memeorandum: Exit polls: Conservatives choose Romney over McCain (CNN)

2:00 AM ET, January 30, 2008

Top Items:

Krooney / The Page:

THE “STOP ROMNEY” COALITION — Giuliani to endorse McCain Wednesday in California. — Now that the Sunshine has set, two old friends come to an understanding. — McCain topper Rick Davis quietly negotiated the agreement. — Giuliani, in Florida concession speech …

You Decide 08!:

MCCAIN TRIUMPHS IN HARD-FOUGHT FLORIDA PRIMARY — John McCain pulled out a win in a squeaker of a Republican presidential primary contest in Florida Tuesday, besting archrival Mitt Romney and leaving strong indications that Rudy Giuliani is preparing to abandon his race and back McCain.

Discussion: CNN, MSNBC, The Fix, Associated Press, Reason Magazine, Public Secrets, Balloon Juice, Marc Ambinder, Stop The ACLU, Pajamas Media, Jules Crittenden, GINA COBB and MiamiHerald.com

New York Times:

For Giuliani, a Dizzying Free-Fall — Perhaps he was living an illusion all along. — Rudolph W. Giuliani's campaign for the Republican nomination for president took impressive wing last year, as the former mayor wove the pain experienced by his city on Sept. 11, 2001, and his leadership that followed into national celebrity.

Discussion: Political Radar, Attytood, LiberalOasis, The Anonymous Liberal, American Power and Roger Ailes

John Podhoretz / Commentary:

Ridiculous Early Analysis — If the Florida results remain as close as the exit polls make it appear, nothing is going to be resolved tonight on the Republican side with the frontrunners. If John McCain wins it by a point or two, he gets all the delegates and the headlines that he is the winner …

Discussion: Weekly Standard

John Hood / The Corner:

The Huck Factor — Looking at the exits, it seems clear to me that if John McCain edges Mitt Romney tonight, it will be because of the effect of Mike Huckabee splitting the base conservative vote with Romney. You can see it on the abortion questions, the church-going questions, and others.

Discussion: HorseRaceBlog and The XX Factor

Sara Just / Political Radar:

Giuliani to Drop Out, Endorse McCain — ABC News' Jake Tapper and Rick Klein Report: Rudy Giuliani will board a plane to California on Wednesday morning, as planned. But, sources tell ABC News, once there, instead of participating in the GOP debate, he will drop out of the presidential race and endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Outside The Beltway and Gateway Pundit

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Results: Floridamania! …

Discussion: Political Radar, michellemalkin.com, TIME, Cameron's Corner, Think Progress, The Jawa Report, The Sundries Shack, Daimnation! and Right Voices

New Hampshire Union Leader:

Hillary's word: It's worth nothing — COURTING VOTERS in Iowa and New Hampshire, last August Sen. Hillary Clinton signed a pledge not to “campaign or participate” in the Michigan or Florida Democratic primaries. She participated in both primaries and is campaigning in Florida.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, Captain's Quarters, Hot Air, Gateway Pundit, QandO, Comments from Left Field, Marc Ambinder, The American Mind, Political Machine, The Opinionator, The Field, Blue Crab Boulevard, Punditry and UrbanGrounds

HillaryClinton.com:
MEMO: A Significant Victory in Florida

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, The Fix, Donklephant, Taylor Marsh and TalkLeft

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:
Florida Primary Results: First Live Thread

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Frank James / The Swamp:
Clinton ‘wins’ Florida Democratic primary

Discussion: New York Times and The Democratic Daily

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
Did Obama Hand the Clintons a Talking Point?

Discussion: Democratic Strategist

The Campaign Spot:

First (?) Wave of Florida Exits, Revealed — The first wave of exit poll numbers, including absentees: McCain 34.3 percent, Romney 32.6 percent, Giuliani 15.3 percent, Huckabee 12 percent. — UPDATE: Interestingly a second source — yes, guardians of the exit poll data …

Discussion: The Trail, The Page, You Decide 08!, Hot Air, Wonkette, Taylor Marsh, Gateway Pundit, Stop The ACLU, Riehl World View, The Strata-Sphere, TownHall Blog, My Two Sense, Commentary, Hotline On Call and Balloon Juice

CNN:
Exit polls: Conservatives choose Romney over McCain

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, The Swamp, Captain's Quarters, You Decide 08!, DownWithTyranny! and RADAMISTO

Associated Press:
Romney vows to carry on campaign

Discussion: AMERICAblog

New York Times:
McCain Defeats Romney in Florida Vote

Discussion: Washington Post

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
McCain Accused Of Gay Baiting In Anti-Romney Attack

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Marc Ambinder and Riehl World View

The Corner:

It's All Over — Assuming there is no shocking revelation or health issue, the GOP nomination is over. Conservatives need to start practicing the phrase “Nominee presumptive John McCa....." — Sorry, I can't say it. Not yet. — But it's true. When the campaign comes here to Massachusetts …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, michellemalkin.com, The Daily Dish, NW Republican, Matthew Yglesias, Commentary, No More Mister Nice Blog, Viking Pundit and Babalu Blog

Andrew Miga / Associated Press:

Lieberman Rules Out Running With McCain — WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who nearly won the vice presidency as a Democrat in 2000, says there's no way he'll be Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate should McCain become the party's presidential nominee.

Discussion: Truthdig, Outside The Beltway and Say Anything

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

ALL THE SPOUSES DO IT — Her apology was hedged and conditioned, but Hillary seemed to go out of her way tonight in an interview on CNN to try to address the damage done by her South Carolina campaign:

Discussion: The New Republic and Ben Smith's Blogs

Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:

Fox News is in for a very rough 2008 — My guess is that Fox News guru Roger Ailes has been reaching for the Tums more often than usual early in the New Year, and there are lots of reasons for the hovering angst. — Let's take an extended multiple choice quiz.

Robert Perez / Orlando Sentinel:

Area voters in Florida Primary are reporting problems at polls — One voter was told by poll workers there was no Democratic primary today — On Florida Primary day, voters are reporting problems across Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Hunter's Creek.

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, TalkLeft, The BRAD BLOG, Norwegianity, D-Day, Wonkette and American Street

Amanda / Think Progress:

Bush Issues Signing Statement On Defense Act, Waiving Ban On Permanent Bases In Iraq — President Bush yesterday signed the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act after initially rejecting Congress's first version because it would have allegedly opened the Iraqi government to “expensive lawsuits.”