Romney wins in Iowa, but by the slenderest of margins
Source: Agencies |
January 5, 2012, Thursday
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Front-running Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney heads to New Hampshire and friendlier territory for the second state-by-state nominating contest next week, carrying with him the skimpiest of victories in Iowa's first-in-the-nation vote to pick a challenger to US President Barack Obama.
"I've got a big target on me now," Romney said yesterday. "I've got broad shoulders. I'm willing to handle it."
Just eight votes separated Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, from former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Santorum staged an abrupt rise from single-digit support in the Midwestern state to become the patrician Romney's strongest competitor for the Republican nomination, a race that will play out over the next six months in primary elections and caucuses nationwide before the November election.
Appearing hours after the caucuses had ended, Iowa Republican chairman Matt Strawn said Romney had 30,015 votes, to 30,007 for Santorum, whose Iowa fortunes were carried by his appeal to the state's evangelical Christians and social conservatives in a state that is largely farmland and 91 percent white.
The chaos that has marked the early months of the Republican race has diverted attention from Obama, who is vulnerable in his bid for a second term because of the stagnant economy and high unemployment that lingers from the 2007-2009 recession.
Before his victory was announced, Romney added to his already-formidable national network by announcing the endorsement of Senator John McCain, who twice won the New Hampshire primary and was the Republican nominee in 2008.
While the nominal winner in Iowa, Romney's campaign has failed to catch the imagination of a Republican base there or nationwide. Those voters have grown ever more conservative in recent years and view him with grave distrust for having taken moderate positions in the past. But Romney is the favorite of the party establishment, which sees him as the candidate best equipped to defeat Obama.
In a show of force on Tuesday, Romney became the first candidate to purchase television advertising in Florida, whose primary is on January 31. He is spending US$264,000 on television advertising in New Hampshire, US$260,000 in South Carolina and US$609,000 in Florida.
Santorum, meanwhile, struggled to pay for campaign transport in recent days. He's spending just US$16,000 to air a television ad on New Hampshire cable stations this week.
Santorum said the McCain endorsement was to be expected.
Even before his victory was announced, Romney looked past his Republican rivals and took aim at Obama.
"The gap between his promises four years ago and his performance is as great as anything I've ever seen in my life," he told supporters.
In all, more than 122,000 straw ballots were cast, a record for Iowa Republicans, and the outcome was a fitting conclusion to a race as jumbled as any since Iowa gained leadoff position in presidential campaigns four decades ago.
Returns from all 1,774 precincts showed Romney with 24.55 percent support and Santorum with 24.54 percent. Texas Representative Ron Paul drew 21.5 percent of the votes.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fourth and Texas Governor Rick Perry fifth. Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann came a distant sixth and said later that she was ending her presidential bid.
"I've got a big target on me now," Romney said yesterday. "I've got broad shoulders. I'm willing to handle it."
Just eight votes separated Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, from former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Santorum staged an abrupt rise from single-digit support in the Midwestern state to become the patrician Romney's strongest competitor for the Republican nomination, a race that will play out over the next six months in primary elections and caucuses nationwide before the November election.
Appearing hours after the caucuses had ended, Iowa Republican chairman Matt Strawn said Romney had 30,015 votes, to 30,007 for Santorum, whose Iowa fortunes were carried by his appeal to the state's evangelical Christians and social conservatives in a state that is largely farmland and 91 percent white.
The chaos that has marked the early months of the Republican race has diverted attention from Obama, who is vulnerable in his bid for a second term because of the stagnant economy and high unemployment that lingers from the 2007-2009 recession.
Before his victory was announced, Romney added to his already-formidable national network by announcing the endorsement of Senator John McCain, who twice won the New Hampshire primary and was the Republican nominee in 2008.
While the nominal winner in Iowa, Romney's campaign has failed to catch the imagination of a Republican base there or nationwide. Those voters have grown ever more conservative in recent years and view him with grave distrust for having taken moderate positions in the past. But Romney is the favorite of the party establishment, which sees him as the candidate best equipped to defeat Obama.
In a show of force on Tuesday, Romney became the first candidate to purchase television advertising in Florida, whose primary is on January 31. He is spending US$264,000 on television advertising in New Hampshire, US$260,000 in South Carolina and US$609,000 in Florida.
Santorum, meanwhile, struggled to pay for campaign transport in recent days. He's spending just US$16,000 to air a television ad on New Hampshire cable stations this week.
Santorum said the McCain endorsement was to be expected.
Even before his victory was announced, Romney looked past his Republican rivals and took aim at Obama.
"The gap between his promises four years ago and his performance is as great as anything I've ever seen in my life," he told supporters.
In all, more than 122,000 straw ballots were cast, a record for Iowa Republicans, and the outcome was a fitting conclusion to a race as jumbled as any since Iowa gained leadoff position in presidential campaigns four decades ago.
Returns from all 1,774 precincts showed Romney with 24.55 percent support and Santorum with 24.54 percent. Texas Representative Ron Paul drew 21.5 percent of the votes.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fourth and Texas Governor Rick Perry fifth. Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann came a distant sixth and said later that she was ending her presidential bid.
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