Marco Rubio endorses Mitt Romney for Republican nominee

Mr Rubio only won election to the US Senate in the 2010 mid-term elections

Florida senator and conservative favourite Marco Rubio has endorsed Mitt Romney in the race for the US Republican presidential nomination.

Mr Rubio, speaking on Fox News, said Mr Romney would be an impressive president and an improvement over the “disastrous” Barack Obama.

He would not be drawn on frequent speculation that he could be named as Mr Romney’s vice-presidential pick.

On Thursday former President George H W Bush will also endorse Mr Romney.

Marco Rubio is popular among very conservative and Tea Party voters who have remained sceptical of Mr Romney throughout his candidacy.

In addition, his Hispanic roots are thought by analysts to offer a key opportunity to win the support of crucial Latino voters.

Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, Mr Rubio said: “I am going to endorse Mitt Romney.

“Not only is he going to be the Republican nominee, he offers a stark contrast to this president’s record.”

He brushed off concerns that Mr Romney had struggled to dominate the lengthy primary process, and said he had no doubt the former governor of moderate Massachusetts would campaign and govern as an authentic conservative.

“This primary has been excellent because it has meant people take position on issues that we can hold them accountable to,” he added.

‘Humble origins’

Mr Rubio’s endorsement is the latest high-profile Republican figure to fall in line behind Mr Romney, who is widely seen as the inevitable eventual nominee.

In a statement, Mr Romney said his latest backer was a living example of the American Dream.

“From humble origins, he has risen to become one of the brightest lights in our political party.

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Delegate totals

05001000

• Mitt Romney
• Rick Santorum
• Newt Gingrich
• Ron Paul

• 568
• 273
• 135
• 50

See detail of all states won

A candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win

“He has been a leading voice in the US Senate and the country for the cause of restoring American greatness.”

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum remains in second place in the primary race, but is far behind Mr Romney with roughly half of the number delegates won.

Mr Santorum appeals to conservatives, in part because of his message of social conservatism, and has won a string of states in highly conservative and religious areas of the US.

But Mr Romney has now picked up the endorsement of two key party power-brokers in 24 hours – the elder statesman George H W Bush and Mr Rubio.

Mr Bush and Mr Romney will appear together on Thursday in Houston, Texas, Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said.

Another heavy-hitting conservative figure from Florida, former Governor Jeb Bush, gave Mr Romney his support a week ago.

Meanwhile, Mr Romney’s other mainstream rival Newt Gingrich is reported to be struggling to keep his campaign.

He has dramatically reduced his staff and cut his campaign events, reportedly to focus on winning the nomination at the Republican convention in Tampa in August.

 

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US Presidential Election 2012

• Delegate counter
• Where do they stand?
• Running for president?
• Who’s backing whom?

Italian stallions in Modena, Italy

A 1934 Fiat 508 Coppa d’Oro (Gold Cup) is on display at the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in Modena, Italy. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)

A man who was synonymous with a generation of gogglewearing daredevils, travelling at breakneck speeds and at times crashing spectacularly, Enzo Ferrari once personified the glamour and danger of 20th Century motorsports.

And although the car manufacturer shuffled off to the great starting grid in the sky more than 20 years ago, March sees the opening of the newEnzo Ferrari Museum in his hometown of Modena. His birthplace and workshop have been restored, while a striking new building has sprung up next door, designed – with characteristic Ferrari subtlety – in the shape of a bright yellow car bonnet. Inside this museum, various exhibits help bring to life the bitter rivalries that existed between Ferrari and other automobile manufacturers of the era. A minor traffic jam of classic cars includes the first car that Enzo Ferrari ever built.

Romney eyes Illinois primary after Puerto Rico win

Mitt Romney is campaigning hard in Illinois ahead of Tuesday’s primary

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is campaigning hard in the crucial primary state of Illinois after his easy weekend win in Puerto Rico.

The former Massachusetts governor secured 83% of the vote in Puerto Rico with 83% of the ballot counted.

His nearest rival for the candidacy, social conservative Rick Santorum, won barely 8%.

Meanwhile, President Obama’s campaign has raised $45m (£28.4m) for his re-election bid in February.

