Mitt Romney favored for Nevada caucus win; Newt Gingrich looks ahead to Super Tuesday

View Photo Gallery — Mitt Romney appears poised to win in Nevada on Saturday following a decisive victory in the Florida Republican primary.

By Philip Rucker, Amy Gardner and and David Fahrenthold

LAS VEGAS — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney appears likely to become the first candidate to win consecutive nominating contests in the turbulent 2012 GOP presidential contest, with a double-digit lead in Nevada two days before that state’s caucuses.
A new poll by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Romney has the support of 45 percent of Republicans planning to participate in Saturday’s caucuses. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich comes in second, with

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GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney tried to clarify a comment he made about not being concerned about the "very poor." (Feb. 2)

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Pre-game analysis: The GOP presidential field heads to Nevada for its “first in the west” caucuses on Feb. 4.

After his strong victory in Tuesday’s Florida primary, a win in Nevada would solidify Romney’s front-runner status, demonstrating both his geographic range and the depth of his organization nationwide.
Both Romney and Gingrich plan a day of campaigning in Nevada. Romney was in Las Vegas before flying to Reno for another public event.
But Gingrich had a light campaign schedule, and his spokesman, R.C. Hammond, said that’s because Gingrich is focused less on winning the Nevada caucuses this week than on raising money to compete in the weeks and months ahead.
“There’s a reason we’re out in the west,” Hammond said. “Sure, we’re going to make a run for the caucuses. But don’t kid yourself. This trip is about raising money for Super Tuesday.”
Gingrich began the day with an address to a crowd of a few hundred at a heavy manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Las Vegas. He was scheduled to participate in a Hispanic roundtable discussion after that. For the rest of the day, however, Gingrich had no public events scheduled. Hammond said Gingrich would spend the rest of the day raising money. “Phones, baby, phones,” Hammond said.
In addition to blocking the afternoon for fundraising calls, Gingrich was scheduled to appear at a fundraising event Thursday evening at Mundo, a restaurant owned by George Harris, a former associate of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Adelson and his family members have given a pro-Gingrich super PAC $11 million so far, with speculation simmering that more is on the way. Hammond said he did not know if Adelson was scheduled to attend the fundraiser at Harris’s restaurant.
Hammond also announced that Gingrich would petition the Florida Republican Party to allocate its national convention delegates proportionally rather than on a winner-take-all basis. Romney won the Florida primary with 46 percent of the vote to Gingrich’s 32 percent.
The Florida state party chairman, Lenny Curry, gave no indication that a change of plans was likely. Curry said in a statement that the Florida GOP executive committee’s decision to award delegates on a winner-take-all basis was made unanimously back in September, and that the time to protest that decision has past.
Romney was endorsed by business mogul Donald Trump Thursday afternoon at Trump International, the businessman’s five-star hotel.
“I think if he debates the way he’s been debating, I think he’ll beat Obama handily,” Trump said of Romney in a brief gaggle with reporters in the lobby of the hotel.
Asked if he would rule out an independent bid of his own, Trump said he would if Romney wins the nomination. “If he wins and gets the nomination, yes,” Trump said. “Absolutely, of course.”