Romney's Mich. Win Clouds GOP Race

Party Lacks A Front-Runner Heading Into Saturday's South Carolina Primary

(CBS/AP)  Mitt Romney's win in the Michigan Republican primary on Tuesday over John McCain and Mike Huckabee not only revived the former Massachusetts governor's presidential hopes, but also further complicated a GOP race already lacking a clear front-runner.

Romney himself said it was "very possible" that Republican voters don't know what they want in an appearance on CBS' The Early Show Wednesday, while seeking to downplay any expectations that his win in Michigan could give him a boost headed into Saturday's South Carolina primary.

"I think John McCain is way in the lead there but we'll give him a run for his money, and then comes Florida," Romney said. "I think one of the big surprises is that someone like Mayor Giuliani, who was leading in all these states, either no. 1 or no. 2, really hasn't been able to hold on to that lead in any way. I'd love to be able to pick up some portion of the delegates if I could, and maybe pull off some kind of surprise."

The South Carolina contest is followed on Jan. 29 by a primary in Florida, where former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani hopes to score a win and kick off a strategy based on amassing delegates in big states, especially those among the 21 holding GOP contests on Feb. 5.

Meanwhile, McCain, an Arizona senator, has risen to the lead in national polls while Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, continues to be the favorite of evangelical Christians, one of the Republican Party's most influential voting blocs.

In remarks Tuesday night, McCain sought to portray Romney's triumph in Michigan as nothing more than a win by a "native son" - a terms used to refer to candidates only viable in their home state. Romney was born in Detroit and his father, George Romney, was a three-term governor there and is still remembered fondly.

Romney won 39 percent of the primary vote, followed by McCain at 30 percent and Huckabee at 16 percent. Folling them were Ron Paul with six percent, Fred Thompson with four percent and Rudy Giuliani with three percent.

"Michigan welcomed their native son with their support," McCain told the AP. The Arizona senator congratulated Romney and vowed to "win in South Carolina" on Saturday. (Watch McCain video)

Huckabee, too, already campaigning in the next primary state, said in Lexington, S.C.: "We're going to win South Carolina. We put a flag in the ground here Saturday." He also jabbed at Romney, who has poured at least $20 million of his personal fortune into his bid: "We need to prove that electing a president is not just about how much money a candidate has."

Three GOP candidates now have won in the first four states to vote in the 2008 primary season.

"There has been no Republican primary like this since the dawn of primaries," said CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield. "They are an organized party - they like a frontrunner. This time, good luck finding one."

Of the three GOP candidates competing hard in Michigan, Romney needed a victory the most to right a bid weakened by searing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.

"Momentum has yet to make an appearance for any candidate but his win in Michigan gets the monkey off Romney's back for the moment," writes CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs.(Read Ververs' full analysis)

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Complete Michigan returns

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A muddle from the start, the GOP race has only grown more fluid as the first states voted over the past two weeks.

Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses, McCain prevailed in New Hampshire's primary, and Romney was second to both - but claimed victory in scarcely contested Wyoming. Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator, is camping out in South Carolina looking for his first win. Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, is doing the same in Florida, which votes Jan. 29.

"The more candidates that are in there, the worse it is it seems to me for John McCain, who is now leading in the national polls," said CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer.

Without an established front-runner South Carolina may not serve as a firewall for any of the candidates like it has in the past. In 2000, McCain's momentum came to a halt there and his loss put George W. Bush on a clear trajectory to his party's nomination after a campaign that saw Bush accused to using under-handed tactics to secure victory.

This year, Huckabee has been accused to using push-polls containing disparaging information and charges against his rivals, including Thompson, according to the Associated Press. One country chairman of Thompson's campaign reported receiving a call containing attacks on Thompson's position on abortion and his past job as a lobbyist.