Mr Romney’s campaign is pulling out all the stops in the mid-western state of Illinois after he lost the Mississippi and Alabama primaries to Mr Santorum last week.

A candidate needs to accumulate 1,144 delegates to the Republican National Convention in August in order to secure the nomination.

With Puerto Rico’s result, Mr Romney has 521 delegates. Mr Santorum has 253 delegates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has 136 and Ron Paul had 50, according to an Associated Press tally.

Magic number

A new poll suggests Mr Romney has a convincing lead in Illinois, leading Mr Santorum by 15 points among likely Republican voters in the state.

Republican candidate Rick Santorum is vowing to compete in every state

Mr Romney’s well-financed campaign and its allies have already spent $2.5m in adverts in the state.

He is using the Puerto Rico win to call on the other Republican candidates to quit the nomination race.

Ann Romney told supporters in Illinois on Sunday that Republican voters “need to send a message that it’s time to coalesce”.

“It’s time to get behind one candidate and get the job done so we can move on to the next challenge, bringing us one step closer to defeating Barack Obama,” she said with her husband standing next to her.

But while acknowledging he is lagging in the battle for delegates, Mr Santorum has vowed to continue campaigning, citing tepid support for Mr Romney, even in states the former Massachusetts governor has won.

On Monday, Mr Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, said he would “go out and compete in every state”.

“I think it’s going to be very difficult as this goes on for anybody to get that magic number,” Mr Santorum said in an interview with CBS News, adding that chances were increasing of the nomination being decided at the convention.

‘Extraordinary victory’

Mr Romney has turned to attacking Mr Obama in advance of the Illinois primary, calling him an “economic lightweight”.

Mr Romney, speaking at a town hall meeting in the mid-western state, described the Puerto Rico result as an “extraordinary victory”.

“Those people who don’t think Latinos will vote for a Republican need to take a look at Puerto Rico,” he said.

Some observers thought Mr Santorum, a devout Catholic and opponent of abortion and gay marriage, might do well in the predominantly Roman Catholic territory.

But he angered many last week when he suggested Puerto Rico needed to make English its official language if it wanted to become the US’s 51st state.

The 3.7 million inhabitants of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island – which is currently a self-governing US commonwealth territory – will vote in November in a statehood referendum.

Because it is not a state, Puerto Ricans can choose party candidates, but will not be able to vote in the 6 November presidential election.

 

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US Presidential Election 2012

• As it happened: Super Tuesday
• Delegate counter
• Where do they stand?
• Running for president?

Romney and Santorum in key test in Michigan and Arizona

Mitt Romney has emphasised his family ties to Michigan as part of his appeal to voters

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US Presidential Election 2012

• Where do they stand?
• Running for president?
• Who’s backing whom?
• Campaign calendar

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are going head-to-head as US voters in Michigan and Arizona choose their picks for Republican presidential candidate.

Both men have been campaigning intensively over the past few days. Latest polls give Mr Romney a marginal lead in Michigan, and a stronger advantage in Arizona.

Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are focusing their efforts on other states.

Analysts say a victory in his home state of Michigan is key for Mr Romney.

He has long been seen as the front-runner and favourite for the nomination – and currently leads the race for delegates – but has struggled to win over a strong majority of conservative Republican voters.

The winner of the eventual nomination will go on to face President Barack Obama in the November election.

Momentum

On Tuesday, Mr Romney appeared to acknowledge that he has had trouble winning over conservative voters in a state where he was expected to do well.

Mr Romney said his disconnect with the party’s right-wing stemmed from his unwillingness to make “incendiary” comments.

Rick Santorum has been riding a wave of momentum following a hat-trick of wins in recent votes

He accused his rivals of saying “outrageous things” in an effort to win the backing of the Republican base, adding that he was not prepared to set his “hair on fire” in a bid for support.

He also attacked Mr Santorum’s recent move to target Democratic voters with an automated message criticising Mr Romney’s record on bailouts for the automobile industry.

Mr Romney accused Mr Santorum of trying to “kidnap the primary process” by attempting to turn Democrats against him. He told Fox News on Tuesday morning that the tactic was “outrageous and disgusting… a terrible, dirty trick”.

