Thursday, February 9, 2012
After disappointing finish in South Carolina, Rick Santorum's campaign found new life with a three-state sweep Tuesday.
For Kerry Wood, Rick Santorum's campaign ended weeks ago. Wood, the director of Santorum's South Carolina campaign, hasn't just avoided campaigning for the former Pennsylvania senator after the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary — he's avoided presidential politics altogether. "I have nothing else to do with that campaign," Wood said. "I didn't want to go into another state — I know a lot of other people did. After Jan. 21, I helped close down offices, I helped pack stuff up afterwards, but after that, my focus shifted elsewhere." The excitement and chaos of the South Carolina primary may seem like a distant memory to many in the Palmetto State now. Santorum finished a distant third to Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in January, but has …
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The biggest winners in last weekend’s S.C. Republican Primary may have been Leslie Gaines and Ruth Sherlock, whose firm was chosen by presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich to run his campaign in South Carolina.
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Early projections show Gingrich defeats Romney
COLUMBIA — A record number of voters turned out for the South Carolina primary Saturday and delivered former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a blowout win that may restart the entire race. Gingrich surged during the final week of the contest, overcoming a double-digit deficit to trounce former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney. Gingrich earned 40 percent of the vote and won all but three counties. "It is very humbling and very sobering to have so many people who so deeply want their country to get back on the right track," Gingrich said in his victory speech from Columbia. Gingrich's debate performances separated him from the field, especially when he attacked the media on Thursday night in Charleston. "It’s not that I am a good debater," he said. "It’s …
Early projections show Gingrich defeats Romney
COLUMBIA — A record number of voters turned out for the South Carolina primary Saturday and delivered former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a blowout win that may restart the entire race. Gingrich surged during the final week of the contest, overcoming a double-digit deficit to trounce former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney. Gingrich earned 40 percent of the vote and won all but three counties. "It is very humbling and very sobering to have so many people who so deeply want their country to get back on the right track," Gingrich said in his victory speech from Columbia. Gingrich's debate performances separated him from the field, especially when he attacked the media on Thursday night in Charleston. "It’s not that I am a good debater," he said. "It’s …
Stephen Colbert asked South Carolinians to vote Herman Cain, which was a vote for 'Corporations are People.'
Some voters in the Palmetto state were in on the joke. TV host and conservative spoofer Stephen Colbert made a last-minute push to have voters vote for Herman Cain. He told supporters at the College of Charleston Friday that if that was a joke, then the Supreme Court decision that allows the formation of unlimited fundraising and spending from Super PACs is also a joke. That's why he asked S.C. voters to vote for Cain and support the soundbite "Corporations are People." And judging by Cain grabbing more votes than any other dropped-out candidate, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry who dropped out earlier in the week, some of the voters in the state agree. South Carolina's open primary process, which allows Democrats and independents to also …
Gay rights activists and Occupy Charleston chant 'Rick, Rick, Rick, bigot, bigot, bigot.'
THE CITADEL — About 20 demonstrators crashed the Rick Santorum results party at the military college in Charleston. As Santorum closed his speech focusing on building strong family values, a gay rights activist said: "Except when you're gay" and threw a handful of glitter in the air. Members of the Occupy Charleston group joined in with chants of "Rick, Rick, Rick, bigot, bigot, bigot" and singing "Santorum, Santorum, you're a bigot." As police escorted the group out, they shouted about Jesus preaching love. The police escorted many members of the movement off-campus and would not allow them to retreive their vehicles parked there. But there were no arrests or incidents. Speaking to Patch, Occupier Adrianna Varedi of Charleston said …
Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished in fourth place in the South Carolina Primary.
After coming in fourth place in the South Carolina Primary Saturday, Texas Rep. Ron Paul greeted supporters at Jillian's Billiards Club in Columbia with a smile and an optimistic outlook. Paul told the crowd of at least 200 people that the movement would continue and that the "message of liberty is being received every day." "This is the beginning of a long hard slog," Paul said. Paul also asked the crowd if they ever noticed how the other campaigns are going up and down, but his continues to have a steady growth. "We are the next generation," Paul said to cheers and chants. Supporters agreed that the Paul's campaign is a movement that will continue beyond the presidential election. "This is about ideas and 20 years from now ... my …
Triumphant candidate greets rabid crowd in Columbia, and now sets his sights on Florida.
This story has been updated. As the wine flowed and the music blared Saturday night, a triumphant Newt Gingrich and several hundred rabid supporters celebrated a resounding victory over the rest of the Republican field and vowed to take the fight on to Florida. Introducing Gingrich to a capacity crowd at the Hilton Hotel ballroom in Columbia, Billy Wilkins, a former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, said: "Make no mistake about it. This was a landslide victory." "This was the political version of a tsunami," he said to rousing applause. Onstage, Gingrich told the crowd: "With your help, we are now moving on to Florida -- and beyond." The victory Saturday was Gingrich's first after dismal showings in…
Rick Santorum says he's on to Florida.
THE CITADEL — The only GOP presidential nominee hopeful holding his election night party outside Columbia, Rick Santorum could not repeat his Iowa magic. But despite his third-place finish, he vowed to go to Florida. "I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out," Santorum told CNN prior to taking the stage. Though the candidate finished third, he waited third to make his concession speech before Newt Gingrich would — with his supporters picking up chants several times before Santorum addressed them. Jim Bob Duggar, of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," was among the supporters. Santorum sought to distance himself from Gingrich, who seized victory over the state early on. He said he was the candidate of "no drama, no surprises." "We'…
After losing to Newt Gingrich in the S.C. primary, Romney says it's on to Florida.
The favorite to sweep into South Carolina and win by double-digits over all-comers a week ago, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was forced to concede the state to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich after a thorough defeat. "This is a hard fight because there's so much worth fighting for," Romney said after congratulating Gingrich. Romney also thanked supporters — Gov. Nikki Haley, Treasurer Curtis Loftis and S.C. Rep. Nathan Ballentine — before delivering his stump speech focused on beating President Barack Obama. In the few days before the primary, Gingrich started closing the gap on Romney in the polls after some disappointing debate performances for Romney. Voters who watched the GOP deabte in Charleston Thursday said they weren…
John H
8:31 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I wonder how many Democrats came out to vote for Gingrich. I saw e-mails urging Dems to do so. more ›