The group behind the calls is promising to make 1 million more of them in advance of the primary despite the Huckabee campaign's calls for them to stop. "We know nothing about that and don't condone it. Anyone who is doing that in an effort to help us needs to stop. This does not reflect the positive spirit of the campaign," a spokesperson told the AP.

"In 2008, the firewall isn't there, at least not for any one candidate," Ververs wrote for CBS's Horserace blog. "There is no front-runner on the ropes for it to save and the field is fragmented like never before. But the ugliness appears to be alive and well."

[katg21]

Huckajesus wants to amend our Constitution so that he can shove Jesus down our throatsPosted by Candide777

That''s not what he said. Why are you dems SO afraid of the word god? Our country was founded on the basic principles of christianity; treat people with respect, the ten commandments, etc., etc.. What is wrong with that? To be a lawful person you have to have morals and respect for others. You give more support for fundamentalist religeous wackos than the good christians of this country. It''s so hateful. Seems to me that you all could use a big dose of religion in your lives.

[candide777]

Do you refer to the Rev. Jesus Jackson or Allah Sharpton this way too?
Posted by cbville72 at 09:27 PM : Jan 15, 2008

Huckajesus wants to amend our Constitution so that he can shove Jesus down our throats. I don''t think Jesus Jackson wants to do that, so I''d vote for Jesus Jackson LONG before I''d let Huckajesus desecrate our sacred Constitution.

[l00ker]

The "media" that we have now is more about entertainment than news. News is something that you don''t know; once you know it, it''s not news. The rest is entertainment, and that''s what we currently have. But, it''s news to the "media" that we are actually paying attention this time around. They''ve got to pay their bills, and are banking on the inattentive, ignorant, gullible, bored and just plain dopes.

[l00ker]

Our excitement that is.

[l00ker]

You''re living a fairy tale if you think that Hillary has anything to do with that.

[l00ker]

The Democrats just don''''t get it, they lost the majority in ''''92 because they didn''''t see it coming, the Republicans lost the majority in ''''06 because they didn''''t see it coming. Does anyone think that the Democrats see a possibility of losing them this November? Because they just don''''t see it coming? Don''''t be so quick to dismiss Rove, and the people who are really listening to him, although I''''m not a fan. And that goes for the Democrats in Congress as well.

[l00ker]

Not only that, Hillary was the only Dem on the ballot in Michigan, and she barely got half the overall Democratic vote. And to add reality to fairy tale, she didn''''t get 77% of the black vote. Not only do Hillary''''s numbers in Michigan ( as in Detroit, as in Motown ) tell their party hacks that she is toast in the general election, but they also tell that she is toast in South Carolina and any other state that has a large black voting population.

[news4all]

I don''t work for Romney, but I sure hope he wins! I have done my homework and know that he is by far the best candidate. The negative labels that have been placed on him are ridiculous. Look up all the candidates on Wikipedia--you''ll see he has what it takes to fix the economy and lead this country back to being respected throughout the world.

[katg21]

The Ron Paul train just keeps on trucking. Sure we''''re not winning any primaries, but we aren''''t really losing them either.Posted by amend11

The problem with Paul is that he comes across as a raving lunatic in the debates. His message is right and good but his delivery is shotty. He has this whiney tone to his voice that is pretty annoying.

[katg21]

I do agree however, that the news media is biased in favor of McCain.Posted by shingles1

Hint, the news media shows favor for the repub candidate who they think Hill or Obama can beat. It''s all a mind game. People need to wake up and do their own research for a change instead of allowing their information to be spoon fed.

[katg21]

I think we republicans are all a little sick of politics already. Romney''s win hasn''t clouded anything. The dems have been complaining about Bush for eight years, since the day he took office and it''s pretty old. If anyone is "clouding" anything, I''d say it''s Bill Clinton. You, conveniently don''t see it on the big three networks, but Clinton can''t keep his big mouth shut. He''s ruining it for Hil. I think it''s all pretty funny and pathetic. That''s okay, the republican party is not as weak as CBS would like you readers to believe. It''s all about results and less discussion, so we''ll just have to see how it all turns out on election day.

