Super Tuesday Results

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GEORGIA Barack Obama has won the Democratic primary in Georgia.

WEST VIRGINIA Mike Huckabee has won the Republican caucuses in West Virginia.

Updated at 8:07pm Pacific Time - Delegates gained so far on Super Tuesday (results updated as they are announced):

McCain: 271
Romney: 41
Huckabee: 25
Clinton: 58
Obama: 56

McCain, Romney seek command on Feb. 5

John McCain and Mitt Romney are trying to take command of the long and antagonistic Republican presidential race, and the sheer size of next Tuesday's delegate haul could finally make that possible.

Of the 1,191 national convention delegates needed to secure the nomination, 1,023 are up for grabs in 21 GOP contests — a virtual national primary for the party.

Both McCain and Romney made a beeline to California after McCain won in Florida, reflecting the importance of Super Tuesday's biggest prize. California awards 170 convention delegates, followed by New York, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois and New Jersey.

The chaotic GOP campaign has come full circle. McCain and Romney were front-runners a year ago, then McCain's effort seemed to collapse, and other candidates took their turns at the top of polls. But Rudy Giuliani's gone now, and Mike Huckabee has been running far behind the leaders.

A Vietnam veteran and four-term senator, McCain has history on his side: The GOP typically nominates the next guy in line. A loser in 2000, the Arizona senator fits that bill. He also attracts voters from across the ideological spectrum. His age, 71, and his independent streak could be hurdles.

Romney's personal wealth gives him an advantage; the former Massachusetts governor has dumped $40 million into his campaign. He's also a fresh face pushing an outsider's message of fixing Washington. But he's fighting criticism that he changes position on issues. He would be the country's first Mormon president.

Here's a look at Tuesday's big prizes:

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CALIFORNIA (170 delegates)

McCain runs strongly ahead, and is set to pick up the endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Only registered Republicans can vote in the primary. That could benefit Romney and hurt McCain, who draws his support more widely.

The state party will distribute delegates based on the winner in each congressional district, meaning 53 separate contests each offering three delegates. Thus, the candidates are targeting time and money carefully to the districts they think they have the best chance to win.

McCain could have an advantage in urban areas and California's coastal counties that tend to lean toward the left. The former Vietnam prisoner of war also should find support in the south around military-focused San Diego. Romney may perform well among the more conservative inland counties.

Romney has more campaign organization here, and money. But Giuliani's backing could help McCain overcome that. The former New York mayor has a campaign organization here.

The effect of Schwarzenegger's endorsement is unclear; the celebrity governor has a political network that certainly will be helpful in the campaign but his popularity is not at a high point given state budget turmoil.

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NEW YORK (101 delegates)

With Giuliani bowing out, New York is McCain's to lose — a lot of delegates and winner-take all.

It's also the country's most expensive media market, so it may make sense for Romney to put his resources elsewhere in an effort to cobble together wins in smaller caucus states.

Giuliani's support — and withdrawal — will significantly benefit McCain, who recently overtook the ex-mayor in New York polling.

McCain's national security experience — and resolve to win wars in Iraq and against terrorism — will play well in the state of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He runs strongest in the conservative upstate region around Rochester and Syracuse.

That's the region where most Republican primary votes are concentrated; New York City accounts for only 500,000 of the state's roughly 3 million registered Republicans.

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GEORGIA (72 delegates)

Huckabee leads.

The former Baptist preacher and Southern governor is limping along, short on cash and victories. But he views Georgia as the perfect state for him to make a comeback — or at least cause waves in the race.

He rallied fellow evangelical Christians in Iowa to win and hopes to do so again here. For him, it seems, the race has become less about winning the nomination and more about solidifying himself as a fresh-faced leader.

The state awards delegates by congressional district; thus, Romney — who has the endorsements of three congressmen — may try to pick off districts that could be easiest to win.

McCain won't ignore the state, but it's not a priority.

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MISSOURI (58 delegates)

It's a toss-up between McCain, Romney and Huckabee.

All three plan stops in the state or already have visited in recent weeks; the attention underscores the prize, again winner-take-all.

Huckabee hopes his ties to the religious right give him a boost. Romney has Midwestern ties and the support of Gov. Matt Blunt — and access to Blunt's political organization.

The state, very conservative in Republican primaries, is not a natural fit for McCain. But he may benefit from Huckabee competing in the state. Huckabee and Romney could split the vote on the right, making way for McCain to rack up another win.

It's also possible for McCain to benefit at least a little from Giuliani's support in Missouri, where the former mayor had the backing of longtime Sen. Kit Bond. Yet there is no love lost between Bond, an appropriator, and McCain, the pork buster.

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ILLINOIS (57 delegates)
The state is up for grabs.

McCain has an edge in recent polls, but Romney has some semblance of a campaign to build upon. Romney's Midwestern roots — he was born and raised in Michigan — could help him.

Both plan to spend time in Illinois in the coming days, primarily to raise money in Chicago.

The Chicago suburbs and the city itself may be more amenable to McCain, while the rural, more conservative southern swath of the state could lean toward Romney. Huckabee could peel votes away from him should Christian evangelicals in the south turn out.

