When Newt Catch Mitt: South Carolina presents opportunity for Newt Gingrich’s Presidential run | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Can Newt Gingrich Beat Mitt Romney in South Carolina Primary and Can Newt Catch Mitt?

Gingrich trailed Romney by double digits just days ago. But that changed quickly after Gingrich’s performance in Thursday’s night CNN Southern Republican debate. The former House speaker was able to turn his biggest liability — accusations by his second wife, Marianne, that he wanted an “open marriage” — into an asset, drawing two standing ovations for assailing the media for bringing up the allegations.

The debate performance, in which Romney struggled to answer questions about his tax returns, injected fresh momentum into a campaign that, up until earlier this week, was overshadowed by Romney. Nearly two-thirds of Republican voters today cited debate performance as at least a somewhat important factor in their vote and they favored Gingrich over Romney by a vast 50-22 percent, per exit poll results.

The late surge worked in Gingrich’s favor. More than half of South Carolina voters decided whom to support in the past few days, according to exit polls, more than in either Iowa or New Hampshire and a much larger number than in 2008. Those voters went overwhelmingly for Gingrich by 44-22 percent.

PR Newswire