Romney Claims Electability Mantle With Florida Win

Mitt Romney snapped back from South Carolina with a Florida primary victory that took advantage of a more NFL Denver Broncos 58 Von Miller Lights Out jersey diverse electorate, re-established his image of electability and economic leadership, and demonstrated his organizational firepower in attracting - and retaining - early-deciding voters.

Far fewer Florida voters made up their minds in the campaign's closing days than in any previous GOP contest this year - and Romney won his largest share of those who did. His final barrage of ads may both have helped limit the number of late-deciding voters, and to stem defections in this group.

Romney had other advantages - much more positive personal appeal than his top competitors'; a sharp gender gap for the first time this year, with far greater support among women; fewer evangelicals, a group with which he's struggled; lots of seniors; and, in another first for the GOP in 2012, a substantial number of minority voters, primarily Hispanics.

Yet, while the result pulled Romney back to his strong New Hampshire showing, there was enough in the results to give Newt Gingrich a continued line of attack. A substantial 41 percent of Florida voters described Romney's positions on the issues as "not conservative enough." Gingrich, indeed, won "very" conservative voters by a broad 43 to 29 percent, won the strongest anti-abortion voters by 13 points and won strong supporters of the Tea Party political movement - more than a third of all Florida primary voters - again by 13 points.

In a more general kvetch (and possible nod to ex-Gov. Jeb Bush), nearly four in 10 voters said they'd like to see someone else run for the nomination. But Romney nonetheless prevailed on enough personal measures to stick it to Gingrich - and to overcome negative-campaigning criticism at the same time. Sixty-five percent of Florida voters said they'd be satisfied with Romney as the Republican nominee - well more than said the same about Gingrich or Rick Santorum, 53 percent apiece. And more, a broad 76 percent, expressed a favorable opinion of Romney overall - compared with 55 percent for Gingrich.

Gingrich also may have MLB Florida Marlins jersey cheap trouble sustaining another argument, the claim he'd have run a closer race without Santorum in the contest. To the contrary, Santorum's voters were more apt to see Romney favorably than Gingrich, 63 percent vs. 49 percent, and equally apt to say they'd be satisfied with either of them as the eventual Republican nominee.