text:
"You shouldn't stay overnight," said the waitress at El Paso's Camino Real Hotel in January 2009, referring to her hometown of Ciudad Juarez. "Don't you know what is happening there?" She was a petite woman with pale skin and black hair. Her brown eyes projected concern, fear, and surprise when I questioned her about the local hotels on el otro lado, the other side. Starting in November 2008, after two men were murdered at dusk about 50 feet from her front door, she would only commute to work from Juarez in a car and during daylight. Her supervisor had juggled her work schedule so she could stay safe.
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Today [4]
David Danelo, a former Marine Corps officer, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He is working on a book about combat in Iraq.
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text:
Gingrich charges to Florida as Romney reels
The Republican presidential nomination race is moving to Florida, where a brutal two-man contest is predicted after Newt Gingrich's stunning upset in the South Carolina primary.
Mr Gingrich's resounding victory in South Carolina on Sunday turned the topsy-turvy race on its head, and his political resurrection ensures a dramatic 2012 battle to be the Republican standard-bearer against president Barack Obama on November 6.
The former House speaker's shock win shattered the aura of invincibility cloaking former Massachusetts governor Mr Romney and turned Florida's January 31 primary into a pivotal contest that could either confirm Mr Gingrich's momentum or restore Mr Romney as the frontrunner.
In response, Mr Romney has vowed to release his tax returns, seeking to dispel doubts over what he might be hiding ahead of the all-important Florida vote.
The former Massachusets governor holds an early lead in the polls in Florida and needs to win in America's sunshine state after his big loss in more conservative South Carolina.
Palm Beach County Republican Party chairman Sid Dinerstein said Florida was now the "make-or-break state" in the contest.
"There is a very good chance therefore that after Florida the race is practically over," he said.
"It was not a great week for me," a stung Mr Romney conceded to Fox News Sunday after watching his substantial lead in South Carolina evaporate in a matter of days - Mr Gingrich eventually won by a 12.5 percentage point margin.
The campaign rhetoric grew increasingly bitter as multimillionaire investor Mr Romney and the pugnacious former House speaker locked horns.
There was "no question" he would go after his rival's character more strongly than he has, Mr Romney said, implying he would call out Mr Gingrich on his past ethics charges and his admitted marital affairs.
"Character is a big part of leadership, as is vision, sobriety, steadiness," he said.
"These are attributes which I think people want to see in their candidate."
Taking on Obama
Mr Gingrich, who appeared on three separate Sunday morning talk shows in the wake of his victory, focused his attention on savaging Mr Obama, who he portrayed as a dangerously weak radical who had failed America in his first term.
"Beating Barack Obama has to be the number one mission of the Republican Party," Mr Gingrich told NBC's Meet the Press.
"A second term for Barack Obama will be a disaster for this country. I think it's important that we have a candidate strong enough and tough enough to be able to take on President Obama."
Road to the Republican nomination
- January 31: Florida primary
- February 4: Maine and Nevada caucuses
- February 7: Colorado and Minnesota caucuses
Mr Gingrich posed himself as the insurgent street-fighter up against the establishment candidate Mr Romney, and suggested it was best to air their differences and weaknesses now, rather than in the run up to November when Mr Obama will use his "billion-dollar campaign" to cripple his opponent.
Mr Gingrich's win rekindled doubts about whether the relatively moderate Mr Romney can rally the party's conservative core, which views him with suspicion.
The former House speaker was propelled into contention by some stellar debate performances, in particular a vicious counter-attack on the media when probed about an allegation by his ex-wife that he had once requested an open marriage.
But Florida is a far larger and more diverse state than South Carolina, and Mr Romney's vaunted campaign riches and well-oiled machine weapons were expected to give him the edge there.
Tax records
After coming under intense pressure from Mr Gingrich and others, Mr Romney vowed to release his 2010 tax return on Tuesday, seeking to dispel doubts over what he might be hiding ahead of the all-important Florida vote.
But he insisted he would not shy away from his business record, saying he believed Americans - with respect for Congress at an all time low - would respect private-sector success over Mr Gingrich's record as a Washington lifer.
"I don't think that the people of this country are going to choose as the next president of the United States a person who spent 40 years in Washington as a congressman and a lobbyist," Mr Romney told Fox News Sunday.