“This is a new low for his campaign and that’s saying something,” Mr Romney said.

Mr Santorum’s recorded message to Democrats said: “Romney supported the bailouts for his Wall Street billionaire buddies but opposed the auto bailouts.

“That was a slap in the face to every Michigan worker and we’re not going to let Romney get away with it,” it continued.

Although only Republicans may participate in Michigan’s primary, electoral rules allow voters to temporarily change their affiliation on the spot – giving Democrats the opportunity to cast a ballot on Tuesday.

Mr Santorum and his supporters have also spent about $2m (£1.3m) on advertising in Michigan.

On the campaign trail Mr Romney had played up his ties to Michigan, where his father was a former governor.

Whoever wins in Michigan could gain crucial momentum ahead of next week’s “Super Tuesday” votes, which sees 10 states go to the polls.

Mr Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul are focusing their efforts on next week’s vote.

Focus on economy

After spending much of the past week campaigning on social issues, on Monday Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, turned his focus on the economy.

He challenged former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum for putting social issues at the centre of his campaign, saying: “If the economy is going to be the issue we focus on, who has the experience to actually get this economy going again?”

Mr Romney, who used to run a successful private equity firm, told supporters at a campaign event that Mr Santorum was a nice guy but he would not be able to create jobs.

Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Mr Santorum told supporters it was a “joke” for Mr Romney to attack him for not being a real conservative.

The former senator also derided “climate science” and Wall Street bailouts – referring to legislative positions the former governor had supported.

He used an editorial in the Wall Street Journal to highlight his own principal economic initiatives.

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US politics glossary

Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of political terms:

Primary

Primary

A state-level election held to nominate a party’s candidate for office. Regulations governing them and the dates on which they are held vary from state to state. In some states, voters are restricted to choosing candidates only from the party for which they have registered support, however 29 states permit open primaries in which a voter may opt to back a candidate regardless of their nominal affiliation. In this case, strategic voting may take place with, for example, Republicans crossing over to back the perceived weaker Democratic candidate. Primaries first emerged as a result of the so-called progressive movement of the early 20th Century, which argued that leaving the nomination process purely to party bosses was inherently undemocratic.

Glossary in full

In it, he took aim at his rival, saying Mr Romney was “attempting to distract from his record of tax and fee increases as governor of Massachusetts, poor job creation, and aggressive pursuit of earmarks”, and that Mr Romney’s plans did not go far enough.

His editorial followed remarks slamming Mr Romney at the weekend, who Mr Santorum described as “uniquely unqualified” to take on the key issues facing America.

Precarious lead

In recent weeks, Mr Santorum has mounted a strong challenge to Mr Romney in Michigan.

An average of polls in the state compiled by Real Clear Politics shows the former governor clinging to a narrow lead of 1.5%, although he maintains a more comfortable lead in Arizona.

A loss for Mr Romney in either state could establish Mr Santorum as a new frontrunner in the presidential race, correspondents say, and raise questions about Mr Romney’s ability to appeal to his party’s base.

Mr Santorum sprang an upset in the last round of voting, when he picked up three victories – in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado – in a single night.

Mr Romney currently has 123 delegates, compared to Mr Santorum’s 72, with 1,144 needed to secure the nomination.

Fifty-nine delegates are at stake in Tuesday’s primary elections: 29 from Arizona and 30 from Michigan.

Mitt Romney narrowly wins Maine Republican caucuses

Many analysts said a win in Maine was crucial for Mr Romney’s campaign

Officials in Maine say Mitt Romney has won the state’s primary caucuses in the race for the Republican presidential nomination with 39% of the vote.

With most of the votes counted, libertarian outsider Ron Paul is in second place with 36%.

Mr Romney’s camp is hoping victory in Maine can help his campaign recover after conservative rival Rick Santorum won polls in three states on Tuesday.

The fourth candidate, Newt Gingrich, did not campaign hard in Maine.

Mr Santorum, now viewed as Mr Romney’s main rival nationally, also had only limited campaign activity in the state.

Mr Paul told his supporters not to be discouraged and said the outcome had been “a virtual tie”, AP reports.

