The South Carolina primary: Gingrich 40%, Romney 28%

The bottom line : Newt has neither business nor executive experience
Added on January 22, 2012 at 11:14 German time
According to exit-poll data, Romney won the moderates in South Carolina. They will be more important in Florida.

Let's repeat some fundamentals: Gingrich will never be and should never become president. You can have as many affairs as you won't, as long as you don't present yourself as a faithful husband. Newt however pushed for the impeachment of President Clinton for having an affair with his intern while at the same time secretly having an affair himself. Newt is unfit for the oval office not only because of his ethics - as Speaker of the House, some 80 ethics charges were filed against him. In 1998, he became the first Speaker of the House to be sanctioned for ethical wrongdoing; he was fined $300,000 by a 396 vs. 38 vote in the House of Representatives. More importantly, Newt Gingrich has neither business nor executive experience. He would be like Obama, a simple legislator becoming president. In Romney's words: “Our party can't be led to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never led a state.”

Added on January 22, 2012 at 05:18 German time
According to CBS exit polls, Newt Gingrich managed to win South Carolina thanks to his strong debate performance in the state, whereas Mitt Romney was hit by attacks on his time with Bain Capital and his reluctance to release his tax returns. Newt is like the Messiah in the White House:

According to CBS, 65% of South Carolina Republican voters said that the recent debates were the most important factor in deciding whom to vote for.

After the South Carolina primary, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney rightly pointed out to the fact that you cannot vote for a candidate (Newt Gingrich) who has neither executive nor business experience: “Our party can't be led to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never led a state.” The same holds true of Barack Obama.

In Florida, moderate Republicans will be more important than in South Carolina, where Christian conservatives and Tea Partiers are stronger.

Mitt Romney will quickly have to publish his tax returns and give more detailed information about his work a Bain Capital.

Article added on January 22, 2012 at 04:37 German time
The results of the 2012 South Carolina primary

With 98.8% of precincts reporting, the results of the GOP South Carolina presidential primary of January 21, 2012 are as follows: Newt Gingrich 40.4% of the vote, Mitt Romney 27.8%, Rick Santorum 17% and Ron Paul 13%.

Just before the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich's former second wife alleged in an ABC News interview that her former husband had asked her for an “open marriage”. Newt Gingrich was quick to deny her accusation. The thrice-married Gingrich has already had to admit marital infidelities in the past. He is not vey credible on the subject. This did however not harm his chances in South Carolina, where Christian conservatives are strong. In other states, women may not be thrilled by the prospect of a President Gingrich.

Newt Gingrich is from neighboring Georgia and well-known in Carolina. This may have helped him in the GOP primary too.

Comedian Stephen Colbert was campaigning in the South Carolina for Herman Cain. Cain has already dropped out of the race, but his name remains on the South Carolina ballots. Colbert has created his owner Super PAC, poking fun at Republicans and highlighting the fact that Super PACs are a shady invention. Stephen Colbert grew up in South Carolina, where non-Republicans can vote in the GOP primary. This gave Colbert fans a chance to play the Cain-game. However, Cain ended up with only 1.1% of the vote with 95% of precincts reporting.

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Florida is next

Ron Paul is not campaigning in Florida, where the next GOP primary will take place, because it is a winner takes all state. It may already become an uneven knockout fight between Romney and Gingrich, with Gingrich having to drop out if he looses, whereas Romney, with his large war chest, will be able to continue anyway.

Since summer 2011, Romney has put important resources into Florida. His campaign has already spent some six million dollars in advertising there. His organization is by far the best organized in Florida. Two televised GOP debates will take place in Florida. The battle continues.

More articles on the GOP race and the U.S. presidential election: Perry endorses Gingrich, Huntsman endorses Romney, Why President Obama has failed, Romney wins in New Hampshire, Romney after Iowa.