South Carolina marked Mr Gingrich's first triumph after Christian conservative former senator Rick Santorum squeaked out a victory in Iowa and Romney romped home in New Hampshire, dividing up the electoral spoils and bragging rights.
Mr Santorum and libertarian congressman Ron Paul finished a distant third and fourth respectively in South Carolina, but both vowed to stay in the race.
The four remaining candidates have a first chance to impress Florida voters when they duel it out in an eagerly-awaited televised debate on Monday night (local time) in Tampa.
Topics: world-politics, us-elections, united-states
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Comments (14)
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ABC (Moderator):
23 Jan 2012 10:46:11am
Could Newt Gingrich beat Barack Obama?
23 Jan 2012 11:17:48am
Gingrich's personal flaws aside at least he would have the clout to get things done in Washington. Anything would be better than four more years of political and economic stagnation under Amateur-hour Obama.
23 Jan 2012 11:31:35am
Out in the real world, you'd have say no, but US politics is so divorced from reality that anything is possible.
the yank:
23 Jan 2012 12:36:37pm
I can't see either Gingrich or Romney beating Obama but then it is early days so don't get too excited guys.
Politically Incorrect:
23 Jan 2012 2:00:49pm
Not a chance. Primaries usually favor the more extremist elements, general elections are about moving to the centre, something Gingrich cannot do.
Romney looks like he can move to the centre, he looks like a moderate compared to everyone else.
23 Jan 2012 11:13:53am
I don't think any of the remaining four can beat Obama. If Gingrich becomes the candidate and if he does win, the US will have the "Gingrich that stole Christmas" as president. This guy was dangerous when he was speaker of the house. He reminds me of Barry Goldwater. He's the sort of guy that would nuke Teheran if he woke up with a hangover. He's doing all the things that he accused Clinton of doing before he is even nominated. Open marriages - trophy wives. The world doesn't need a US with Gingrich as president.
23 Jan 2012 11:37:06am
not a chance but regardless of which of these options get in, we are stuck in exactly the same situation.
They are all warmongers and as a consequence the US debt will continue to rise. As a percentage of GDP, they say that if a countries debt level is beyond 90%, then they are in dangerous territory - Not sure on the exact current figure but I beleive that ths US is around 110%. Many other countries are in the same situation and all it takes is a reduction in GDP due to recesssion/depression to push them into deeper trouble.
23 Jan 2012 12:44:30pm
Rising debt in the USA is not as a consequence of the war, but of ever rising public spending (war a tiny contributor).
The solution, during recession or not, is to reduce expenditure to match income.
Of the candidates only Dr Paul is ever likely to do so, and he's unlikely to get the Republican nomination.
The inability to control spending will destroy not only the USA, as it has done to the EU, but all western democracies. A tragic legacy of a misbelief in Keynesian economic theory. The same policies have been adopted by our own Government.
23 Jan 2012 1:40:18pm
Richard, John M Keynes might be followed in Venezuala, but his approach has not been followed in almost any fashion by the US (nor the UK) for over 30 years. No it is the neo-classical freshwater economics of Friedman that has dominated and all but destroyed the most powerful nation on earth. It is the profit centric, anti-competitive monopolies best exemplified by US pharmaceutical and health insurance companies that have put the US careening toward economic oblivion (the US spend $2.2T per annum on health - twice the cost per person of any country and gets worse health outcomes than Cuba - the money is swallowed up in health industry profits). If only the US would return to Keynes and real capitalism (i.e. devoid of artifically created monopolies), it could right the ship and once again become a positive force in the globe. Nevertheless, returning US defence spending to the relatively miniscule Cold War levels would also save $100s of billions of the US fed budget every year. But neither Obama, nor Romney, nor Gingrich are likely to govern in the interests of America or Americans...it ain't them that writes the cheques.
Politically Incorrect:
23 Jan 2012 2:04:24pm
The war has put TRILLIONS on the US Government's credit card bill. Remember the debt was already sky high under Bush.
Richard Johnson:
23 Jan 2012 12:14:26pm
Lets hope not, for the safety of all people!
23 Jan 2012 1:10:48pm
Never underestimate the ability of Americans to vote for the worst possible candidate - look at George W...
23 Jan 2012 1:19:04pm
Ron Paul is the only hope for America.... And for world peace too
23 Jan 2012 1:34:21pm
So Gingrich wins with a majority of 40% of the votes.
Doesn`t that mean that 60% of the other voters dont want him?
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