Romney’s attack tactics anger rivals

Mitt Romney’s campaign steamroller is bearing down on his Republican opponents in Florida’s pivotal primary in a powerful display of money and organisation that has embittered party rivals.

On the eve of Tuesday’s poll, Mr Romney had a double-digit lead in an aggregate of polls compiled by RealClear Politics over Newt Gingrich, who only a week ago held a commanding position in the state. A clear win for Mr Romney would put him in a strong position to wrap up the Republican nomination and challenge Barack Obama in November’s presidential election.

Mr Gingrich condemned a deluge of attacks ads run against him by third-party campaign groups supporting Mr Romney and vowed to stay in the race until the party’s nominating convention in early September.

The ads, largely financed and run by so-called super-Pacs which can support candidates without co-ordinating with their campaigns, have painted Mr Gingrich as corrupt and erratic to the point of being unstable. “Frankly if that stuff [in the ads] was true, I wouldn’t vote for myself,” Mr Gingrich said on Monday.

Mr Gingrich also seized on comments he attributed to George Soros, the billionaire investor, claiming there was no difference between Mr Obama and Mr Romney, but if Mr Gingrich won, it would be a shame. “I am real change,” he said. “I love people power, not money power.”

Super-Pacs have so far spent $44m in the presidential campaigns. More than a third has been to support Mr Romney, mostly by attacking Mr Gingrich.

Although exact campaign spending figures are not yet available, campaign officials said that they were being outspent by the super-Pacs.

Mr Romney has been unapologetic about his scorched-earth tactics in Florida, unleashed after Mr Gingrich’s come-from-behind victory in South Carolina 10 days ago. “Politics ain’t beanbags,” Mr Romney said in a television interview.

Mr Gingrich has won support from former Republican hopefuls Herman Cain and Rick Perry as well as Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential nominee in 2008.

Ms Palin urged her supporters “to rage against the machine” and “vote Newt” in protest at the Republican establishment’s effort to marshal its forces behind Mr Romney and crush the former speaker.

Although there is plenty of time for the party to unite behind Mr Romney against Mr Obama, the lack of enthusiasm from the party’s Tea Party wing could hurt the frontrunner in the general election.

If defeated in Florida, Mr Gingrich could struggle to regain his footing. Over the next three weeks, there are no debates, a setting in which he has thrived, and only a few state caucuses, which require the type of deep campaign organisation he lacks.

Mr Romney’s campaign has been active for months in Florida, rallying many elderly people to vote early.

“I think we have locked in a lot of votes,” Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney spokesman said. In a state with 2m registered Republicans, 534,000 votes have already been cast.

There are 50 delegates up for grabs in Florida – more than Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina combined.