After the latest Republican state-by-state polls in Florida, Mitt Romney is now the candidate to beat on the long path to claiming his party's nomination in the battle for the White House.
The former Massachusetts governor's win was a reversal of fortunes in South Carolina, and has put space between him and rivals Newt Gingrich and the fading Rick Santorum. While opinion polls are often spurious, one from Gallup is worth noting: Gingrich would lose to Barack Obama by 12 percentage points if he were to face the president in the November general election. The same survey showed Romney and Obama tied with 48 per cent support.
There is still a long way to go in this race — Romney still needs 1,057 delegates to secure the nomination. And with Gingrich vowing to consolidate the anti-Romney vote going forward, he hardly has it in the bag. Romney's admission that he pays little in income taxes will hurt him, particularly at a time when ordinary Americans are suffering after three years of economic decline, job losses and home foreclosures.
And as a Mormon, Romney may not appeal to many voters. What the Republican party cannot afford, however, is a drawn-out, divisive and bitter campaign. Romney has a long road before him.
