USA: Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is gaining ground in South Carolina, but rival Mitt Romney still leads in the state by a 12-point margin and would beat the former lawmaker handily in a one-on-one race, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll

Record ID: 346522

  • Title: USA: Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is gaining ground in South Carolina, but rival Mitt Romney still leads in the state by a 12-point margin and would beat the former lawmaker handily in a one-on-one race, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll
  • Date: 20th January 2012
  • Summary: CHARLESTON, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 19, 2012) (REUTERS) MITT ROMNEY WALKING TO PODIUM WITH WIFE ANN CUTAWAY CROWD WITH PEOPLE HOLDING CELLPHONES TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS ROMNEY SHAKING HANDS CUTAWAY MAN LISTENING AND WAVING FLAG WIDESHOT ROMNEY ON STAGE SPEAKING WITH CAMPAIGN BUS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "This president on every front has made it harder for the American people to go to work. He lives fantasy land. It is time to send him there permanently, back to Disney World." CUTAWAY PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "He may bump into Speaker Gingrich down there in fantasy land. I only say that because, because the Speaker was talking about all the jobs that he helped create in the Reagan years. He had been in Congress two years when Reagan came to office. The idea that he was the author of Reaganomics, not real likely." CUTAWAY REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ROMNEY AND WIFE ANN SHAKING HANDS ROMNEY SIGNING SIGN CUTAWAY CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (English) MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "Governor Perry, terrific guy, terrific conservative, been a great governor, was great in the race and we are going to miss him in the stage tonight." ROMNEY GETTING IN CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English), MARY GRAHAM, 83-YEAR-OLD ROMNEY SUPPORTER FROM CHARLESTON, RETIREE, SAYING: "I think he's presidential, he's a businessman, he has run businesses successfully and I think we need a businessman in Washington." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATTHEW WOLFF, 48-YEAR-OLD ROMNEY SUPPORTER FROM HOLLYWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA, BUSINESS EXECUTIVE, SAYING: "I think he's got the edge and I think most people will come down to you know who is the most pragmatic candidate in this race and it is Mitt Romney."
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAW9VUB7LUMUW5SYPPCXOYT9AT
  • Story Text: For Mitt Romney, a miserable week in South Carolina of dodging questions about his wealth and income taxes got worse on Thursday (January 19, 2012).
    The former Massachusetts governor's most bitter rival in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich, was endorsed by Texas Governor Rick Perry, who ended his bumbling campaign in Charleston.
    Romney, visiting his campaign headquarters in Charleston Thursday morning, responded to reporters' questions about Perry's departure, calling him a "terrific conservative" and saying "we will miss him on the stage tonight."
    Perry's support in recent polls was minimal, but his endorsement could be enough to give Gingrich a significant boost in forming a coalition of conservatives to challenge Romney in Saturday's crucial primary in South Carolina.
    Speaking to volunteers and supporters gathered outside of his headquarters, Romney seized on the opportunity to take a swipe at both Gingrich and President Barack Obama, who was visiting Disney Land Thursday.
    "This president on every front has made it harder for the American people to go to work. He lives fantasy land. It is time to send him there permanently, back to Disney World," Romney said.
    "He may bump into Speaker Gingrich down there in fantasy land. I only say that because, because the Speaker was talking about all the jobs that he helped create in the Reagan years. He had been in Congress two years when Reagan came to office," he added.
    Despite challenges, Romney supporters at the event said they remained confident the former Governor of Massachusetts would win Saturday's "First in the South" primary.
    "I think he's presidential, he's a businessman, he has run businesses successfully and I think we need a businessman in Washington," 83-year-old Charleston resident Mary Graham said.
    "I think he's got the edge and I think most people will come down to you know who is the most pragmatic candidate in this race and it is Mitt Romney," 48-year-old Matthew Wolff, a business executive from Hollywood, South Carolina, said.
    Meanwhile, at a barbeque about an hour from Charleston, in Walterboro, South Carolina, Former Speaker of the House Gingrich said he was "delighted" to receive Perry's endorsement.
    "We were really honored a few hours ago when Governor Rick Perry decided to drop out of the race and to endorse us," he said.
    Gingrich called on supporters gathered to get out and vote for him - "a solid Georgia conservative" - on Saturday.
    "If you will help me on Saturday, if we can win here, I will become the Republican nominee because South Carolina does have a huge impact and I do believe that a solid Georgia conservative is a lot more likely to debate and defeat Barack Obama than a Massachusetts moderate," Gingrich said.
    Republican Linda Kelly, a hotel manager from Walterboro, said she was undecided before she heard Gingrich's speech, but he won her over.
    "When I came I did not know that Rick Perry had dropped out, but I came here to hear Newt so that I can form my opinion and after listening today, he has my vote," she said.
    Supporter Ellie Thomas who helped to organize Thursday afternoon's event said Gingrich represented the needs and values of South Carolina voters more than Romney.
    "Mitt Romney is not from around here and Newt is more in touch with what happens in the lives of the people of South Carolina," he said.
    Republican presidential candidates meet again on Thursday for perhaps the most crucial debate yet in the 2012 campaign, with front-runner Mitt Romney beginning to look shaky and likely to face fire from nearest his challenger, Gingrich.
    It is the final chance for rivals to chip away at Romney's lead in South Carolina ahead of the primary vote on Saturday when the former Massachusetts governor would take a huge step toward clinching the Republican nomination if he wins.
    Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is gaining ground in South Carolina, but rival Mitt Romney still leads in the state by a 12-point margin and would beat the former lawmaker handily in a one-on-one race, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
    The poll, conducted of 656 likely voters in Saturday's Republican primary contest in the state, showed Romney with 35 percent support, Gingrich with 23 percent support, and former Senator Rick Santorum with 15 percent support. Congressman Ron Paul came in with 13 percent support and Texas Governor Perry, who was still in the running when the poll was taken, had 6 percent.
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