The caucuses will not automatically decide which candidate receives Maine’s delegates at the Republican National Convention in August, and the poll is largely viewed as a beauty contest, reports the BBC’s Jonathan Blake in Washington.

However, Mr Romney still needed this win to avoid serious questions about his campaign, our correspondent adds.

This result will provide his candidacy with added momentum ahead of contests in Arizona and Michigan at the end of the month, he adds.

Mr Romney has previously served as governor of nearby Massachusetts and won the Maine caucuses by a much wider margin in his failed 2008 bid for the presidential nomination.

‘Heartened’Earlier Mr Romney had received a boost at a major gathering of conservative activists in Washington.

He topped a straw poll held at the end of the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference, with 38% of the vote.

Mr Santorum came in second with 31%, with Mr Gingrich and Mr Paul on 15% and 12% respectively.

Mr Romney tweeted that he was “honoured” to have won the poll.

“I’m heartened that so many friends here agree with me about the need for conservative change”, he said.

While the candidates had previously focussed during the early weeks of the primary season on only one or two states at time, the upcoming schedule will see the Republican hopefuls scatter across the country in search of strategic wins.

On 6 March, popularly known as “Super Tuesday”, 11 states will hold contests.

Mr Paul is targeting those states, where he believes his organisation and enthusiastic volunteer base can win him delegates.

 

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US Presidential Election 2012

• Where do they stand?
• Running for president?
• Who’s backing whom?
• Campaign calendar

Nevada Republicans favour Mitt Romney in caucuses vote

Mitt Romney has won Nevada’s Republican caucuses, early results suggest

Mitt Romney has won Nevada’s Republican caucuses, early results from the western US state suggest.

Voting in most areas finished early on Saturday evening, but Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, held an evening caucus to allow observant Jews to participate.

Mitt Romney has declared victory. With nearly half the votes counted, he has polled 42%.

The former Massachusetts governor won convincingly in Florida on Tuesday.

Mr Romney won Nevada in his previous bid to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2008.

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Nevada caucuses results
Source: Nevada Republican Party
Romney	42%
Gingrich	26%
Santorum	13%
Paul	18%
42% of precincts reporting

He has won two out of the four contests already held this year, Florida and New Hampshire, and came second in Iowa.

His main challenger, former congressman Newt Gingrich, is trailing in second place with about 26%.

Mr Gingrich earlier said he expected Mr Romney to come first in Nevada, partly due to the state’s high Mormon population. Mr Romney is a Mormon.

As the results came in, Mr Gingrich said: “I run a campaign which twice now has made me the frontrunner and I suspect will again by the Texas primary or so, that really is a national campaign.

“We intend to compete in every single state in the country and I think you can count on us being competitive in every single state in the country.”

There are two other candidates remaining in the race, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

Mr Paul has secured about 18%, while Mr Santorum has about 13%.

Nevada has a population of 2.7m but only its 470,000 registered Republicans were eligible to vote in Saturday’s caucuses.

The votes are the latest stage in the state-by-state process of picking a Republican nominee to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama in November’s general election.

The Republican candidate will be formally selected by delegates at the party’s convention in August.

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US Presidential Election 2012

• Where do they stand?
• How to run for president?
• Who’s backing whom?
• Campaign calendar

Obama urges Congress to ‘Keep Recovery Going’

President Obama: “The economy is growing stronger and the recovery is speeding up”

US President Barack Obama challenged Congress to keep the economic recovery going as new data showed unemployment down to its lowest rate in three years.

The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3%, beating analyst forecasts, and was down from 8.5% in December.

Speaking at a fire station in Virginia, the president warned Congress: “Do not slow down the recovery that we’re on.”

A Department of Labor report showed 243,000 new jobs were created in January, the highest in nine months.

The figures are a political boost for Mr Obama, whose re-election prospects hinge on a sustained economic recovery.

‘True recovery’?

“Now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months, and there’s still far too many Americans who need a job, or need a job that pays better than the one they have now,” Mr Obama said.

“But the economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we’ve got to do everything in our power to keep it going.”

“Now is not is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy. I want to send a clear message for Congress. Do not slow down the recovery that we are on, don’t muck it up.”

