South Carolina Primary Winners And Losers

Voters in South Carolina weathered the elements on Saturday and headed to the polls to make their choice for GOP presidential candidate. They picked former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich by a wide margin.

That would have been a surprise a few weeks ago, especially consider Gingrich's rather lackluster performances in both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. But following some strong debate performances -- and testy exchanges with moderators -- Gingrich experienced a last-minute surge to the top of the pack in South Carolina. Furthermore, he did it with the strong support of conservative Tea Party and evangelical voters, who appeared happy to overlook an interview given by Gingrich's second ex-wife in which she claimed that he had asked her for an "open marriage."

The loss in South Carolina is a tough pill for Mitt Romney to swallow, who, on the heels of a victory in New Hampshire was thought to have been well on his way toward becoming the presumptive Republican nominee. He began campaigning in the Palmetto State with the support of its governor, Nikki Haley. But a few days before the South Carolina contest, Romney's first-place finish in Iowa was reversed, following a certification of lost votes which gave the win to Rick Santorum. Soon thereafter, Romney saw a dip in his own popularity, coming amid increasing scrutiny of his personal finances, sparked primarily by evasive comments about whether he would release his tax returns.

Now with Gingrich, Romney, and Santorum each winning a primary -- and Ron Paul continuing to nip at their heels, apparently with no plans of leaving the race -- the GOP primary has hit a full reset. The candidates and the media that covers them now head to Florida to compete in its Jan. 31 primary, which is now more important than ever.

The primary season now stands to remain competitive for longer than previously expected, which will give the nation, and its president, more time to view the increasingly hostile spectacle.

Take a look below at the winners and losers of the South Carolina primary, and vote for who you think came out on top:

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Comments

[StillAmused]

10:04 AM on 01/23/2012

South Carolina loses, bigtime. Never should've televised the debate!

Let the games continue... by the time the general rolls around, what's left of the GOP will be operating out of a doublewide somewhere in South Carolina, with an extension cord running into Nikki's state house.

[BuickBoy57]

08:37 AM on 01/23/2012

Makes me long for the good old days of "hiking on the Appalachian Trail."

[priceofliberty]

08:07 AM on 01/23/2012

two things:
1) I was right that Evangelicals wouldn't back Santorum.
2) Its disturbing that they backed the one that is the least Christian of the candidates and a known and unrepentant adulterer over a Mormon or a catholic.

[pacrimco]

05:06 AM on 01/23/2012

Way to go South Carolina. You have just proven that you can fool all of the people , all of the time, if you have enough money and determination. I would have advised you to be careful what you wish for but it's too late for that. So I'll just finish with this: As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

[JoePenn]

08:22 AM on 01/23/2012

USA USA USA - American exceptionalism - we're ALL millionaires now.....right?!

[msjr703]

03:53 AM on 01/23/2012

Some guy told me yesterday that the Evangilists in South Carolina would rather vote for the devil than a Mormon. Oh wait they did he must be right. Winner in South Carolina - the Devil (from Georgia)

[malcomnator]

03:07 AM on 01/23/2012

He won it the old fashion way he bought it . If this keeps up we will need the U.N. to monitor our voteing.

[JoePenn]

08:27 AM on 01/23/2012

Good point - but I say banana republics have more honest elections than we do already.

[EdinFL]

02:11 AM on 01/23/2012

Where was Nikki Haley during Romney concession speech?

[UTARebel]

03:23 AM on 01/23/2012

Puling her foot out of her mouth.

[Great State of Ape]

12:35 AM on 01/23/2012

The choice is now more clear than ever. A lying, hypocritical, unethical, cheating philanderer, who was run out of speakership by his own party, and went on to be a "historian" at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who claims anyone who ever took money from the enterprises that caused this financial meltdown while cashing a check from them, Newt Gingrich, or, A faithfully married, Christian, father of two, who got Osama, passed Health Care reform, Credit Card Reform, DADT repeal, ended the illegal Iraq War, first African-American president, who's numerous attempts to get the country back on track have been blocked by the opposition party, President Barack Obama.

The Choice is clear: Obama 2012. Democrats for POTUS 2016-2020.

