Posted on 03/06/2012 9:47:21 AM PST by SmithL
NASHVILLE - Late polling showed Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in a very close race for Tennessee votes in today's "Super Tuesday" Republican presidential primary, with Newt Gingrich running not far behind.
Tennessee, one of 10 states holding GOP primaries or caucuses today, appeared perhaps second only to Ohio in national attention because of the tight three-way race.
Real Clear Politics averaged three polls taken in Tennessee over the weekend and reported Monday they collectively show Santorum at 32.3 percent, Romney at 29.7 percent, Gingrich at 24.7 percent and Ron Paul at 9.3 percent. Polling in early February had shown Santorum with a much more substantial lead.
But that was before a late onslaught of Romney-oriented advertising, most of it devoted to attacking Santorum. Restore Our Future, a pro-Romney "Super PAC," led the way with about $1.6 million in ads, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The Romney campaign itself bought no television time in Tennessee.
In contrast, the Associated Press reported that Romney's campaign spent $1 million on TV in Ohio with Restore Our Future spending $1.5 million.
A Super PAC supporting Santorum spent about $500,000 in Ohio. Gingrich did not focus on Ohio, concentrating on his home state of Georgia — where polls show him leading — along with Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Santorum paid for only about $100,000 in Tennessee advertising and Gingrich's campaign about $80,000. Winning Our Future, a Super PAC backing Gingrich, has spent about $470,000, according to FEC reports.
More than 200,000 Tennesseans have already voted early, according to the state Division of Elections, a 37 percent drop from early voting in the state's 2008 presidential preference primary. In that year, both Republicans and Democrats had hotly contested primaries — Mike Huckabee winning the GOP majority in Tennessee and Hillary Clinton defeating Barack Obama...
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
At least she’s a warm fuzzy Santorum supporter. Others accuse Newt supporters of hating Rick or being paid by the Romney campaign. Real high minded intellectual type stuff. /s
I’m warm and squishy for my country.
Newt has the goods and will stand and deliver.
Not being for Santorum is a perfectly rational, real calculation.
It’s troubling to be accused of some of these things, because of it.
I’m with you.
This was my first experience with touch screens. I am not a fan. I had to scroll through several screens to see all the delegates. The final review screen did tell me how many delegates I voted for. I assume that it would not complete the voting process if you tried to select too many.
I'm prime ripe for a courageous man, like Rick Santorum who loves and honors his wife and family!
I'm prime ripe for a man who will be not only a great leader, but a moral example.
In case you haven't noticed....Rick Santorum is brilliant!
That man in interview after interview is hearing & quickly assessing question after question and can give an articulate, passionate answer.
How blessed he is to have such a loving family supporting him ...a wife who appreciates him....and how blessed this nation will be, if Lord Willing.....he becomes President!
C’mon NEWT!!! C’mon Tennessee!!!
Fox is infuriating me. THEY are the ones giving Romney his momentum and have from the beginning. Ohio exit polling says the deciding factor was “who can beat Obama.”.
At best, all Saintorum is going to do is give us Romney, thus 4 more years of Obama. He might be a nice church going guy, but presidential material he is not.
** President Newt Gingrich-”Our beloved republic deserves nothing less.”
“THEY are the ones giving Romney his momentum and have from the beginning.”
Yes, they have been disgusting. I can’t stand CNN, but I no longer watch Fox except on rare occasions.
“I give to the Catholic church every week, but I don’t take it off my taxes.”
Why not? Just because you have other reasons for doing that, doesnt mean you should overpay the IRS.
You should take the deduction, you earned it.
The Romney’s gave something like $10 million to charity last year. That should shut up anyone who is saying they didnt pay enough in taxes.
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