Candidates gear up for Michigan fight and Super Tuesday

With blue-collar Michigan the next stop for each battle bus, candidates have been simultaneously preparing themselves for Super Tuesday which happens a week after they throw-down in Wolverine country.

Expect Santorum to lay down the gauntlet in Michigan, as he tries to identify himself as a fellow blue-collar worker from Pennsylvania, and for Arizona to fall in the Romney column given it's sizable Mormon population. There will be 59 delegates at stake between Arizona and Michigan whilst all states voting on Super Tuesday will allocate their delegates proportionately, meaning it's not necessarily about winning each state but doing as well as you can. Ahhhh, isn't that nice!

Romney rolls through Nevada, Newt fights on

With back-to-back victories to his name, Willard Mitt Romney looks increasingly likely to be the man President Barack Obama will look at across the debate podium. Returns from 16 of 17 counties in the Nevada caucus showed Romney sitting on 42 points and Gingrich on 26, further showing the former House Speaker is dropping off the pace, and fast. Well, given the sheer number of horses Willard has in his stables, you'd expect him to gallop away at some point... #OutOfIdeas

Willard wins Florida, cements candidacy

The Republican presidential nomination race came to Florida as a seemingly two-horse race. Has it now ensured that the race moves on with only one looking in good shape? In a rather one-sided affair, Willard Mitt Romney came away with an approximate 15 point victory over nearest challenger Newt Gingrich. I promise I'll stop constantly referring to him as Willard Mitt... I won't the names are just so silly unique.

Newt upsets odds with S.Carolina win

The former House Speaker threw a spanner in the Willard Mitt Romney electoral machine with a double-digit win over the former CEO of Bain Capital. Returns from 57% of the state showed Gingrich on 40 points, Romney on 27, Iowa surprise Santorum on 18 and evergreen libertarian Ron Paul on 13 points. C'mon GOP faithful, just give Willard his cake already. You know he's not going away...

Perry, Huntsman bow out after disappointing results

One time frontrunner Rick Perry has withdrawn from the race to become the Republican party's presidential nominee. Joining him on the sidelines is Jon Huntsman who entered the race as something resembling the 'thinking man's' candidate with his libertarian leaning outlook. Perry fell off the horse that was going to take him to the finish line, Huntsman never really got into the saddle...

Romney wins New Hampshire, draws first primary blood

A la Vince Vaughn from the Wedding Crashers, it's primary season! With the Iowa caucus earlier this month acting as the curtain raiser to the primary season proper, New Hampshire is the first stop for the tour bus. Pressing the flesh and gaining delegates is the aim of the game here and the next couple of months will make or destroy the candidates. Some are on their last run... aren't they Ron?

"I like being able to fire people!" REMIX

The infamous clip from a Romney speech, where he uttered that oh-so vote-winning sound bite: "I like being able to fire people", has been remixed by, it seems, the Democratic National Committee into a rather humorous 27-second viral video. Check it out home boyz...

Iowans choose their guy

And the people of Iowa have spoken. Their man? Mitt Romney. Wait, I'm sorry, what?! Shock horror! IT'S A TIE!!!

The eve of the Iowa caucus

Last time around our lad Willard (that's Mitt Romney to the uninformed) finished a rather distant second to Mike Huckabee, short by nearly 10%. The 'next-in-line' candidate went on to finish third in the overall nominee race with John 'call me Maverick' McCain taking on Obama and selling his soul down the river in the process. Needs must...

Gov. Nikki Haley endorses Romney

South Carolina Gov. and Tea Party favourite Nikki Haley has endorsed Mitt Romney as the GOP's presidential nomination. The former Mass. Gov. being not a favourite of the Tea Party nor present on the conservative side of the Republican Party's spectrum. Tea Partiers loathe the guy!

