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Politics

Where the Republicans go from here

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 20, 2008

With South Carolina behind them, the GOP candidates head into two big Tuesdays. The first is Jan. 29, Florida's primary, and the second is Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, when 22 states vote.

Sen. John McCain

A very big win, buoyed again by independents. His challenge now is to generate this much support among Republicans. The next primary, Florida, will be GOP-only.

Mike Huckabee

With so many evangelicals to tap, this was his chance to prove Iowa wasn't a fluke. Polls show him in the hunt in Florida, but without momentum the insurgent luster may start fading.

Fred Thompson

If your Southern conservative gentleman thing doesn't work in South Carolina, it doesn't work. (Note to readers: Check tampabay.com to see if Thompson dropped out over night.)

Mitt Romney

He was in Florida before the polls had closed in South Carolina. Now we know Southern evangelicals won't warm to a Mormon. But he won Nevada and he's collecting delegates at every stop.

Ron Paul

He took second in Nevada, but it was a very distant second to Romney. Paul still hasn't broken out of the cellar on election night.

Rudy Giuliani

Another election, another pounding. The mixed results of the early states played into his strategy of ignoring everything before Florida, but 0-6 is still 0-6.

[Last modified January 20, 2008, 01:12:28]