Delegates are won congressional district by congressional district.

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NEW JERSEY (52 delegates)

Advantage, McCain.

In many ways, this winner-take-all state is much like neighboring New York. Giuliani held an enormous lead in New Jersey for a year before McCain recently overtook him in polls.

New Jersey is home to huge numbers of moderate Republicans, and that bodes well for McCain, as does its focus on issues like port security and defense.

As in New York, Romney must weigh whether competing here is worth it. Campaigning in New Jersey typically doesn't result in much of a return on a candidate's investment. Philadelphia and New York are the two media markets that cover the state, making TV ads extraordinarily expensive to run. At the same time, it's hard for candidates to break through the cluttered news environment to earn free media exposure.

McCain has the backing of former Gov. Thomas Kean, while Romney has the support of State Sen. Joe Kyrillos, the former chairman of New Jersey's Republican state committee.

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BEST OF THE REST

Of the 15 other states that will vote, three are home states that each candidate is all but certain to win — Arizona for McCain, Massachusetts for Romney and Arkansas for Huckabee.

Utah is essentially a second home for Romney; its large Mormon population is likely to give him a win. He also will look to win in states that hold caucuses — Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota — and one that holds a state convention, West Virginia.

McCain could do well in Western states of Oklahoma and New Mexico, as well as moderate Northeastern states like Connecticut and Delaware. Huckabee will look to a Southern swath of conservative bastions like Tennessee to validate his weakened candidacy.

Montana is a wild card.

Giuliani in trouble as Florida Republicans vote: poll

Republican Rudy Giuliani's White House quest could be in deep trouble as he lags far behind the leaders in a Florida presidential primary he counted on winning, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Tuesday.

Hours before the start of Florida's voting, Arizona Sen. John McCain held a slim 4-point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 35 percent to 31 percent, in what was essentially a two-man race, the poll found.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor, was battling former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for a distant third place finish in Florida. Both registered 13 percent.

The margin of error in the poll was 3.3 percentage points.

Giuliani had staked his campaign on a strong Florida showing after pulling out of other early voting states, but he has drifted down in national and state polls for weeks as the drama of an intensely contested Republican race passed him by.

"The race has become a two-man race, and Giuliani is just not a factor," said pollster John Zogby.

McCain and Romney have dominated the headlines in Florida with a heated battle over who is best prepared to rescue a struggling economy and lead a nation at war, shoving Giuliani and Huckabee aside.

No Republican has been able to grab the front-runner's role in a seesawing Republican race to represent the party in November's presidential election.

McCain and Romney have split the last four nominating contests, as McCain won in South Carolina and New Hampshire and Romney won in Michigan and Nevada. Huckabee earlier won the kick-off contest in Iowa.

A JOLT OF MOMENTUM

The winner in Florida will gain valuable momentum heading into the February 5 "Super Tuesday" voting, when 21 states will have Republican nominating contests in a sprawling coast-to-coast battle.

McCain has made gains since his endorsement on Saturday by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. They have largely come among the core conservative Republican voters who make up about half the sample and half the Florida primary electorate.

Among self-described conservatives, McCain has now opened a 7-point lead to go with the sizable lead he already held among moderates. Romney still leads overwhelmingly among likely voters who describe themselves as very conservative.

"It does appear the Crist endorsement helped McCain considerably among conservatives," Zogby said.

The decline by Giuliani, who led national polls for much of the year until he started a late slide, could be tracked in the survey.

About 64 percent of his supporters said they decided more than a month ago, while 20 percent decided about a month ago, 10 percent decided a week ago and just 6 percent decided in the last few days.

About 5 percent of Florida voters are still undecided about their choice.

Democrats also will hold a Florida primary, but a dispute with the national party over the contest's date cost the state its delegates to the national convention and led presidential contenders to pledge they would not campaign there.

Hillary Clinton, a New York senator who was crushed in South Carolina on Saturday by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, said she would go to Florida to greet supporters after voting ends -- technically honoring the pledge.

The rolling poll of 941 likely Republican voters was taken on Sunday and Monday. In a rolling poll, the most recent day's results are added while the oldest day's results are dropped in order to track changing momentum.

Florida governor endorses McCain

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist endorsed a beaming Sen. John McCain on Saturday night, delivering a boost three days before the state's pivotal primary.

Crist praised McCain as a "true American hero." At a county GOP dinner in St. Petersburg, Crist added, "After thinking about it as much as I have, I don't think anybody would do better than the man who stands next to me, Sen. John McCain."

It was the second high-profile endorsement in as many days for McCain, who is locked in a tight primary race with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Crist stepped to the podium a little more than 24 hours after Sen. Mel Martinez announced he was backing his colleague in the Senate. Officials said Martinez, who campaigned Saturday with McCain, had prodded the governor to follow his lead.

Crist said he would campaign for McCain in the coming days. "I just feel in my heart he's the right man for the job at the right time," he told reporters afterward.

The winner of next week's primary will capture all 57 delegates at stake, a large prize that will set the stage for a virtual nationwide primary on Feb. 5.

