Super Tuesday gives Romney, Santorum lead
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum gained the most delegates for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, garnering 183 and 64 votes respectively.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also clinched his home state of Georgia, adding to a total of 52 delegates for the night, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has the fewest total delegates of any contender for the nomination, won no delegates.
All four candidates fall short of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination for president, while 1,700 delegates remain.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Romney lead the pack with 320, Santorum followed at 140, Gingrich earned 75 and Paul secured 35.
Romney told a crowd in Boston that his campaign team took the night as a victory.
“We’re counting up the delegates and we’re counting down the days until November,” Romney said. “We’re going to get a huge victory tonight in Massachusetts and take that victory all the way to the White House.”
Romney touted his experience in business and criticized President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, pledging to cut, cap and balance the national budget and create jobs.
“The debts today are too high and the jobs are too few,” Romney said. “We’ve seen enough of the president over the last three years to know we don’t need another five. This president’s run out of ideas, he’s run out of excuses and, in 2012, we’re going to get him out of office.”
Romney said he learned how government should work during his time as governor of Massachusetts.
“I know how government kills jobs and I know how government can create jobs,” Romney said.
Santorum also targeted Obama as he addressed supporters from a high school gymnasium in Steubenville, Ohio. He said he would come from behind to get the GOP nomination.
“We’re going to win a few, we’re going to lose a few,” Santorum said. “We’re going to get at least a few gold medals and a whole bunch of silver medals.”
Santorum stressed the geographic diversity of his majority wins in Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota and Tennessee.
“We have won in the West, the Midwest and the South,” Santorum said. “We’re ready to win across this country.”
He said “the straw that broke the camel’s back” that caused him to run was Obama’s health care legislation, which he said violates the Constitution.
“This is an election about fundamental liberties and the signature piece of legislation, with economic rights created by the government to force you to buy insurance, to buy policies you don’t want and to pay for coverage that violates your faith convictions,” Santorum said.
Gingrich attacked Romney in his stump speech, as he told supporters in the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel that his win of Georgia shows that he had defeated “the national elite, especially in the Republican party.” Though he’s about 150 delegates behind the frontrunner nominee, Gingrich said he should be the GOP nominee because Romney would not be able to out-fundraise Obama.
“I am the one candidate who has the ability to debate Barack Obama decisively,” Gingrich said. “I don’t believe outspending your opponent five to one with negative ads is going to win the presidency.”
Gingrich said Romney’s campaign, which has spent nearly $56 million, ran slanderous advertisements.
“It’s one thing to have lots of money,” Gingrich said. “It’s another thing to lie with lots of money.”
Meanwhile, politically active students on campus are beginning to gear up to work on the 2012 election. The members of USC College Republicans and USC College Democrats plan to help campaign for their respective party’s nominee in the coming months.
College Republicans will begin actively campaigning once the GOP chooses a candidate, said Alex Kludjian, public relations director for College Republicans. The group is currently working to increase its membership.
“The Republican club used to be one of the prominent clubs on campus and we want to re-establish that place [at] school,” Kludjian said. “We’re hoping to help properly inform people and advocate on campus.”
College Democrats Political Director Kaya Masler founded Students for Barack Obama to help channel support for the incumbent president.
“USC is considered the hub for Students for Barack Obama,” Masler said. “USC and UCSB are spearheading the project, making calls to the community and creating awareness on campus.”
Jackie Mansky contributed to this report.