Elected as South Carolina Gov. amid a tide of Tea Party support, Nikki Haley has throw her weight behind Mitt Romney's bid for the Presidency. Photo: Albert N. Milliron (Wikimedia Commons)

Romney goes after Obama in first ad

Former Gov. of Mass. and apparent frontrunner in the GOP nomination race, Mitt Romney, released his first TV spot on Monday night. With six weeks until the start of the Iowa caucuses he somewhat surprisingly aired the ad in New Hampshire where many polls show him well ahead of the chasing pack. Why bother going after the people you have to first beat and instead keep your eyes on the prize! Is he really already presuming ‘he da mon?’ 

Mitt Romney is alarmed by the current state of the economy. Photo: Gage Skidmore (Flickr)

DNC retorts Romney and Perry

The Democrats have hit back at accusations, by GOP hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, that President Barack Obama called Americans "lazy". In the web ad they show headlines from outlets, including Time magazine and ABC News, that describe the accusation as being erroneous. Rick Perry - another gaffe. Mitt Romney - another manipulation. Catchy?

I know it's a bit late but this is friggin' awesome! Photo: waywuwei (Flickr)

Gingrich surging up the polls

Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, has suddenly found himself rising up the polls chasing current poll toppers; Herman Cain and Mitt Romney. A Quinnipiac poll has shown the former Georgia representative to be placing third in three battleground states; Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And now the hype cycle has found its next stop; I'll give it five weeks at most.

("Sign my shirt please!") The bloke might as well be Matt Stafford. Credit: IowaPolitics.com (Flickr) 

"Scared Mittless"

The Huntsman campaign has released a web spot detailing how presumed front-runner Mitt Romney has been avoiding the press. The 90 second video also lists numerous newspaper headlines describing Mitt's penchant to brush aside questions from both the press and voters. Tip of the cap to Politico for the headline, "Mitt Romney's Mittness Protection Program." 

Romney with a sticker adorned supporter. Photo: alicegop (Flickr)

Paul ads bombard early voting states

Evergreen Republican libertarian Ron Paul has been airing two spots in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The Representative from Texas is targeting these first-in-the-nation states with this multimillion-dollar ad buy as he tries to put himself at the top of the field. This is his last hurrah. Spend like you mean it!

Ron Paul addresses a crowd in Houston, Texas. Photo credit: everett taasevigen 

Is Mormonism a problem?

In the Republican presidential primaries there are two candidates of Mormon faith. Towards the front of the pack is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and languishing at the back, according to most polls, is former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. Religious brothers in arms! They also both contend that they have a better business record than the other. Oooohh! Claws…

A Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit to Tim Pearce, Los Gatos via Flickr on a CC license.

Romney and Perry exchange blows

GOP nominee hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry have locked horns once again with both releasing attack ads during the lead-up to the Nevada primary debate. These debates are really not what they are cracked up to be. (#letdown)

Camera phone image of Perry and Romney debating. (I know, we is well hi-tech innit!) Image is courtesy of Maassive via Flickr under a Creative Commons license. 

Charlie Christie to Enter the Fray?

Is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about to jump into the pool for the Republican nomination? Well if he did he'd certainly cause a big splash... or tsunami? Hype surrounding the possibility of Christie throwing his hat into the ring is rising from the GOP grassroots like Yellowstone geysers.

Pawlenty: vote for Romney

With Tim Pawlenty now withdrawn from the race and endorsing Romeny the former Minnesota Governor wrote a column for Politico.com explaining why we should vote for Mitt. Through gritted teeth perhaps…

T-Paw now roaring for Romney. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr under a CC license.

Fallen Pawlenty Backs Romney to Win

The first big-name casualty of the Republican process endorsed one-time rival and once object of personal derision, Mitt Romney, as the man to lead the GOP in the general election against incumbent President Barack Obama. First he was taking swings at you, now he’s giving you a hug… That’s true friendship right there.

Support for T-Paw at the Ames Iowa Straw Poll. Photo by Gage Skidmore.