Mr Obama also urged congressional Republicans to pass legislation extending a payroll tax break for 160 million Americans through to the end of the year.

Leading Republicans acknowledged the improvement in the labour market, while adding that even more could be done to improve the state of the US economy.

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Paul Adams BBC News, Washington

As always, the numbers are complex. But it’s hard not to see this as good news – for the economy and Barack Obama’s re-election chances.

The figures don’t take account of those who are no longer looking for work. And the Congressional Budget Office has warned that the rate of unemployment may creep back up during 2012, growth will be sluggish and trillion dollar deficits aren’t about to disappear.

But you can’t argue with a quarter-million new jobs, or with an unemployment rate that is dropping. Right now, it’s back where it was when Barack Obama took office three years ago.

How does this translate politically? If this pattern continues, it’s hard to see how he isn’t heading for a second term. The Republican message, for now, is “the recovery could have been so much swifter without this president”. That is a much harder message to sell than what is actually happening.

Obama’s challenge now is to turn raw data into a general belief that things are getting better.

“These numbers are encouraging, especially for those millions of Americans out of work, but we should aim even higher. We shouldn’t settle, we can do more,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House John Boehner said: “Our economy still isn’t creating jobs the way it should be and that’s why we need a new approach.”

On the campaign trail, frontrunning presidential candidate Mitt Romney said: “Unfortunately, these numbers cannot hide the fact that President Obama’s policies have prevented a true economic recovery.”

Election prospects

Friday’s data from the Labor Department showed job growth had been widespread, with large gains in business services, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing.

The report was also buoyed by revisions to November and December data, which showed 60,000 more jobs created across the two months than previously reported.

The figures add to a range of data pointing to a gradual US economic recovery.

Last week, it was announced that the US economy expanded at a 2.8% annual pace in the October-December quarter, a full percentage point higher than in the previous quarter.

Earlier this week, a survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) indicated that the US manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in seven months in January.

But a report on Wednesday by the US Congressional Budget Office, a federal agency, forecast that unemployment would climb to nearly 9% in the last three months of this year and peak at 9.2% early next year.

Unemployment and economic recovery has been a dominant issue in the campaign for November’s US presidential elections.

Although the downward trend in joblessness augurs well for Barack Obama’s prospects of a second term, he is still likely to face more voters out of work than any post-war president.

When Ronald Reagan won re-election in a landslide victory in 1984, joblessness in the US stood at 7.5%.

In 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover was voted out of office in a year when unemployment was at 23.6%.

His successor, Franklin Roosevelt, faced joblessness rates of 16.9% in 1936 and 14.6% when he was re-elected four years later, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney in Las Vegas

Donald Trump described Mitt Romney as “tough, smart and sharp”

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US Presidential Election 2012

• As it happened: Florida primary
• Where do they stand?
• How to run for president?
• Who’s backing whom?

Billionaire US businessman Donald Trump has endorsed front-runner Mitt Romney for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

Mr Trump announced his support at a Las Vegas hotel he owns, contradicting earlier reports that he would back Romney rival Newt Gingrich.

The candidates have been campaigning in Nevada after Mr Romney’s resounding win in Florida’s primary on Tuesday.

The eventual nominee will go on to face Barack Obama in November’s election.

Telling Romney supporters that it was his honour to endorse the former Massachusetts governor, Mr Trump said foreign business people he deals with had taken advantage of increased US uncompetitiveness.

In short remarks, Mr Trump said Mr Romney would not “allow bad things to continue to happen to this country we all love”.

Aides from the office of Mr Trump and Republican officials told US media that the real estate tycoon and reality TV star had spoken to Mr Romney on Wednesday night to inform him of the endorsement.

‘Small business guy’

The outspoken businessman flirted last year with the idea of jumping into the presidential race himself as a third-party candidate, but ultimately decided not to.

Mr Trump said on Wednesday that he had an announcement to make about the presidential race, but did not say what it was. US media then reported that he would endorse Mr Gingrich.

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“Start Quote

“He’d buy companies, he’d close companies, he’d get rid of jobs”

Donald Trump on Mitt Romney April 2011

Former House of Representatives Speaker Mr Gingrich told reporters he had not spoken to Mr Trump for weeks and was not aware of any plans by the businessman to back a candidate.

