Democratic National Committee chairwoman @DWStweets (who is from Florida):
Tonight Romney was successful in buying his way to victory. He & his super PAC outspent his nearest opponent by running 13,000 negative ads.
Democratic National Committee chairwoman @DWStweets (who is from Florida):
Tonight Romney was successful in buying his way to victory. He & his super PAC outspent his nearest opponent by running 13,000 negative ads.
9:29p – Paul at the podium. He’s live from campaign HQ in Henderson, Nevada tonight.
“If enthusiasm wins elections, we’d win, hands down.”
Paul congratulated Romney for winning Florida, says he’d see him in the caucus states.
“If you have an irate and tireless minority, you do well in caucus states.”
“Don’t you think it’s about time we had a new monetary policy?” Crowd goes nuts, starts cheering “End the Fed!”
“We need to reverse trend of attack on our civil liberties. We need to repeal the PATRIOT Act. We need to repeal provision that allows President to assassinate American citizens without trial.”
9:07p – Newt and Callista Gingrich walking up to the podium at campaign HQ in Orlando.
Not backing down anytime soon… Sign on podium reads “46 States To Go.”
Thanks his daughters who have been stumping for him in Florida. Calls his grandchildren “my two major debate coaches.”
“It is now clear this will be a two-person race between the conservative Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts Moderate.”
Newt goes back to media-bashing – “We are going to contest every place, we are going to win, and we will be in Tampa as the nominee in August.”
“We’re going to have people power defeat money power in the next six months.” Has somebody told Sheldon Adelson this?
“You can’t imagine how radical he [Obama] will be in a second term.”
Tweet from @HuffPostMedia: Newt Gingrich makes a positive mention of David Broder, possibly the most elite media person of all time. Contradictions… #flprimary
If elected Gingrich says he will ask Congress to pass repeal of Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley before he is sworn into office, so “We can be off to a pretty good opening morning.”
“The very first executive order will abolish all of the White House czars at that moment. All of this will happen about two hours after the Inaugural Address.”
Pledges he will build Keystone pipeline. Urges Canadians not to make a deal with the Chinese.
Vows to reinstate Reagan’s Mexico City Policy – no U.S. money for abortions anywhere in the world.
Closing comments: “I pledge you my life, my fortune, my sacred honor, this is about America.”
Cue Brooks and Dunn’s “Only in America”
9:23 – Gingrich speech ends. David Gergen points out that Gingrich did not congratulate Romney for winning the Florida primary.
8:28p – Romney family walks up to the podium.
Ann Romney opening comments: “Thank you, Florida.”
Starts thanking key Florida supporters, state and congressional officials.
8:32p – Mitt Romney takes the podium.
Congratulates Gingrich, Santorum and Paul for “Another hard-fought contest.”
“A competitive primary does not divide us, it prepares us and we will win.”
Romney strategically picked victory night speech location in Tampa – city which will host 2012 Republican convention which could potentially nominate him.
“My leadership will end the Obama era and begin a new era of American prosperity.”
“I will insist on a military so powerful, no one will ever think of challenging it.”
“I want you to remember when our White House reflected the best of what we are, not the worst of what Europe has become.”
Tweet from @Markos: “The worst of what Europe has become” says the guy who had his money in Swiss banks
8:42 p – Romney wraps up his victory speech. Networks on standby for Gingrich.
Will be live-blogging and tweeting the Florida GOP primary returns as they come in. Watch this space…
Thanks to all you readers out there for setting record traffic levels for the site on the night of the South Carolina primary. I will be live-blogging and tweeting the Florida primary on January 31. Hope you come by and keep checking the site as the returns come in!
Two-minute warning for Gingrich victory speech has been given…
Given Romney’s comments criticizing/attacking Gingrich in his speech, it wouldn’t be surprising if Gingrich decided to return the favor during his victory speech tonight and during his TV interviews tomorrow morning.
9:25 – Crowd chanting “Newt can win! Newt can win!” Gingrich’s opening line: “Let me first of all thank everyone in South Carolina who decided to be with us in changing Washington.”
“The American people feel that they have elites who have been trying for a half century to force us to quit being American and try some other system. It is not that I am a good debater, it is that I articulate the deepest held values of the American people.”
Gingrich praises Santorum: “Rick Santorum showed enormous courage in Iowa when he had no money, nobody covered him, and he just kept campaigning.” Crowd starts chanting “VP! VP!”
“If Barack Obama can get reelected after this disaster, think how radical he would be with four more years.”
Gingrich says if he is the GOP nominee, he will challenge President Obama to seven three-hour debates.
Gingrich says he will challenge president and “elite media” on “growing anti-religious bigotry of our elites.”
“I want America to be so energy-independent, no American president will ever bow to a Saudi king.”
Gingrich hitting Obama for nixing the Keystone XL pipeline deal.
Gingrich invoking his own version of John Edwards’ “Two Americas” stump speech
9:50 – Gingrich finishes his speech, walks off to Toby Keith’s “Only in America.”
[Correction: The song is by Brooks and Dunn, not Toby Keith.]
8:40 – Santorum walks up to the podium. He’s wearing suit and tie, his sons wearing his trademark sweater vests.
“Three states, three winners. What a great country!”
Santorum to Gingrich: “Good job, buddy. Good job.”
Santorum makes reference to Obama’s infamous 2008 comment about people clinging to guns and religion, says his father and grandfather came from that.
“They [the left] don’t believe in you. They believe in their ability to care for you. That’s not America.”
Wants to be the candidate that provides “the good sharp contrast”
8:50 – Santorum’s closing words: “I ask you – it’s a wide open race. Join the fight!”
8:15 – CNN misses the top of Paul’s comments, coming out of commercial break.
“This is the beginning of a long hard slog!” Ron Paul invokes former SECDEF Donald Rumsfeld.
“If you win elections and you win delegates, that’s how you promote a cause!”
Paul goes into standard stump speech about liberty and cutting spending.
Ron Paul crowd chanting “End the Fed! End the Fed!”
“We need to restore the Constitution and restore liberty.”
Calls for getting rid of the PATRIOT Act.
8:30 – Ron Paul wraps up his speech… Still waiting to hear from Santorum and Gingrich.