[UTARebel]

03:28 AM on 01/23/2012

You make false claims for Obama, but you know that,

Obama will lose, and will cause the dems to lose the Senate,

Any one of the Republicans can defeat BO, and one will this November.

[Stebbytubby]

07:16 AM on 01/23/2012

That was so funny I threw up in my mouth....false claims where please?

[pacrimco]

05:11 AM on 01/23/2012

Spot on my friend. Now let's roll up our sleeves and make sure that America is not bought and sold in the upcoming Presidential election. While the choice may be clear, the action of the voting public cannot be taken for granted. We must now work harder than ever to remove the money from politics in America and return the power to the people.

[UTARebel]

03:41 PM on 01/23/2012

As Obama rolls his billions into play.....

[nofoolsteaforme]

11:39 PM on 01/22/2012

In a state where going underground into a filthy unsafe mine everyday is concidered a good job why would we expect a wise choice for someone they vote for?

[nofoolsteaforme]

11:35 PM on 01/22/2012

Face the basic facts folks. Republicans are for excessive greed and the Democratic party is for the Middle class.

Newt is just for Newt and
Romney is just for his dynasty and his temple.

[wdc39]

12:47 AM on 01/23/2012

Then how would things like this help the middle class?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erCjtiiwx30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aLcbr63ME&feature=related

[GIJoePatriot2012]

06:55 AM on 01/23/2012

Not all Republicans are for excessive greed. Dr. Ron Paul has been fighting that for over 20 years. He voted against Congressional pay raises, against bailouts and wants to get rid of the privately owned and secretly run Federal Reserve. The rest of the candidates are bought by the lobbyist (Big Corporations).....and so is Obama....otherwise....we wouldn't have had the multibillion dollar bailouts. He is also slowly but surely taking away our Constitutional Rights. The only decent, honest and consistent candidate on either side is Dr. Ron Paul. Please vote for the best candidate and not just because of their party affiliation.

[fap1947]

11:18 PM on 01/22/2012

I noticed that "other" recieved almost 2% of the vote. That actually is a larger % then normal. Usually less the .5%. 1.1 % was for Cain. Wonder why some one who dropped out so long ago got so many vote?

[JstDarla]

06:27 AM on 01/23/2012

I had the same question about that. Also Newt had to cancel speeches because nobody showed up or not enough? Pretty questionable....hhhmmmm

[fap1947]

08:55 AM on 01/23/2012

Cain = Colbert

[Carl Caroli]

11:14 PM on 01/22/2012

All hail, Newt the belligerent!

[CognitoErgoSum]

11:05 PM on 01/22/2012

So, basically, it's not so much that Gingrich won, as 25% of SC Republicans voting AGAINST the endorsement of their governor.

[Sabrae]

01:43 AM on 01/23/2012

That took the wind out of her sails.

[CognitoErgoSum]

02:00 AM on 01/23/2012

It's gotta sting.

[jonmag]

08:15 PM on 01/22/2012

newt gingrich...the washington insider for 40 years says he is the guy to bring change......republicans are so funny

[scholarlymama]

07:52 PM on 01/22/2012

This crop of GOP presidential hopefuls is by far the most pitiful bunch in the history of American politics. Newt Gingrich may be a "winner" according to Huffington Post standards, but he's actually a loser because not only does he have a well-deserved reputation of being a loud, brash, hypocritical, temperamental blowhard with an explosive temper, every time Mr. Gingrich is asked a question that appropriately questions his morals, ethics, and inflammatory statements he has made, instead of responding in a calm, rational manner, he goes pit bull (i.e. viciously attacks the questioner). He has a better chance of seeing God than he does of being elected President of the United States.

[UTARebel]

03:35 AM on 01/23/2012

Any one of the rep candidates can defeat BO, and one will in ovember, 2012. :

[pacrimco]

05:13 AM on 01/23/2012

betcha 10,000 dollars that you're wrong!

[leftparadise]

08:54 AM on 01/23/2012

"loud, brash, hypocritic­al, temperamen­tal blowhard with an explosive temper" and that's why they love him. this is the party that doesn't care if they are wrong, as long as they are the loudest and meanest guy in the room.

[UTARebel]

03:59 PM on 01/23/2012

Better him than an untruthful president who claims credit for other's accomplishments and blames others for his mis-steps.

That's the opinion of this Independent.