[shingles1]

I think news4all must actually WORK for the Romney campaign.

I do agree however, that the news media is biased in favor of McCain. This has nothing to do with any liberalism on the media''s part, but rather because they automatically swoon over centrist bipartisan "mavericks" (they do the same over certain centrist Democrats as well). Plus, McCain has been really good at being accessible and friendly to reporters. And since reporters are generally a pathetically needy bunch of losers he makes them feel special and important.

Thus they return the love.

[hillaryin08]

Wacky Superstitious Religious Nuts are NOT what America needs in it''''s Leadership. I''''d rather have one Highly Educated Athiest with a PHD in a Scientific Discipline, than a Hundred Bible Thumpers of Different Affiliations/Denominations solving our problems.
It''''s time to move forward in Human Evolution, not back to the days of Witch Burnings and Devil Roundups.
Romney is a follower and believer in Magical, Invisible, Friends. Do we really want another
Idiot holding the Nuclear Launch Codes???
What if he awakes some morning and decides Jeebus
has chosen him to bring about the second coming via the Grand Tour???.......no thanks......


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Posted by veteran71 at 10:35 PM : Jan 16, 2008

Adolf Hitler feared religion also. We totally understand your position.

[hillaryin08]

Maybe the article should be GOP Clowns don''''t stand a chance, Who Cares.


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Posted by beecuster at 05:12 AM : Jan 17, 2008

Dont bet your skate board on it lib.

[mediapreachr]

Romney will never be president;he won''t even make the head capo for the church of the mormons(you know that one is chosen for life).
There''s enough time in one year to waste his money(or be separated from his money)-what do you think the advertising co''s are for?
The decision has been made already,but maybe some of you were too busy watching American idol.

[news4all]

Romney was the leader in delegates even before this win and he has said all along he would fight through Super Tuesday. With all the liberal media favoring Huckabee and McCain one has to do their homework to get the truth.
Two other favorite myths of the media is that Mitt is a phony and a flip-flopper. Romney is the real thing. Check him out on Wikipedia. As far as the flip-flop label---He flipped to pro-life, but didn''t flop. He admitted he was mistaken in the past to support the idea that a woman should be able to choose an abortion for reasons other than rape, incest or the health of the mother. He has never changed his mind back. His record as governor proves it.
There is also a lot of jealousy concerning his money. Rudy needs money, McCain married money, Huckabee preaches for money and Romney makes money and helps others do the same. He also gives millions to charity each year (not to mention giving his entire pay as governor and from the Olympics). He is a self-made millionaire that wants to help the country by using his skills and experience to fix our economy and he has what it takes. That scares the Democrats and the power hungry candidates on the Republican side.

[amend11]

Sorry for the accidental over-post. I guess the site is having issues.

[amend11]

The Ron Paul train just keeps on trucking. Sure we''re not winning any primaries, but we aren''t really losing them either. We''ve got plenty of money left and more just keeps rolling in.
What I want to know is, why isn''t this candidate who never had a chance, but just keeps on trucking, being talked about more. The media should be jumping up and down yelling "Ohmigod I can''t believe he''s still going."
If you care about this country, please investigate, and then support, Dr. Paul for president by visiting www.RonPaul2008.com.
Thank you.

[amend11]

Jonathon Livingston Seagull is the greatest book ever.

[amend11]

The Ron Paul train just keeps on trucking. Sure we''re not winning any primaries, but we aren''t really losing them either. We''ve got plenty of money left and more just keeps rolling in.
What I want to know is, why isn''t this candidate who never had a chance, but just keeps on trucking, being talked about more. The media should be jumping up and down yelling "Ohmigod I can''t believe he''s still going."
If you care about this country, please investigate and then support Dr. Paul for president by visiting www.RonPaul2008.com.
Thank you.