In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Mr Trump said he was still undecided as to whether to support Mr Romney or Mr Gingrich.

“I like both,” Mr Trump said. “They both want my endorsement. We’ll see what happens but in a very short time I’ll be making an endorsement.”

In April 2011, the star of “The Apprentice” told CNN that Mr Romney was “a small business guy” and that Bain Capital had created problems for the companies it bought.

“He’d buy companies, he’d close companies, he’d get rid of jobs,” Mr Trump said.

In December, Mr Romney chose not to participate in a Trump-moderated debate in Iowa, one several cancellations that led Mr Trump to scrap the event.

In a sign the Obama re-election campaign was less than impressed by Mr Romney’s latest backer, President Barack Obama’s campaign Twitter account tweeted a link to the story on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by the message “In case you missed it”.

“We wanted to ensure that no one missed what the Romney campaign believes is a critical moment in the campaign for them,” a campaign official told ABC News.

New attack

Newt Gingrich’s team leaked on Wednesday that Mr Trump would endorse their candidate

On Thursday, the candidates were campaigning in the south-western state of Nevada ahead of its Republican caucuses on Saturday.

After the Trump endorsement, Mr Romney hosted a rally in Reno, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul planned two rallies in the state and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition.

An opinion poll released by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday showed Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, leading the pack by 20 percentage points.

He was on 45%, while Mr Gingrich was on 25%, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum 11% and Texas Congressman Ron Paul 9%.

The Trump development may at least give Mr Romney’s campaign some respite from negative publicity over ill-chosen remarks he made about the poor on Wednesday morning.

During an interview with CNN, the private equity tycoon said: “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich. They’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95% of Americans who are struggling.”

Mr Gingrich led critics in pouncing on his rival’s remarks about the poor, in an attempt to portray him as out of touch with the lives of ordinary voters.

At a rally on Thursday, the former House Speaker said “we should care about the very poor” unlike – he said – Mr Obama or Mr Romney.

Mr Romney later told reporters on his plane: “Of course I’m concerned about all Americans… poor, wealthy, middle class, but the focus of my effort will be on middle-income families who I think have been most hurt by the Obama economy.”

Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday are the next contest in the state-by-state process of picking a Republican nominee to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama in 6 November’s general election.

The Silver State offers 28 delegates, out of 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination at August’s Republican convention.

Donald Trump ‘set to endorse’ Mitt Romney in Las Vegas

Donald Trump flirted last year with the idea of jumping in the presidential race himself

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Billionaire businessman Donald Trump is set to endorse Mitt Romney for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, US media are reporting.

Mr Trump is tipped to announce his support at his Las Vegas hotel later, contradicting earlier reports that he would back Romney rival Newt Gingrich.

The candidates have been campaigning in Nevada after Mr Romney’s resounding win in Florida’s primary on Tuesday.

The eventual nominee will go on to face Barack Obama in November’s election.

Aides from the office of Mr Trump and Republican officials told US media that the real estate tycoon and reality TV star had spoken to Mr Romney on Wednesday night to inform him of the endorsement.

‘Guessing game’

The outspoken businessman flirted last year with the idea of jumping into the presidential race himself as a third-party candidate, but ultimately decided not to.

Mr Trump said on Wednesday that he had an announcement to make about the presidential race, but did not say what it was. US media then reported that he would endorse Mr Gingrich.

Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s political adviser, declined on Thursday to reveal what his boss would say at the news conference at Trump International Hotel and Tower.

“It’s only a guessing game because the press are making it a guessing game,” said Mr Cohen.

Forme House of Representatives Speaker Mr Gingrich told reporters he had not spoken to Mr Trump for weeks and was not aware of any plans by the businessman to back a candidate.

In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Mr Trump said he was still undecided as to whether to support Mr Romney or Mr Gingrich.

“I like both,” Mr Trump said. “They both want my endorsement. We’ll see what happens but in a very short time I’ll be making an endorsement.”

On Thursday, the candidates were campaigning in the south-western state of Nevada ahead of its Republican caucuses on Saturday.

