Newt Surges— Does SC Upset Loom?

GOP voters angry, stuck with bad candidates, say pundits

(NEWSER) - Newt Gingrich's big win in South Carolina has the Republican establishment squirming and political experts churning, trying to explain what the results mean:

• GOP base in revolt. "People are mad as hell they are about to be stuck with another boring, moderate, uninspiring choice that has at best a 50/50 shot at losing to the worst president since Carter," says Erick Ericson at RedState . "Basically, today’s vote is about Republican grassroots giving the Washington Republican establishment the finger."
• Not about policy, but soul. Gingrich and Mitt Romney don't have many big policy differences; instead this is a debate about the emotion and soul of the Republican Party, reports the AP : 'It might not be pretty."

Newt Gingrich falls to third with 18%

(NEWSER) - Just a month ago, Newt Gingrich had a huge lead in South Carolina, and two months ago Rick Santorum was languishing at 1%. Times, they have a'changed. Santorum has vaulted into second with 24% of the vote in the latest Rasmussen poll , just behind Mitt Romney's 27%. Gingrich has fallen to third with 18%, followed by Ron Paul with 11%. Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman are in the single digits with 5% and 2% respectively. More»

Rick Perry in single digits in both places

(NEWSER) - The GOP primary is a two-horse race at the moment in pivotal South Carolina and Florida—just not between the two horses you thought it would be last month. Herman Cain has taken the lead in both states, topping Romney 30% to 26% in South Carolina and by a slim 32% to 31% margin in Florida, according to new NBC-Marist polls . Rick Perry is a distant third in both states, with 9% in South Carolina and 8% in Florida. (Both were conducted before last night's debate .) More»

'Very' and 'Somewhat' conservatives went Gingrich, 'liberals' went Romney

(NEWSER) - So how did Newt Gingrich pull off his stunning upset in South Carolina yesterday? Unsurprisingly, by appealing to conservatives, writes Politico . Exit polls indicate that 45% of people calling themselves "very conservative" went to Gingrich, vs. 20% to Rick Santorum and 10% to Ron Paul—Mitt Romney took just 20% of them. Gingrich also won among "somewhat conservative" voters and independents. Romney won "moderate or liberal" voters. More»

Santorum shined but it was Newt's night, pundits say

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul all had their moments in last night's GOP debate, but it was Newt Gingrich's night thanks to his fiery first five minutes , pundits say.

• Rick Santorum took the fight to Gingrich and Romney and was the "central mover in the debate," but Newt's condemnation of the media was "his finest hour in the race," writes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post . He took a potential weak spot and "turned it into a moment of considerable strength." Romney, for the first time, "found a compelling message when it came to questions about his considerable personal wealth," he notes.