CNN/Time Poll: Romney and Santorum soar in South Carolina (Romney at 37% among "likely" voters)

CNN ^ | January 6, 2012 | Staff

[C19fan]

Mitt Romney's numbers in South Carolina are surging, and he now has a solid lead over his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a new survey of likely GOP primary voters in the Palmetto state.

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According to the poll, 37% of likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina say they are currently backing Romney

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Santorum and Gingrich are battling for second place, with Santorum at 19% and Gingrich at 18%

[C19fan]

Considering the source taking a big grain of salt. This is reminding me too much of 2008.

[MSF BU]

This is a winner take all state?

[C19fan]

I know SC is a Open Primary.

[Le Chien Rouge]

If Romney gets the GOP nod, Do I HAVE to vote for him or is OK to vote for the Constitutional Party or write in Mrs Palin??

[C19fan]

For primaries before April 1 its proportional.

[dirtboy]

Election 2012: South Carolina Republican Primary (Romney 27%, Santorum 24%)

[rightwingextremist1776]

Romney SUCKS...but he SUCKS less then the commie usurper in the white hut now....considerably less.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Until Santorum implodes Romney’s got a pretty clear path to the nomination

[bullfeather]

Don’t believe this BS. They poled 3 people who live next to the NC border.
Down south, the results would be way different, so they don’t even try.

[Paperdoll]

This country is gone, and it is easy to see why.

[apillar]

If Romney wins South Carolina it's pretty much over (yes I know proportional balloting and all that). But let's face it, if he can come in first in the deep south it's over unless he's caught with a live boy or dead hooker in the next few weeks. So the next question is, are we going to line up behind McCain v2.0 like good little soldiers or are we going to look for a 3rd party alternative?

[nobamanomore]

Of course all of those Iowa polls were correct as well

[SoConPubbie]

Romney SUCKS...but he SUCKS less then the commie usurper in the white hut now....considerably less.

If you really believe that, then you either have not been paying attention or are woefully ignorant of Romney's history and you have not done your research.

Which is quite puzzling since you are on the Premier Conservative Website in the world, FreeRepublic, and Romney has been regularly exposed for the Liberal he really is on a regular basis using his own words, using YouTube videos, and his historical record.

hmmmm.....

IBTZ?

[Red Steel]

Santorum and Gingrich have to take it hard to Romney.

The media won’t do it. The cheering media have their split of the votes that favor Romney. Romney won’t receive any negative coverage by the media until after the primaries, if he wins.

[Beowulf9]

I really think that if Romney runs to the right to beat Santorum there, he probably can’t do it and even if he wins—he dooms himself for the general election for being “too far right” and a flip-flopper. Santorum can’t win many needed states in the general, I fear-—and tax cuts won’t sell in this election—as in 1992. In that election-—none of the Republicans pushed tax cuts-—but Clinton won only with the Democrat base voting for him...

[TBBT]

Told ya... If not Newt, it will be Mitt.

Still early. But the way it looks now, it looks like it’s going to be Mitt.

You can thank Iowa. You had one Not Romney going into that state and two came out. Well done.

For those that watched the Newt massacre with glee, how do you feel now about Mitt?

[CainConservative]

What???

No, Willard Flopney sucks the same or more because he waters down conservatism until it equals Obama-lite.

Willard and Teddy K co-authored RomneyCare’s mandates, subsidies, and exchanges packed full of $50 abortions and the public option.

Obama subsequently stole the idea. Except the public option and $50 abortion parts — so that actually makes Willard worse than Obama.

[CainConservative]

South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary CNN/Time

Romney 37, Gingrich 18, Santorum 19, Paul 12, Perry 5

Perry hoping for double digits and a veep offer from his buddy, Romney.

Oh well, 2016 (Rubio/Huck versus Hillary/Cuomo) can not come soon enough.

[Signalman]

Romney technically “won” IA by 8 votes. He looks to win NH, assuming the polls are correct. And now it looks like he will likely win SC. I’m a Perry supporter, but if Romney wins the first 3 states, the big money will start pouring in to his campaign and he will be hard to stop.

[Diogenesis]

Chameleon-Teflon Milt to Felon DiMasi: "I bet you $10,000 that I can cheat and lie
and "win" by vote fraud -- while YOU
rot in prison for eight years for what we have done, partner."

"Vote Count Error? Did Rick Santorum Really Win the Iowa Caucuses?
DES MOINES, Iowa - Edward True, 28, of Moulton, said he helped count the votes
and jotted the results down on a piece of paper to post to his Facebook page.
He said when he checked to make sure the Republican Party of Iowa
got the count right, he said he was shocked to find they hadn’t.
“When Mitt Romney won Iowa by eight votes and I’ve got a
20-vote discrepancy here, that right there says Rick Santorum won Iowa,” True said. “Not Mitt Romney.”

