"Photo Finish" in Republican Caucuses in Iowa | Eastern North Carolina Now

   This just in at 2:33 am, Wednesday: Romney - 30,015 votes, Santorum - 30,007 votes as per Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strong. These results are still unofficial, but credible.

   This just in at 1:47 am, Wednesday: Santorum - 29,968 votes, Romney - 29,964 votes. These unofficial totals do not reflect that some votes may be lost and others miscounted.

   It has been a "photo finish" in the Republican Caucuses in Iowa, with Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum jockeying for 1st or 2nd position in this race that launches the Republican primary season. The Iowa Caucuses have taken the first position from the New Hampshire Primary, which was once the first primary of the nominating season, which shaped the nature of the early momentum as to whom may represent their political party in the presidential election every four years.

   With Iowa in the pole position in the primary season, candidates spend the majority of their early campaign resources to gain precious momentum to propel them into a competitive position in the early going. This year, 2011/ 2012, was no exception. These Republican candidates spent tens of millions of dollars to gain a majority of the meager turnout that is normal in the Iowa Caucus. On this day, January 3, 2012, there was an estimated mere 122,255 (as per Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strong) participants in the Tuesday night caucus.

   When the smoke had partially cleared by 11:30 pm, Tuesday, U.S. House Representative Michelle Bachmann had come in 6th place, Texas Governor Rick Perry had come 5th place and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich had come in 4th place. At the top of the ballot in this caucus, with such a very low turnout, was U.S. House Representative Ron Paul in third place; however, the real race all night was between former Governor Mitt Romney and the surging former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who traded the first and second position all night.
Mitt Romney in Iowa: Above.
   Mitt Romney has the most money in his campaign war chest and he spent the most money. Rick Santorum spent least of all the other candidates, except former Governor Jon Huntsman, who is concentrating his resources and efforts in New Hampshire, and he got only 1% of the total vote. Some estimates put the money Santorum spent at roughly 1.65 per vote, whereas Romney and Perry spent an estimated amount of hundreds of dollars per vote.

   Tonight, former two-term U.S. Senator Rick Santorum pushed his way into a position whereby he may well sustain a wave of momentum that could keep him at, or near the top of the ballot for the Republican nomination for president.
Rick Santorum in Iowa: Above. Congratulations Rick on a well run race. Uh ... we presume that this is your wife held fast in a loving embrace: Below.
   Ron Paul held steady as he pulled away from the pack of the bottom three to join the top three here in Iowa. His total of around 21% of the vote was bolstered by his horde of youthful, mostly Independents, Democrats and some Republicans, who share the Texas Congressman's desire to remake the United States into an isolationist nation, and surrender the War on Terror that Ron Paul has consistently espoused to do. Ron Paul in Iowa, with his son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul in the wings: Above.