Republicans in Nevada are early-risers -- their caucuses opened today at 9 a.m. there, noon Eastern -- and the Associated Press is already calling Mitt Romney the winner, based on entrance polls. Final results aren't yet available.
From AP:
Republican Mitt Romney won Nevada’s caucuses Saturday while John
McCain and Mike Huckabee dueled in the South Carolina primary, a
campaign doubleheader likely to winnow the crowded field of
presidential rivals.
Democrats shared the stage in Nevada, where Hillary Rodham
Clinton and Barack Obama vied for a caucus victory and the campaign
momentum that goes with it. . .
Caucus-goers in Nevada said the economy and illegal immigration
were their top concerns, according to preliminary results from
surveys of voters entering their caucuses. Romney, the former
Massachusetts governor, was leader among voters who cited both
issues.
Mormons comprised about 20 percent of all caucus-goers, another
advantage for Romney, who is trying to become the first member of
the faith to win the White House.
Romney's campaign can use all the help it can get after losing Iowa and New Hampshire, and he'll undoubtedly try to claim "Big Mo" -- momentum -- after pairing today's results with his Michigan win Tuesday.
But Romney was about the only Republican to campaign in Nevada, and the real prize today for Republicans is in South Carolina, where polls show McCain with a slight edge. Polls in South Carolina close at 7 p.m.
Democrats don't caucus in Nevada until 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Craig Gordon
Comments (1)
It also helps that next to Utah & Idaho that there is a very large Mormon population in NE Nevada.
This is an easy one for Romney. VP position at this point maybe even better as economics will be a major theme of this upcoming election.
Romney's Executive Businessman skills could play.
Jim Kelly - NY Conservative Campaigns