"Several UNREPORTED news reports have it that Romney
did not win the Iowa Caucuses.
Barring any objective, verifiable proof that shows more than 12 votes mistakenly
being credited to Santorum, Romney lost."

"Could Typo Rewrite Caucus History? (Santorum may regain win)"

IT’S UNANIMOUS FOR RINO ROMNEY

Mitt Romney wins much coveted Jimmy Carter endorsement

Gore Praises Romney's 'Climate Protection Plan'

Carville(D):
"It's a feel-good story, this Romney thing.
Romney is an ascendant guy."

Sen. John Kerry (D) to Don Imus on RomneyCARE:
"I like this health care bill".

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) on RomneyCARE:
"To come up with a bipartisan plan in this polarized environment is commendable."

[Scotsman will be Free]

I ain’t votin’ for mittens. End. Of. Story.

[ZULU]

# 1. Its not over til its over. Keep fighting. S.C, New Hampshire and Iowa are all just three states.

# 2. If Romney DOER get nominated, hold your nose and vote AGAINST Obama. Get it?

[TitansAFC]

As I have said a thousand times:

This year, Rick Santuckabee is doing the destruction that Mike Hucktorum did in 2008.

It is absolutely NO DIFFERENT!!!!

[Logical me]

If Romney wins South Carolina it's pretty much over

If Romney wins SC then King Obama is reelected.

[D-fendr]

I think the candidates are the only ones who can stop a repeat of McRomney.

They would have to coalesce behind one notRomney and the others drop out. This would have to happen in time though.

I got this thinking from Thomas Sowell and I can’t think of another way to avoid Romney.

[CainConservative]

SC

McLame 33%
Huckabee 30%+
Lazy Thompson 15%

BLAME Lazy for McLame.

Santorum works harder in one WEEK than Thompson does in a YEAR.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

And now it looks like he will likely win SC.

One poll makes it look likely?

Wow

[CainConservative]

True dat, my friend.

If Romney gets the nomination, Obama will win by a landslide.

And kiss the House, Senate, and Supreme Court good-bye, too.

It may be time for Newt and the Ricks to cut a deal if they seriously want to stop this from happening.

[wideawake]

are we going to look for a 3rd party alternative

Third party = Obama 2nd term.

Romney has to be beaten in the primaries, or Obama will beat everyone in the general.

I don't know how many failures it will take to convince the US electorate that third parties simply cannot work.

And no, before anyone chimes in, the GOP was never a third party. That's an oft-repeated canard.

[Lady4Liberty]

Not true at all. How is a pro-baby killing, government healthcare running, gun grabbing, gay marriage enabling liberal different than Obama? They are the same.

[Servant of the Cross]

American Research Group: Romney 31% Gingrich 24% Santorum 24%

[CainConservative]

If Willard is shoved down our throats, I’m voting 3rd party or write-in, as a staunch social conservative to make the point that we will never ever ever settle for Bush Sr, Dole, McCain, or Romney mushy moderates again!

And I bet millions upon millions of other so-cons do the same. And millions of others will simply sit out the election all together and wait for Rubio (versus Hillary) in 2016.

[CainConservative]

Yikes!

South Carolina Presidential Primary Preference:

(Likely Republican Primary Voters Jan 4-5 2012)

Gingrich 24% !!!
Paul 9%
PERRY 2% ..Yikes!
Willard 31%
Santorum 24% !!!

[EternalVigilance]

[wideawake]

If Willard is shoved down our throats, I’m voting 3rd party or write-in, as a staunch social conservative to make the point that we will never ever ever settle for Bush Sr, Dole, McCain, or Romney mushy moderates again!

A strategy that gave us Clinton, Clinton again, and Obama.

And remember, George W. Bush was characterized as a mushy moderate in the 2000 primaries as well (soft on immigration and on social spending) - most rock-ribbed social conservatives would have to concede that we haven't had a true across-the-board conservative President in a quarter-century.

If staying home or voting third party was a real message, no one seems to have gotten it in decades.

And I bet millions upon millions of other so-cons do the same.

Where are these millions and millions in the primaries? Apparently wasting their time in the primary as well as the general, since Santorum has about the most shoestring organization in history. Perry couldn't even be bothered to prep for the debates. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous waste that was the Palin sideshow.

And millions of others will simply sit out the election all together and wait for Rubio (versus Hillary) in 2016.

