Romney sweeps three primaries Tuesday

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

UPDATED 11:48 p.m. ET

(CBS News) -- Mitt Romney swept the three Republican primaries in Indiana, North Carolina and West Virginia Tuesday, collecting delegates and moving closer -- but not all the way -- to securing his party's nomination, which he is widely expected win.

The former Massachusetts governor now has 934 of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination, according to CBS News estimates.

With no serious competition, Romney was able to collect the bulk of the 100 or so delegates at stake in Tuesday's primaries on his way to the party's official nominating convention in Tampa, Florida at the end of August.

CBS News estimated delegate count
Full primary result coverage

Former rival Newt Gingrich dropped his bid for the presidency last week, after announcing the prior week that he would be giving up his White House hopes. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum gave up his run for the White House last month. Santorum endorsed Romney late Monday night in an email to supporters.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has thus far garnered an estimated 92 delegates, remains in the race.

Romney has been campaigning vigorously against President Obama, presenting himself as a successful businessman who can lead the country back to economic prosperity.

Romney sought to portray himself as an underdog against the president in a taped interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday night.

"We're gonna have to fight very, very hard to break through the clutter of the charges and the attacks and the efforts to dissuade people from looking at his record," Romney told Fox News host Sean Hannity. He criticized everything from the president's position on women's issues to his foreign policy stance.

The two men are in a tight race and likely to engage in a fierce fight for the White House, according to the latest polls.

In a Gallup/USA Today poll of 12 swing states released this week, Mr. Obama edged out Romney 47 percent to 45 percent. The result is within the poll's four-point margin of error and closer than Gallup's last swing state poll from March, when Mr. Obama held a nine-point lead.

On the critical issue of the economy, Romney has the advantage: In a direct comparison, 47 percent said Romney would do a better job managing the economy, while 44 percent said Mr. Obama would. As many as 60 percent said Romney would do a good job or very good job as president handling the economy over the next four years, while 52 percent said the same about Mr. Obama.

[mrmikemrmike]

I wonder how accurate the vote tallies were? I cannot imagine anyone voting for Romney at this point. They guys doesn't stand a chance against Obama. Some people are mindless sheep. What they just vote and walk away don't come back? "Let's see here, well I like his hair so I will vote for Willard; and more taxes for parks, since parks need to be controlled by UN sustainability projects; oh yes, lets vote yes for tough sentences on Crims, even though the state can't afford it; hmm what other dumb thing can I do hmmm,, No taxes for schools,, but more for police... Yes they need more tazers..."

Willard will not win. YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE THE NOMINATION PROCESS IN THE FIRST PLACE... You dumb Americans....

There is no Left vs. Right, only Tyranny vs. Freedom.

[mary-miami]

Romney winning the GOP primaries is no surprise; but that doesn't mean much because the people voting in these primaries are all Conservative. Conservatives have narrow minded, bigoted, racist views. Liberal ideology believes in the equality of all human beings; the right of everyone to have equal opportunity for a better quality of life. Conservatives believe only the very rich have a right to exist and live with dignity, rights and freedom. Romney and the GOP want to crush the middle class and create a two class system of rich and poor, basically establishing slave labor of the working class. GOP wants only the very wealthy to have voting rights. GOP want to gain absolute power so that they can eliminate all political opposition, free speech; they want to censor the press, force religion, erase equal rights, women rights, worker rights, environmental protections; GOP wants to eliminate free public education, Social Security. Romney's GOP agenda is an ideology of fascism and it destroys the middle class and creates an environment of slavery. Workers would be silent, illiterate slaves with no rights or freedom. The only party that defends and respects the working class and equal opportunity for everyone is the Democrats. I will vote to re-elect President Obama.

[KPeters_from_UK]

There is news? Wow, were the recent primaries that tough?

[baileycccc]

He will be sweeping the floors of his mansions after the fall election. Romney is done.

[cubscout09]

In 2008, just over one million Republican voters participated in these three primaries. What was the turnout and what percentage did Romney and Paul win? If Romney didn't earn at least 900,000 votes, I wouldn't exactly call this a victory.

[realtimecoffee]

Same could be said for the Democrat side. Not much enthusiasm for either of the Doublemint Twins. If you want to speak up for change, vote for Gary Johnson, or just waste your vote the regular way and vote R/C.

[cubscout09]

Well, congratulations, Mitt. You broke 1,000,000 votes. It looks like you will take Indiana in November. As for Doublemint Gum, if you can't tell that it is a careful blend of two distinctly different mint flavors...

[tiktin]

Romney means war.

[realtimecoffee]

AKA more of the same.

[kevjustice]

romney says he takes credit for the auto industry revival. that's like the kkk saying they take credit for civil rights legislation-lol!.

[KPeters_from_UK]

Oh DJ,
It was a form of expression, a comparison, a metaphor. Kev wasn't saying that Romney was explicitly a member of the KKK.

[mresendeziii]

So what the propaganda here is implying is that we should give up on trying to get Dr. Paul elected. No thanks, I think we'll just keep on organizing and winning Dr. Paul delegates and continue taking over every states GOP at convention and ensure that Dr. Paul gets the NOMINATION. We will nominate him from the convention floor. We will continue to take over everywhere. Nighty nite status quo. The Ron Paul Revolution is coming to a convention near you. We will continue to use the rules to win delegates and will continue to ignore your propaganda. Just like Romney, the press is bought and payed for by banks. So sorry the free press is gone. All well and good. We the free people are still here and will continue to take the country back. Thank you mr propagandist for your article, it only helps fuel the movement for freedom.

[nearl451]

This is news? Big Deal....no other candidates are running.

[RonPaulWillWin]

The number of delegates listed above are COMPLETELY wrong. Ron Paul has won 8 states AS OF TODAY in regards to delegates. His popularity is growing immensely.

Also, the "bound" delegates for Romney that don't REALLY believe in Romney can ABSTAIN from voting for him in the 1st round. That means they can vote for Ron Paul in the 2nd round.

Ron Paul can DEFINITELY win the Republican race, and I believe he will do so. Do a search for Reality Check to get accurate information.

[realtimecoffee]

Please name the 8 states. Would be great if true. In reality though, I'm voting for Gary Johnson this fall.

[zignon]

Name 8 states. In Nevada and Massachussetts the delegates are still bound (the delegates did not unbind them at the convention). Those states still have to vote for Romney in the first round of voting at the convention. And the Ron Paul chairman has said they would follow the rules of the convention in Tampa but if it gets somehow to the second round then it's game on.

Also on the ronpaulforums.com users actually say Ron Paul only has plurality officially in 2 states. So I am curious where you find the 8 other than a Ron Paul Site. I mean even http://thereal2012delegatecount.com/ states Romney is in the 700's without today's results and there are actually 875 delegates remaining and only 1 caucus state left.

And if you say Washington State I will laugh because there is nothing official out of that state yet as they have not had their convention yet. Sure RP may get it and has won some key areas in delegates there.. But it's not official until the convention and you never know what can happen at conventions..

I am not a Romney supporter but I want to understand your logic..