US presidential rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich battled to win last-minute supporters on Saturday in a South Carolina primary that could reshape the Republican nominating contest. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, must win the conservative southern state to secure his front-runner status in the nominating race to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama in November.
Gingrich's recent rise in popularity threatens Romney's momentum. A victory by the former speaker of the House of Representatives could prolong the state-by-state Republican battle and give Obama's re-election campaign a boost as his Republican would-be opponents beat each other up.
"I'm the only guy's who's spent his life in the real world," said Romney, standing on a chair in a crowded restaurant, Tommy's Country Ham House. He referred to Gingrich as a "Washington insider" and acknowledged he might not lock up the nomination this weekend. "We've got a long way to go. So come join us in Florida, in Nevada, Michigan, Colorado. We've got a long way to go." Romney may be helped if the South Carolina conservative vote is splintered among Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and libertarian Congressman Ron Paul.
Gingrich surged again in opinion polls this week after disappointing finishes in the first contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, fending off renewed publicity about his turbulent marital history. He has painted himself as the more conservative candidate whose experience in Washington would make him a stronger leader.
That was convincing to some voters in Charleston. "I'm scared of Mitt Romney because I don't think he's a conservative," said Brandon Tahquette, 29, an assistant manager at a kitchen store. "A vote for Newt was a vote against Obama," said Kim Woods, 53, a photographer, who voted for Gingrich. "He's been in D.C. He's been in the political realm. He can get some things done."
A multimillionaire ex-businessman who runs a sleek campaign, Romney has consistently won the support of a quarter of Republicans nationally with his message on jobs and the economy. But he has failed to capture the hearts of many conservatives. Gingrich is a former history teacher with strong debating skills and a personal life that is dotted with marital infidelity, in contrast to Romney's stable family tableau, punctuated by five sons and 16 grandchildren.
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