Rubio is hardly a guaranteed lock for 2016 and the Democrats aren't dumb enough to run a 70 year old woman for President.

Social conservatives haven't worked hard enough to put Romney away yet in 2012, but they will somehow have their act all put together by 2016?

Magical thinking.

[rightwingextremist1776]

So...when given the choice between RINO Romney and Commie Obama you would rather hand the country to Obama.....

nice....no wonder we are where we are.
stupid is what stupid does....

[GlockThe Vote]

I would vote for Charles Manson over obama if need be.

[CainConservative]

Romney, the architect of ObamneyCare except without the public option and $50 abortions contained in his RomneyCare is WORSE than Obama.

No Willard! No way! No how! Got it?

[nhwingut]

I’ve been backing Perry. But I think he needs to throw in the towel and back Santorum or Gingrich. Otherwise we are looking at 2008 all over again - conservative vote splits while the RINO wins.

With that said, I find it amazing that Santorum (who we last saw get wiped out by 18 freaking point in 2006 by Bob Casey) is somehow more of a viable candidate than Rick Perry, elected 3-times as governor of Texas.

[CainConservative]

Bush was a staunch social conservative and therefore rallied the So-Cons to get elected eight years.

The mushy moderates will NOT rally us.

Bush Sr. = Loser
Dole = Loser
McCain = Loser
Flopney = Loser

Enough with doing the same thing over and over and over and over....Insanity!!!!

All due to the timid nominations of mushy moderates except for Massachusetts Willy who is a flaming liberal.

[CainConservative]

Who is your candidate? Romney?

[Liberty Valance]

"With that said, I find it amazing that Santorum (who we last saw get wiped out by 18 freaking point in 2006 by Bob Casey) is somehow more of a viable candidate than Rick Perry, elected 3-times as governor of Texas."

Didn't you get the memo? Perry is stupid ... and what's worse, he's from Texas. Oh, and he flew C-130's in the military. He's just an all around bad American. And he's from Texas. And he smokes Gardasil. And he's from Texas.

[Antoninus]

LOL. We’ll see about that. I’m betting Romney doesn’t even get over 25% in SC.

[ncalburt]

This is a shining sample of what the left media does best .
Creates a push poll and hope it spreads a bandwagon effect !
CNN has an awful polling history if your looking at accuracy but an
Great push poll program !

[Doc Savage]

Is it something in the water? Are they all inbred? Have they all suffered DNA translocations from some radioactive source that turned then in to blithering moronic sub-humans? Lindsay graham, and now Romney? You people are sick sick sick sick!

[SoConPubbie]

So...when given the choice between RINO Romney and Commie Obama you would rather hand the country to Obama..... nice....no wonder we are where we are. stupid is what stupid does....

No, that is not a valid choice.

You start out right from the start with a choice that is a distinction without much difference.

Give me an actual choice, one that does not involve voting for a Man(Myth) whose words cannot be trusted who has been on both side of every issue important to conservatives multiple times THROUGHOUT his career.

Give me someone who actually will re-inforce DADT.

Give me someone who does not and did not believe in the Man-Made Global Warming scam.

Give me someone who does not support Abortion, unlike Myth, who depending on the day you talk to him, either supports in in some fashion or doesn't.

Give me someone who will actually cut the size of Government (Myth does not believe in this idea)

Give me someone who does not believe or support the Individual Mandate and who will not lie about his MythCare being something about States Rights.

Give me someone who is not a Globalist (Myth is a Globalist).

Either give me an actual real choice, or the only choice I have is to vote American Independent or write in an actual conservative.

I will not be played for a fool by the GOP again.

If the GOP will not give me a choice, then I vote for GRIDLOCK which will be the "Least Damage" choice going forward if Myth is the GOP nominee.

[LibLieSlayer]

cnn is soley owned and managed by satan.

[wideawake]

Bush was a staunch social conservative and therefore rallied the So-Cons to get elected eight years.

Not to hear many on FR and in the conservative blogosphere tell it.

Who is your candidate? Romney?

Hardly. Palin was my candidate, so I got burned.

I will not be staying home on election day and I will not vote for Obama or Paul.

At this point Santorum may be our best shot, but he is already being called a "big government conservative" by people who should know better.

[varina davis]

Something a lot of folks are forgetting is that Perry is probably the only candidate who can draw Southerners, active and retired Military veterans and, yes, Southern Democrats!

How about forgetting the polls for a few minutes and concertrate on pushing viable candidates. When the top tier gets through trashing each other in New Hampshire, the story in South Carolina and Florida might be a whole lot different.

[rightwingextremist1776]

Exactly.....

Some people can’t see the forest through the trees....its how we got here in the first place.