Crist's endorsement was sought by all the GOP presidential rivals, including Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

McCain said the nod "means a lot in this race."

"I'm honored and privileged," McCain told reporters. "And I intend to work very closely with him on the issues. We've got to provide home insurance for every person who lives in the path of a hurricane. We are going to have to work together to save the Everglades and other great environmental treasures of this state."

He quipped: "We will continue to compete for both baseball spring training and for tourism."

McCain does not support a national catastrophic insurance fund for Florida and other hurricane-prone states, instead saying he could bring industry and government together to protect homeowners. Crist does support a national fund.

It's unclear what effect the two endorsements will have on McCain's candidacy.

At the very least, the nods of Florida's two top Republican elected officials could serve to validate McCain's candidacy with the GOP establishment and counteract the fears among some that he would not be a loyal Republican while in the Oval Office.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in an e-mail to the Associated Press, said: "I respect the governor's decision but Republican voters will determine who they want among very fine candidates. I look forward to working for our party's nominee in the general election."

Bush has not endorsed a candidate but many of his allies and aides have backed Romney.

Crist, a popular first-term governor, had suggested he would stay out of the multi-candidate GOP primary, and played coy about his preferences for a year. He met with all the serious contenders, and appeared with some at events.

McCain campaigned for Crist during his 2006 campaign for governor, endorsing him before the primary and appearing with him the day before the election, when Crist opted not to appear with President Bush at a Pensacola rally.

Giuliani also campaigned with Crist, and Romney delivered a $1 million check as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

While Crist has met with other Republican candidates in his office, he took an extra step last spring by introducing McCain at a fundraiser held a few blocks from the Capitol. During a debate last fall, when Crist introduced the Republican candidates, he warmly embraced McCain while shaking the hands of his rivals.

Crist has been seen as a moderate Republican. He has championed efforts to curb climate change, and was praised by former President Clinton for his efforts to restore voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences.

He also pushed for a law that requires a paper trail in state elections, a measure that bans the electronic voting machines his predecessor, Gov. Jeb Bush, sought after the 2000 presidential election. That election ended in a hotly contested recount, which President Bush won by 537 votes.

Huckabee Directly Equates Homosexuality With Bestiality

At some point you'd think Mike Huckabee's views would be seen as so controversial that there's no way he could possibly be a contender for the nomination of one of America's two main political parties.

Especially now. In an interview with Beliefnet.com, a religion Web site, Huck has just clarified his view that the Constitution should be amended to be brought in line with God's will -- and he directly equated homosexuality with bestiality.

Huck, in elaborating on his views that the Constitution should be subjected to Biblical standards, had just wrapped up a discussion of the fact that marriage has meant "a man and a woman in a relationship for life." With this context firmly established, this exchange followed:

QUESTIONER: Is it your goal to bring the Constitution into strict conformity with the Bible? Some people would consider that a kind of dangerous undertaking, particularly given the variety of biblical interpretations

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HUCKABEE: Well, I don’t think that’s a radical view to say we’re going to affirm marriage. I think the radical view is to say that we’re going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal. Again, once we change the definition, the door is open to change it again. I think the radical position is to make a change in what’s been historic.

McCain defeats Huckabee in tight race in S.C.

Economy, immigration top voters concerns in key GOP primary

COLUMBIA, S.C. - John McCain narrowly defeated Mike Huckabee in the Republican primary in South Carolina on Saturday.

With returns from 93 precincts counted, McCain won about 33 percent of the vote and Huckabee had about 30 percent. Fred Thompson was in third place with 16 percent, after saying he needed a strong showing to sustain his candidacy. Another Republican, California Rep. Duncan Hunter, dropped out even before the votes were tallied.

McCain won 19 of the state's GOP delegates, and Huckabee won 5.

McCain called his victory evidence that his campaign "can carry right through" Florida into the giant round of caucuses and primaries on Feb. 5. "I know it's not easy," he told The Associated Press, "and we've got a long way to go."

South Carolina was where McCain's presidential prospects died eight years ago, and he savored the victory this time. "It just took us awhile, that's all," he said in the interview. "Eight years is not a long time."

Asked if he was now the front-runner for the GOP nomination, McCain demurred.

"I don't know," he said, "we like to run from behind."

Huckabee told his supporters there was still a long way to go in the race for the presidential nomination.

“This is not an event, it is a process," Hucakbee said, "and the process is far, far from over.”

Interviews with South Carolina voters leaving their polling places indicated that McCain, an Arizona senator, and Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, divided the Republican vote somewhat evenlyh. As was his custom, McCain won the votes of self-described independents.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cruised to victory earlier in the day in the little-contested Nevada caucuses.

No matter the state, the economy was the top issue. Republicans in Nevada and South Carolina cited immigration as their second most-important concern.

South Carolina's primary has gone to the party's eventual nominee every four years since 1980.

That made it a magnet for Thompson, who staked his candidacy on a strong showing, as well as for Romney, McCain and Huckabee.

McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, appealed to a large population of military veterans in South Carolina, and stressed his determination to rein in federal spending as he worked to avenge a bitter defeat in the 2000 primary.