USA: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich hopes to be helped by a last minute poll surge, as South Carolina votes for an opposition challenger to Barack Obama
Record ID:
346495
USA: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich hopes to be helped by a last minute poll surge, as South Carolina votes for an opposition challenger to Barack Obama
- Title: USA: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich hopes to be helped by a last minute poll surge, as South Carolina votes for an opposition challenger to Barack Obama
- Date: 22nd January 2012
- Summary: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) VOTE HERE SIGN OUTSIDE POLLING STATION VOTERS ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION PERSON FILLING OUT FORM WIDESHOT ROOM WITH VOTING MACHINES AND VOTERS MAN VOTING WIDESHOT MAN VOTING CLOSEUP MAN VOTING PEOPLE SIGNING IN TO VOTE CLOSEUP CASE LABELLED "RICHLAND COUNTY ELECTIONS" WOMAN VOTING WOMAN VOTING WOMAN SIGNING IN TO VOTE CLOSEUP MAN VOTING CLOSEUP PEOPLE SIGNING IN TO VOTE MAN VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) RYAN BARNES, COLUMBIA RESIDENT, BANKER, SAYING: "I voted for Newt Gingrich in this primary because I really felt like he did the best job in the debates, I felt like he has the experience that is needed to lead this country forward and I had some concerns over Romney and just really felt more comfortable with Newt based on his experience in the past as Speaker of the House." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHARON MORGAN, 59, COLUMBIA RESIDENT, "Newt Gingrich because of his conservative position on finances, on immigration, on what we need as a world leader and I am willing to go with him all the way to the presidency." (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN MCDOUGALL, 67, LAWYER, COLUMBIA RESIDENT, SAYING " I voted for Mitt Romney and the reason I did, I had narrowed it down to Santorum and Romney and I thought Romney is the one who could possibly win the election at the end of the year." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHELLE MCDONNELL, 36, EMPLOYEE AT A MINISTRY, COLUMBIA RESIDENT, SAYING "I voted for Rick Santorum and that is just because I felt like he was more conservative on most of the issues." (SOUNDBITE) (English) HARLEY MORGAN, PHYSICIAN, 59, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, SAYING "I voted for Newt Gingrich. It is my feeling he probably is the most experienced type of person for us right now." WOMAN HOLDING BABY SIGNING IN PEOPLE LINING UP TO VOTE
- Embargoed: 6th February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa, Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAA14VN6F76KTEC0PT7A14W1ZVD
- Story Text: A constant steam of voters cast their ballots for their chosen Republican presidential candidates on Saturday (January 21, 2012) at the Woodlands precinct in Columbia, South Carolina.
Of five people interviewed leaving the polling station by Reuters Television, three said they voted for Newt Gingrich, one for Rick Santorum and one for Mitt Romney.
"I voted for Newt Gingrich in this primary because I really felt like he did the best job in the debates, I felt like he has the experience that is needed to lead this country forward and I had some concerns over Romney," Ryan Barnes, a banker, said.
Sharon Morgan, 59, from Columbia, said she voted for Gingrich because of his "conservative position."
"I am willing to go with him all the way to the presidency," she said.
Harley Morgan, her husband, said he was also supporting Gingrich.
"I voted for Newt Gingrich. It is my feeling he probably is the most experienced type of person for us right now," he said.
John McDougall, a lawyer, said he voted for Mitt Romney after deciding between the former Massachusetts governor and Rick Santorum.
"I thought Romney is the one who could possibly win the election at the end of the year," he said.
36-year-old Michelle McDonnell cast her vote for Rick Santorum based the issues she felt he represented.
" I voted for Rick Santorum and that is just because I felt like he was more conservative on most of the issues," she said.
Voting continues across the southern state on Saturday until the polls close at 1900 local time (0000 GMT).
Saturday's election is a crucial test for the four remaining contenders. Since 1980, every winner of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the party nomination.
In recent days Gingrich has made a sudden surge in the polls, presenting Romney with the biggest challenge yet in months of campaigning to become the Republican who will face President Barack Obama in November. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None