane Republican with a snowball's chance in hell at the WH.
Election? the election is over. GOP can spend 4yrs figuring out what a shameful, creepy party they have become. The election is over. President Obama Wins Again. Send the super pac money to charities and elderly. The election is over. Americans are suffering from EDS (election derangement syndrome) and PDS (palin derangement syndrome).......way to go gop.......you suck and lose again.....GO REGROUP.
The only plan offered is to ban birth control and starve the babies.
I don't get it. Republicans oppose welfare but promote welfare babies. They want unwanted children born and ban food stamps and welfare that would be neccessary to support them.
Anyone got a better explanation as to why this sounds logical to the conservatives?
Strengthen his weakened position? He never had over 40% - he has failed to gain the full party's support.
What are the Republican's policies?
Do they ever even talk about how they will improve the country if elected?
It's just plain sad anyone would vote for any member of the GOP.
If you vote for the GOP and are not a millionaire, you are literally voting against your own interests.
Why dont they let you comment on all the news?
Which superpac will have the most money to beat up the other candidates.
That is the question.
The billionaires funding the SuperPacs are doing it for "sport", they get some perverse thrill keeping them "in the race". They have enough money to go all the way to the convention!
Personally, I am loving it! Watching them beat each other up and giving the DNC plenty of ammunition for the fall!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
They are beating each other up, and regrouping to decide which of their own they'll eat next.
"Santorum is making the GOP look like a Joke, The World is laughing at us."
Patriotic American - haven't you noticed that there are more and more American's being kidnapped? That is a pretty good sign that we are weak in their eyes. And the more they take, the more they laugh at us.
In other news: Republicans still trying to find a candidate that isn't f*cked in the head.
There are pro-mormon advertising boards all over Denver. They went up just prior to the Colorado caucuses.
Oh joy !
Eric,
those billboards didn't work too well! LOL!
Romney did better in 2008!
I think the problem, Ruken, is look at who is doing the picking o.O
Has absolutely nothing to do with his being Mormon. It has to do with being Obama with a (R) after his name instead of a (D)!
If he had been elected instead of Obama, with the majorities that The democrats had, you STILL would have had the same health care bill.
Didn't he sign off on Massachusetts care?
Let’s tale a look at the Republicans favorites just over the last 5 months. We’ve had Palin, Huckabee, Pawlenty, Trump, Perry, Bachmann, Christy, Pizza Man, Gingrich and now Santorum. These are the perfect example of what’s wrong with the Republican Party. If you took the best of all of them, combined them into one candidate, you still have NOTHING.
Repubs can "regroup" all they want they won't win the presidential election in 2012 and will probably lose the House.
Anybody know if they are fact checking the superpac ads?
Of course NOT! They can lie all they want, and once they get called on it, they just stop running the ad!
By then, the gullible have been brainwashed!
They don't have to fact check because no one is behind the ad. The candidate does not have to endorse and the money does not have to be disclosed. Now go look up Stephen Colbert's super pac ads to see what happens when anyone (with money) can say anything and no one is accountable.
Come to think of it, they are running the US like a corporation.
they are fact checking the ads ... but the super pacs run them any way ... they have no one to answer to .. the candidates just have to say I DIDNT DO OR SAY THAT and the Super Pacs can continue their lies ...we all know there are plenty of people that would rather have the lie than the fact
Only Mitt and Newt need to Regroup - the other two are doing just fine, acheiving their goals.
HaHaHaHaaaaaaa whew
Isn't that supposed to be Republicans Regrope?
Why? Did Gingrich's latest spousal acquisition fall terminally ill?
Romney has been running for office almost as long as Pat Paulson did and Paulson did it as a joke. His own party doesn't trust or like him. How can he hope to beat someone from another party? The rest of the candidates are worse than him. It is too bad conservatives hate Obama because they better get used to him. I am an independent and would not vote for any of these clowns regardless of how they "retool their message". I didn't care for Obama before the primaries but I think I may be falling in love.
The evil empire plans it next move while its robots wait instructions from the dark side to sabotage the American Republic.
These aren't the candidates that you're looking for.....move along. (Obiwan Kenobi)
Eric- Thanks for the laugh, We have been bugged by the commercials on TV, showing people of all races, smiling and saying blah blah blah, and ending with and I'm a Mormon. WTH?
At least laughter is good for you. I'd like to have just a little of all this money these jokers are pouring in to this...joke. I mean its hard to believe how much money is being wasted on these clowns. When there is so much suffering that goes on in this world. A real waste, and kinda scary. Do people realize a Billion dollars will probably be spent on this election. The media is getting paid and we get screwed again. Same old same ol.
I think the right wing are all in a meeting getting talking points. This has been the best comment blog in a while. Funny zingers and no Republispew. It'll come, just like the santorum is inevitable. So are the right-wing crybabies. But what a great time while it lasted.
The GOP has a lot of RETOOLING to do. They should take a big Newt,and then wipe their Demint with their Mitt...that should leave their Santorum nice and clean for the Rubio enema that they are about to receive...
Retooling? Don't they have enough already?
Jobs?
Jobs?
Jobs?
With the way the economy is going, their message is falling on deaf ears
Howard Stern/Baba Booey for President 2016 (after Obama easily glides to victory in 2012, of course)
The Repubs will end up with 3 groups. The Mittens group. The I hate Mittens group. The Ron Paul group. The GOP will implode.
Regroup?
Whats the plan - to get Cain, Barbour, Bachmann, Trump, back on the ballots?
That would certainly add a few tools to their re-tooling efforts.
Vote for the Liar of your choice.
Obama out in 2012
The U.S. labor market got another jolt of good news Thursday when the government reported new claims for jobless benefits dropped to almost the lowest they have been in four years.
Primary lull?
Does that mean those meaningless caucuses will continue?
The planet would be lots safer if the right-wingers lulled off to sleep and stayed that way. A sort of perpetual Rip Van Winkel, beofre they rip this country apartment even more.
BREAKING NEWS, It now looks like Romney's super pacs can't buy the election but they haven't given up
I'm awaiting further offerings.
Peace.
If the blue-collar voters get to vote, and the votes are counted, Obama should win. And don`t forget the down ballot races.
The GOP are breaking up into 3 groups---The Neo-con Corporatists(Romney),The social/Cultural Conservatives(Santorum/Gingrich),& Libertarians(Ron Paul). None who hold much appeal to the majority of Americans right now---They either have the wrong message and/or the wrong messenger. The GOP has entered it's own "Dark Ages".
The election is over. Obama Wins Again. The gop cannot win or regroup in 2012. The gop is the worst party in usa history. Clean up or DONT COME BACK REPUBLICANS. In 4 yrs. I hope to see an Independent President, NO teabags and this country functioning and working for the middleclass. GO away gop