Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney emerged from the Nevada caucus on Saturday with a very safe win not just in delegates, but in every demographic category of Republican voter. Each candidate addressed the Nevada results on Sunday either before a campaign crowd or on national television.
Here's a look at how each of the candidates responded to Saturday's results:
* Mitt Romney. In a victory speech to Nevada voters, Romney took aim at President Barack Obama's record on unemployment. His victory was a foregone conclusion, so Romney used the chance to speak like the eventually nominee: not speaking against his primary opponents, but rather against the sitting president. In anticipation of the Colorado caucus on Tuesday, Romney's campaign website has a video to help people understand how to turn out to vote for him.
* Newt Gingrich. The former House Speaker said he was looking forward to remaining competitive until Super Tuesday, when his native Georgia would surge him in delegate count. Gingrich was on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning where he said that Romney had won Nevada four years ago and "He won it this time," Associated Press reported. Gingrich may be dismissive of his loss now, but his campaign web site describes a Nevada victory as "a tipping point for contenders…and victory is vital." Gingrich plans to campaign in Minnesota and Colorado, but will skip Missouri as his name does not appear on the ballot there next week.
* Ron Paul. After working the state for four years, Paul made one last campaign stop in rural Nye County, a Ron Paul stronghold of support and the only county he managed to win on Saturday. It is home to legal brothels, one of which was an outright support of his campaign, National Journal reported. His campaign has focused on winning caucus states, although he has yet to accomplish anything better than third place in the two states thus far. He told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he didn't know when or where he would achieve his first victory, but felt numbers in three or four states "looked pretty good."
* Rick Santorum - The former Pennsylvania senator campaigned in Minnesota on Sunday and said he was confident of doing well there and "Missouri on Tuesday and I think we're also going to do well in Colorado." Associated Press reported he is looking for a good result from Colorado, where Christian evangelicals have a stronghold. His last victory was the Iowa caucus -- news that arrived just one day before the South Carolina primary was held. He placed a distant fourth in the Nevada caucus.
Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.
