It's that time again. Another GOP vote is on the cards in the USA and it is generally felt that this one will go Rick Santorum's way. To date Mr Santorum has looked the only one of the GOP final four who could give Mitt Romney a run for his money, and that's a lot of money! The latest pre-vote polls in Louisiana indicate that Rick Santorum will win big style here. 

It would appear that he is leading by double digits over Mitt Romney, at least in Lousiana. This must mean that Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are falling yet even further behind. Surely the time is near when one of those two will decide to call it a day as far as their campaign goes? In most people's minds that time is long overdue. If either or both do who they endorse could prove interesting. 

What in some parts of the US will damage Rick Santorum's GOP nomination campaign may actually prove to be positives in Louisiana. His anti gay, strong religious beliefs, pro-life often sexist views could be appealing to the GOP voters in Louisiana. 

The latest poll predictions have come by way of information gathered by surveys and presumably robocalls. Just how accurate such surveys are is debatable. Whilst some who take part will alwayss treat the poll as a serious matter others may not.
Sadly for Santorum even a good win in Louisiana will not inflate his number of delegates dramatically. According to The Huffington Post,  "Louisiana will send 46 delegates to the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., but will choose only 20 on the basis of Saturday's vote. Louisiana's rules allocate those 20 delegates proportionally to any candidate that receives more than 25 percent of the vote (the remaining 26 delegates will be selected by a subsequent state convention and will remain technically unpledged)." 

There could yet be hope though for Mitt Romney is Louisiana. This State may be in the South, which tends to favour Rick Santorum, but it is not a traditionally hard line evangelical rural State. Either way though it is doubtful that Dr Paul or Newt Gingrich will do well.

_At time of writing Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul may be vying for second place in Nevada but Mitt Romney has proved to be a clear winner. One other dead cert seems to be that Rick Santorum, is lagging behind in last place. Will Nevada be his last contest for 2012? 

The latest results show Mitt Romney with 41% of the vote, Newt Gingrich with 25%, Ron Paul with 22% and Rick Santorum trailing with 13%.Just 5 of the 17 counties have yet to be declared but barring a miragle the first and fourth place look assured.

For the Romney camp this is the third win, the last two consecutive wins. There may still be a long way to go but it looks increasingly likely that Mr Romney will be the GOP choice for 2012.

The GOP nominee televised debates currently airing as an ongoing series in the US are proving to be entertaining. They have been likened to everything from Presidential debates to Circus clowns trying to raise a laugh. Although some of the viewing audience appear to be tiring of the nominees on the treadmill of debate the majority of viewers are enjoying the entertainment. How much impact these debates will have on the choice of candidate in itself is probably also debatable, The way the campaigns seem to be going though it appears that there are still "floating" voters in the US who are there for the candidates to grab.

GOP nominees have been out and about tying to ensure that they receive the maximum votes in the Nevada Caucuses. Front runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have been piling on the pressure as they both fight for supremacy. Voters have had some respite from the televised debates as there is a slight break in the previously intense scheduling. Nevada is voting February 4, 2012, though, and so time is short

Donald Trump has now endorsed Newt Gingrich whilst former senatorial candidate Sharron Angle has endorsed Rick Santorum. Mr Santorum has been unwell and not quite so "out there" as Romney and Gingrich.

As the nominees are scrutinised further will Romney's success continue or is he due for a slide in popularity?

With reports that the Florida GOP campaign has been the most negative ever you have to wonder where the remaining four candidates go from here. Yes, in simple terms they move on to Nevada but what of their campaigns? Will any of the nominees though decide that Florida was the last step on the GOP trail for them?

Well if he is speaking the truth it won't be Newt Gingrich. 

Having received a soar in popularity only a short time ago, he is widely expected to lose out to Mitt Romney in Florida. If the winner was the one spending the most of their ad campaign Romney would win by a mile. According to Politico, "In South Carolina, Romney’s campaign, the super PAC Restore Our Future and another pro-Romney group, Citizens for a Working America, spent a combined $4.6 million on television and radio ads. Gingrich and his super PAC, Winning Our Future, spent $2.2 million. In Florida, the numbers remain almost the same with Pro-Romney forces having spent $15.4 million versus $3.4 million for Gingrich."

Strikes me as a hell of a lot of money wasted. All politicians may do this but in many ways it is obscene. As they play God with our lives and with our finances they show a careless disregard for money and its value. Remember also that for some of them it will in reality be money down the drain if in the end they do not win through. The money shown above is for only a small part of their GOP 2012 campaign. Add to this the cost of the Democratic campaign and you are looking at shameful waste of money and resources.

Whether Gingrich can compete with Romney's wealth or not he is adamant that his campaign will continue far beyond the Florida Primary. To quote Newt speaking yesterday, January 30, 2012,  “Remember, when Callista and I first announced, it was explained to us in June and July by the establishment that we were dead”

All things being equal then he has come a long way. For Gingrich though the GOP race could be an ongoing rollercoaster which he may be determined to ride but unable to weather.

January 31, Florida Primary, USA
Who will rise triumphant?
Will people continue to fall for the latest far fetched election promise?
Will one or maybe more fall by the wayside?

As the GOP race appears to be as much about religious belief as politics perhaps it is fitting to write in such a way. What happened then to the "meek will inherit the earth?" Fat chance of that with the remaining four candidates. If it was a contest on being meek perhaps the leading two would be Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, rather than Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

As it is these two men. Romney and Gingrich, appear to have Florida sewn up. At least one of them does. If pundits have it right it will be Mitt Romney who the people of Florida choose. No race is over though until, as they say, "the fat lady sings". Seems to me that she is still warming up before the main event.

When votes are expected to be foregone conclusions there are often some surprises along the way. After all once you feel that you are home and dry you relax the reins and next thing you know you have been pipped at the post. This could be the time that a flagging Santorum or Paul take over the lead.

As yet it does seem that none of the candidates are taking anything for granted. They have been campaigning and debating hard making any promises necessary.


According to CNN Mitt Romney has continued to use his vast wealth to blast Newt Gingrich whenever possible. There has been no let up in his ad campaign. Romney has used the same tactics he did in Iowa to set back Newt's popularity. After Newt's surge in popularity last week he is falling back in the polls, or so it seems. Job done.

Maybe but surely this is just what could be a cause for concern to Americans, or right now the people of Florida. Romeny's apparently endless wealth which can be used for his own ends. Today Gingrich has admitted that the ads have achieved their purpose. He said however, "We are going to tell the truth. We're going to beat a big lie campaign with a truth campaign. We're going to beat money power with people power. And we are going to go all the way to the convention, and we are going to win in Tampa, and we are going to the nominee, with your help, of the Republican Party." 

Whether this is confidence or bluff is immaterial. It is the stuff that dreams are made off. Believing that you can win is often half way to winning.

With global economies struggling to survive the fact that Newt feels a priority would be a heap of money spent on colonising the Moon is quite  frankly nuts. It may be that he knows during his Presidency the World will crumble to the extent that earth will need to be abandoned. If no, reaching for the Moon when Earth is in trouble makes no sense. Then there is the fact that he appears to believe America could and should own the Moon. What planet does Gingrich live on? He was of course saying what the audience wanted to hear but does he believe his own spin?

It is probably safe to assume though that his grandiose moon plans were simply designed for the Florida State. Jobs here plummeted when the Space program was cut. Promising people here a new, rejuevenated Space program with the associated investment and jobs would be what they wanted to hear. Was it a promise cast in stone? Doubtful.