adminThursday’s debate was the final chance for rivals to reduce front-runner Mitt Romney’s lead in South Carolina.
“I’m appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” Gingrich told CNN’s debate moderator.
Gingrich, a former speaker of the US House of Representatives, is rising in the polls in the run-up to today’s primary vote in South Carolina in which he is campaigning as the conservative alternative to Romney. The former congressman has made the media’s coverage a frequent target during the 2012 campaign.
Gingrich came under attack frequently in the debate of almost two hours and deftly defended himself with the kind of strong debate performance that has buoyed his up-and-down campaign all year.
However, the fact that character issues were aired publicly, as well as sharp questions about his 1990s tenure as House speaker, could damage Gingrich’s hopes.
In a move designed to embarrass Romney, Gingrich released his most recent tax returns, a reminder that the multi-millionaire Romney still had not produced his own. Romney pledged to do so in April. “I’m not going to apologise for being successful,” Romney said.
Romney will take a big step towards claiming the Republican nomination if he wins today after his New Hampshire win on 10 January and his near-victory in Iowa on 3 January.
Romney’s rivals had him in their sights to try to deny him victory, expressing doubts about his conservative convictions.
The CNN-sponsored debate got off to an unpredictable start when John King, the moderator, asked Gingrich to respond to charges put forth by his ex-wife Marianne that he had sought an “open marriage” while having an affair.
“I think the disruptive, vicious, negative nature of the news media makes it harder to govern this country,” Gingrich said.
Patty Culhane, Al Jazeera’s correspondent reporting from South Carolina, said “Gingrich received a huge round of applause” following his attack on the media.
“The crowd seemed to like it,” she said.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted of 656 likely South Carolina voters showed Romney with 35 percent support, Gingrich with 23 percent support, and former Senator Rick Santorum with 15 percent support.
Meanwhile, after taking some brickbats from liberals over a tough three years, President Barack Obama burst into song to woo supporters before pleading with them to boost his re-election bid.
“I’m . . . so in love with you,” Obama crooned in melodic falsetto tones at the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem late on Thursday, in homage to soul legend Al Green who was in the audience for a fundraising event.
“Those guys didn’t think I would do it,” a beaming Obama told the crowd after his impromptu serenade, apparently referring to aides offstage.
“I told you I was going to do it.”
Further lyrics of Green’s 1971 hit Let’s Stay Together — which Obama did not sing — could serve as a metaphor for his ties to grassroots Democrats: “loving you forever is what I need/Oh let me be the one you come running to”.
Obama needs a strong turnout from the Democratic Party base if he is to win re-election in November at a time of high unemployment and economic pain.
Marking three years since his inauguration on 20 January 2009, Obama called on supporters in the New York event to stand by him — and told them he had delivered on his promise of change, but that more remained to be done.
“Real and lasting change is hard,” he said.
“It’s hard. It takes time. It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single president. But change comes. I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it.”
Obama criticised his Republican rivals as extreme and painted them as determined to enrich the wealthy at the expense of ordinary Americans.
As the four remaining main candidates for the Republican presidential nomination duelled in a debate in South Carolina, Obama campaigned until his voice was hoarse in a string of star-studded fundraising events in New York.— Al Jazeera.
Online Reporter