Romney rebounds

Rebounding from his defeat in South Carolina, Mitt Romney won a resounding victory in the Florida GOP primary.

With a sharper message, including a new debate coach, the former Massachusetts governor displayed a willingness to take off the gloves and engage in negative tactics to stifle the momentum former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had gained from the South Carolina primary.

Romney's ad blitz -- his campaign and his super PAC outspent Gingrich three-to-one -- paid dividends as he trounced Gingrich by 14 percentage points and among almost all demographic groups in the primary, which was limited to registered Republicans.

Gingrich, who capitalized on the support of social conservatives in South Carolina, did well only with voters who consider themselves "very conservative" and who are strong supporters of the Tea Party. But his attacks on Romney's career as a venture capitalist and as a "Massachusetts moderate" are merely a foretaste of Democratic assaults if Romney becomes the nominee.

Undaunted, Gingrich pledged to continue the fight -- "46 States to Go" read a sign on the lectern in front of him Tuesday night -- to the GOP convention in Tampa in August. He hopes to persevere until Super Tuesday, March 6, when his home state of Georgia holds it primary. Unlike Florida delegates in most future contests will be awarded proportionately, which means Gingrich can stay competitive. But he is at a disadvantage to Romney's money and better campaign organization and there are no debates, forums in which Gingrich has shined, scheduled until late February.

Romney's convincing win in a big, diverse state more akin to the national electorate than Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which voted earlier, enables him to revive his theme that he is the best candidate to unseat President Obama. Yet a prolonged nomination fight likely undercuts that message.