The latest polls put Romney back on top by about a dozen over Gingrich. Will Mitt take it, or will Newt have the eye of the tiger? Oops, I mean, will he have what it takes to win (I knew Survivor would eventually find a way to get back in the news).

Gingrich had been up in Florida for a short time by nearly double digits, but that disappeared so quickly the lead was either never actually there or Romney’s not really as far ahead as they’re now saying he is. It probably won’t be a runaway for Romney, though he seems to have gotten out to a lead among the early voters. And let’s not forget about Santorum. There’s always a chance for a surprise due to some last-minute disenchantment with the top two.

Meghan McCain writes that Newt should like totally quit the race after the Florida primary. I’m serious you guys!

Make your own predictions and place your bets! I’ll update tonight as the results come in (and I may be blogging at Michelle’s place as well… not sure yet).

Final question: How will Romney perform in the “cracker counties”?

Update: The Florida primary has been called for Romney. I’m writing a little about it at Michelle’s site.

So what word or words in the English language should the GOP candidates never utter this year in order to avoid being accused of being either overt or covert racists? Pretty much any of them:

Race is always a trigger in politics, but now a third of the nation are people of color — and their numbers are growing. With those minorities solidly in the Democratic camp and behind the first black president, the scene is set for a bonanza of racial politics.

The language of GOP racial politics is heavy on euphemisms that allow the speaker to deny any responsibility for the racial content of his message. The code words in this game are “entitlement society” — as used by Mitt Romney — and “poor work ethic” and “food stamp president” — as used by Newt Gingrich. References to a lack of respect for the “Founding Fathers” and the “Constitution” also make certain ears perk up by demonizing anyone supposedly threatening core “old-fashioned American values.”

The funniest thing about this is that Juan Williams was fired from NPR for basically not being liberal enough.

Anyway, Williams has a point. Read the following quote from one of the candidates and you might agree that it just drips of racism of because of those code words at the end:

“These days, a lot of folks who are doing the right thing aren’t rewarded, and a lot of folks who aren’t doing the right thing are rewarded,” he said. “And that’s going to express itself politically in 2012 and beyond until people feel like once again we’re getting back to some old-fashioned American values.”

Calm down, Juan — actually, Barack Obama said those things, but of course that’s fine.

It should be a fun election year watching a Republican try to win the presidency with half the dictionary tied behind his back.

Ouch. I wonder how loud the crickets would have been if they’d have shown a picture of Ed Schultz.

(h/t Breitbart.tv)

I liked this exchange because it was cordial yet pointed. Click the pic to see watch the video at The Right Scoop:

My view on on the primary season is that it’s sort of like boot camp, with the candidates being the recruits and the voters as the drill instructors. Part of the DI’s job is to weed out those who either can’t cut it or won’t be able to withstand the assault when the actual sh*t comes down. Primary season not as much a time for “hey, great job” as it is for kicks in the pants for purposes of course correction. This is training for political battle, not a Miss America contest (well, okay, sometimes it is). Hannity believes we must be supportive because one of these guys has to defeat Obama. I think voters need to be tough and thoroughly vet them… for exactly the same reason. Simply not being Barack Obama won’t be enough to win in November.

Then again, I’m speaking as somebody who isn’t completely sold on any of the final four yet. Your mileage may vary.

Via Drudge:

Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband’s career with a single interview.

Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

She spoke to ABCNEWS reporter Brian Ross for two hours, and her explosive revelations are set to rock the trail.
[...]
ABCNEWS suits determined it would be “unethical” to run the Marianne Gingrich interview so close to the South Carolina Primary, a curious decision, one insider argued, since the network has aggressively been reporting on other candidates.

A decision was tentatively made to air the interview next Monday, after all votes have been counted.

Gingrich canceled a press conference on Wednesday to deal with the matter.

“He believes that what he says in public and how he lives don’t have to be connected,” Marianne Gingrich, Newt’s wife of 18 years, explained to ESQUIRE last year.

Forget about next Monday — as of right now the Marianne Gingrich interview is set to air on ABC’s Nightline, after the GOP debate on CNN Thursday night. I’ve heard it might air Friday as well. Either way it’ll almost certainly be broadcast before the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

This could be ugly. You know the old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman you left for another woman you’re trying to make the First Lady of the United States.

Meanwhile, Gingrich’s daughters issued a statement to ABC News.

Update: Naturally some of this is being teased before the actual interview airs:

WASHINGTON — As the political world waits to hear what Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife had to say about their failed marriage in an interview that will air later today, the reporter who conducted that interview, ABC Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross, told WMAL’s Morning Majority program that Marianne Gingrich claims her ex-husband wanted an ‘open marriage.’

“He came to her and said, ‘I want to stay married to you and still have an affair with Calista, his current wife,” said Ross. “According to Marianne, he said ‘You need to share me,’ and she said ‘I don’t want to share,’ and the marriage ended,” he added.

I’m listening to Laura Ingraham and she reminded everybody that Marianne Gingrich was seeing Newt while he was married to his first wife, so none of the involved parties are exactly “pure as the wind driven snow” as they say. I don’t know yet if ABC’s Brian Ross brought this up in the interview though.