An opinion poll released by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday showed Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, leading the pack by 20 percentage points.

He was on 45%, while Mr Gingrich was on 25%, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum 11% and Texas Congressman Ron Paul 9%.

The Trump development may at least give Mr Romney’s campaign some respite from negative publicity over ill-chosen remarks he made about the poor on Wednesday morning.

During an interview with CNN, the private equity tycoon said: “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich. They’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95% of Americans who are struggling.”

Mr Gingrich led critics in pouncing on his rival’s remarks about the poor, in an attempt to portray him as out of touch with the lives of ordinary voters.

Mr Romney later told reporters on his plane: “Of course I’m concerned about all Americans… poor, wealthy, middle class, but the focus of my effort will be on middle income families who I think have been most hurt by the Obama economy.”

Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday are the next contest in the state-by-state process of picking a Republican nominee to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama in 6 November’s general election.

The Silver State offers 28 delegates, out of 1,144 needed to clinch the presidential nomination at August’s Republican convention.

US Presidential Election 2012

• As it happened: Florida primary
• Where do they stand?
• How to run for president?
• Who’s backing whom?

Mitt Romney Wins Florida Primary in a Rout

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney waves to the crowd as he stands with his family during his Florida primary night party Jan. 31, 2012 in Tampa.

By the end, it had become a matter of margins. Would Mitt Romney defeat Newt Gingrich in Florida’s Republican primary? Or would Romney obliterate his opponent, reestablishing himself as the race’s undisputed frontrunner? It didn’t take long to find out. Even before the polls closed, it was clear Romney had reduced Gingrich to a thin, bitter pile of moon dust.

(Video: Beyond Florida)

Romney won the Florida primary on Tuesday, commanding 47% of the vote, a solid victory in the massive, diverse swing state. Gingrich took second with 32%, followed by Rick Santorum at 13% and Ron Paul, who did not campaign there, at 7%. The victory awarded Romney the biggest prize of the primary season to date, 50 winner-take-all delegates to the August nominating convention in Tampa and an unmistakable show of strength in one of the nation’s most important general-election bellwethers.

(MORE: After Turbulent January, GOP Race Enters the Doldrums)

The former Massachusetts governor exploited early and absentee voting, as well as a massive five-to-one TV-spending advantage to thrash Gingrich across most voting blocs. Exit polls showed Romney collecting 51% of Florida Republican women and seniors to Gingrich’s 29% and 34% respectively. Romney managed to split votes from the conservative panhandle region 38%-38% with his primary foil, and held Gingrich’s lead among Evangelicals to a narrow 3-point margin, a strong showing for Romney in the race’s first closed primary. Only “very conservative” voters, “strong” Tea Party supporters and the most hard-line abortion opponents gave Gingrich substantial margins.

But Gingrich’s concession speech Tuesday was nothing of the sort. “It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate,” he said in reference to Romney, whom he did not congratulate. “46 states to go” read the signs that his campaign had passed out to supporters, a message intended for “the media elite” who are writing him off in Newt’s telling. “We’re going to have people power defeat money power in the next six months,” he continued. “We are going to contest everywhere and we are going to win.” By the end, he was listing day-one priorities in his Administration and pledged “my life, my fortune and my sacred honor” to his supporters.

(MORE: After Florida Loss, Newt Gingrich Finds Himself at a Crossroads)

Gingrich’s promises couldn’t match the exuberance at Romney’s watch party. “He’s gonna turn the West Wing into the right wing,” said Joy Lunt, a 74-year-old who traveled 100 miles for the event. “Florida recognizes Mitt Romney for what he has to offer,” said Teri Pinney, an independent turned Republican. “I can see him and his wife and his five sons as the First Family, and I’d be very proud of that.”

From his victory speech, it was clear that Romney could once again see it too. “Mr. President, you were elected to lead. You chose to follow and now it’s time for you to get out of the way,” he said. “I stand ready to lead this party and to lead our nation.” Back was the Obama-centric stump speech. Back was the confidence. Gingrich and the other rivals? Romney gave them polite congratulations at the beginning of his speech, and little more.

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/01/31/mitt-romney-wins-florida-in-a-rout/#ixzz1lAGT9AQi