• Three contests (Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina). Three different results. Now it's on to Florida. Monday: An NBC News/National Journal/Tampa Bay Times debate. Thursday: CNN/Republican Party of Florida debate in Jacksonville. Jan. 31: the GOP primary. January 21 2012, 10:19 PM
• Why did Newt Gingrich win? "Two well-watched debates in the crucial days leading up to the primary ... proved a game changer for Gingrich whose fiery debate style galvanized voters," The State writes. (link) January 21 2012, 10:10 PM
• "Upend" is the word, it appears. The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR and Reuters say Newt Gingrich's win today has upended the race for the Republican presidential nomination. January 21 2012, 10:04 PM
• Quantifying the Colbert Bump: Herman Cain got 0.1 percent of the votes in New Hampshire. Right now he's at 1 percent of the votes cast in South Carolina. So did funny guy Stephen Colbert's campaign to have a vote for Cain equal a vote for Colbert give Cain a 10x boost? January 21 2012, 09:58 PM
• And Newt Gingrich, the "Comeback Kid" of 2012 who has thumped the competition today in South Carolina, says that now it's on to Florida and the rest of the race to the White House. (link) January 21 2012, 09:52 PM
• Another line from Newt Gingrich aimed at President Obama: He wants energy independence so that "no American again ever bows to a Saudi king." The president's critics have been using a line like that for nearly three years: (link) January 21 2012, 09:46 PM
• Newt Gingrich repeats his charge that President Obama has been "the best food stamp president" in the nation's history. PolitiFact.com rated that "barely true." (link) January 21 2012, 09:43 PM
• Newt Gingrich decries what he says is the "growing anti-religious bigotry of our elites." January 21 2012, 09:40 PM
• If he's the Republican nominee, Newt Gingrich says, he will challenge President Obama to "seven, three-hour debates." And he'll agree to let the president use a teleprompter. January 21 2012, 09:38 PM
• Turning to the current president, Newt Gingrich says that "if Barack Obama can get re-elected after this disaster ... just think how radical he would be in a second term." January 21 2012, 09:37 PM
• "The genius of America is that you can come from any background" and make your case "no matter what the elites think in New York or Washington," says Newt Gingrich. And he compliments Mitt Romney for being "hard-working ... very successful" and for having done "a terrific job at the Winter Olympics" in 2002. January 21 2012, 09:36 PM
• He didn't win because he's a great debater, Newt Gingrich says, but because he expresses the values that Americans hold deeply. January 21 2012, 09:34 PM
• Elites from the news media and elsewhere, says Newt Gingrich, have been trying to "force us to quit being American." January 21 2012, 09:32 PM
• The biggest takeaway for him from South Carolina, Newt Gingrich says, is "that is is very humbling and very sobering to have so many people who so deeply want their country to get back on the right track." January 21 2012, 09:31 PM
• Newt Gingrich jokes that everyone in South Carolina was great, including those who "by accident or misinformation were for the other candidates." January 21 2012, 09:30 PM
• As we wait for Newt Gingrich to speak, another musical note: His staff has also rocked the crowd with Blur's Song 2 -- a staple of sports arenas everywhere. January 21 2012, 09:25 PM
• The Santorum and Gingrich campaigns agree on one thing: Journey's Don't Stop Believin' is the song to play on a primary night, win or lose. January 21 2012, 09:19 PM
• Newt Gingrich's supporters are ready to roar in South Carolina. Today's winner is expected to address them shortly. January 21 2012, 09:12 PM
• With a very big and very noncommittal shrug, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) says "I'm not in the business of choosing" after he's asked on CNN if he likes any of the other three GOP contenders as an alternative to him. January 21 2012, 09:02 PM
• "The more vetting, the more ideas vigorously debated, the better it is for the electorate," 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin tells Fox News -- endorsing the idea of a long nomination battle. January 21 2012, 08:55 PM
• Still waiting for Newt Gingrich to speak. Meanwhile, there's other breaking news -- "Report: Joe Paterno "Gravely Ill,' Nearing Death." (link) January 21 2012, 08:53 PM
• "We are going to Florida and then to Arizona" and will stay in the race, former Sen. Rick Santorum tells his cheering supporters. January 21 2012, 08:46 PM
• Newt Gingrich deserves credit for "an amazing victory," says former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who appears to have finished third today. January 21 2012, 08:40 PM
• "We pick Rick!" supporters chant as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum prepares to speak. January 21 2012, 08:39 PM
• Up next: Rick Santorum. January 21 2012, 08:38 PM
• The candidate who will have to face the question of whether to stay in the race, says NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving, is former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. (link) January 21 2012, 08:35 PM
• "I don't think anything will push Ron Paul out of this race," says NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving. (link) January 21 2012, 08:35 PM
• In case you miss them or want to see them later, the PBS NewsHour is posting the candidates' speeches here: (link) January 21 2012, 08:33 PM
• With about one-third of the vote counted it looks like a "huge win" for Newt Gingrich, says NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving. (link) January 21 2012, 08:32 PM
• Shellacking II: President Obama famously referred to the losses Democrats suffered in the 2010 midterm elections as a "shellacking." On NPR's broadcast, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution said Mitt Romney now knows what a "shellacking" feels like. January 21 2012, 08:31 PM
• Colbert bump? Herman Cain has edged slightly ahead of Gov. Rick Perry in the early results. (link) January 21 2012, 08:25 PM
• Meanwhile, at Rick Santorum's event they're playing Journey's Don't Stop Believin', NPR's Don Gonyea reports. January 21 2012, 08:19 PM
• As expected, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) says his campaign continues: "The message of liberty is being received by more people every single day thanks to your efforts," he tells supporters in Columbia, S.C. January 21 2012, 08:18 PM
• Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are likely to speak shortly (not together, of course), report NPR's Susannah George and Debbie Elliott. January 21 2012, 08:15 PM
• In a volatile race, at least one thing is now clear, NPR.org's Alan Greenblatt writes: "Newt Gingrich has emerged as the most serious threat to the hopes of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor." (link) January 21 2012, 08:13 PM
• "This is one heck of a setback" for Mitt Romney, though conventional wisdom still has him being the likely Republican presidential nominee, NPR's Mara Liasson says on our broadcast. (link) January 21 2012, 08:11 PM
• She continues to believe that Mitt Romney "would be the best candidate to defeat President Obama and strengthen our country again," South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who endorsed him) says on her Facebook page. (link) January 21 2012, 08:07 PM
• Again targeting Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney says he expected a "frontal assault on free enterprise" from Democrats, but not such attacks from fellow Republicans who have criticized his business record. January 21 2012, 08:05 PM
• In going after President Obama, Mitt Romney takes indirect aim at Newt Gingrich. The president, he says, has never led a business or a state and the Republican Party "can't be led to victory by someone who also has never led a business or a state." January 21 2012, 08:03 PM
• Mitt Romney turns immediately to the next contest, saying that President Obama has failed to turn the economy around and thus has failed voters in Florida and elsewhere who want to see more jobs created. Florida's primary is Jan. 31. January 21 2012, 08:01 PM
• Not on stage with Mitt Romney for his concession speech: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who endorsed him. January 21 2012, 08:00 PM
• "I want to congratulate, of course, Speaker Gingrich," says Mitt Romney -- conceding that he lost today's South Carolina primary. January 21 2012, 07:59 PM
• "This race is going to be even more interesting," Mitt Romney, tonight's apparent second-place finisher, just told his supporters in South Carolina. January 21 2012, 07:59 PM
• Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who has had some harsh things to say in the past about Newt Gingrich's record as speaker of the House, tells CNN: "Those who've worked with Newt Gingrich know what's in store" for the Republican party if Gingrich is the nominee. (link) January 21 2012, 07:57 PM
• "For the first time all year, Romney trailed among voters who said they cared most about picking a candidate who could defeat President Barack Obama this fall," the AP reports, as it continues to sift through "exit poll" data. "Gingrich was ahead of the field for those voters' support." January 21 2012, 07:54 PM
• The race for the GOP presidential nomination is going to be long and that's going to be good for the eventual nominee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (who appears to have finished third today) tells CNN. January 21 2012, 07:51 PM
• NPR joins the others: "Based on polling data and early returns, NPR projects that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won today's South Carolina Republican presidential primary. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney placed second," Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving writes. January 21 2012, 07:49 PM
• Mitt Romney is expected to address his supporters in about five minutes, NPR reports. January 21 2012, 07:46 PM
• The race now shifts to Florida and its Jan. 31 primary. Right now, Mitt Romney leads Newt Gingrich there by about 18 percentage points. Ten days ago, Romney was ahead in the polls in South Carolina. (link) January 21 2012, 07:44 PM
• Fox News projects a third-place finish for former Sen. Rick Santorum, which would put Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) in fourth. January 21 2012, 07:38 PM
• We may hear shortly what a Mitt Romney concession speech sounds like, NPR's Ari Shapiro reports. January 21 2012, 07:37 PM
• CNN joins the others: Projects a win for Newt Gingrich. January 21 2012, 07:34 PM
• Newt Gingrich just basically declared victory, saying on his Twitter page: "Thank you South Carolina!  Help me deliver the knockout punch in Florida." (link) January 21 2012, 07:33 PM
• Newt Gingrich is due to be on CBS-TV's Face the Nation and NBC's Meet the Press tomorrow. He's not due on ABC's This Week. That network this week broadcast the interview with his second wife that ignited controversy. (link) January 21 2012, 07:32 PM
• "Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina Republican primary," The Associated Press just declared. It's basing that call on "exit polls" of GOP voters in the state, not actual results. NPR has not yet projected a winner. January 21 2012, 07:25 PM
• ABC News has also now projected a Newt Gingrich win. NPR, as we said earlier, is pausing to see some official results before declaring a winner. (link) January 21 2012, 07:21 PM
• Reminder: If Newt Gingrich has indeed won today's primary, the three contests so far will have had three different winners -- Rick Santorum (officially, according to the state GOP) in Iowa; Mitt Romney in New Hampshire; and the former House speaker in South Carolina. January 21 2012, 07:16 PM
• South Carolina voters saw "some fight" in Newt Gingrich this week and appear to have responded, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) tells NPR. He's not ready yet to endorse a candidate, though. January 21 2012, 07:12 PM
• "As polls closed across the state, exit polling showed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney overall, and leading by a wide margin among the state's conservatives, tea party supporters and born-again Christians," the AP says. January 21 2012, 07:09 PM
• NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving on our broadcast a moment ago: "Last week this looked like Mitt Romney's to lose. And this week it looks like Mitt Romney lost it." January 21 2012, 07:07 PM
• CNN's take on the race: "Gingrich is leading." Again, all this is based on the news network's reading of exit polls done of GOP voters in South Carolina today. NPR is pausing to see some official results before declaring a winner. January 21 2012, 07:05 PM
• Fox News is now also projecting a win for Newt Gingrich. January 21 2012, 07:03 PM
• NBC News says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is the winner of today's Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, based on its reading of exit polls done of voters today. NPR is pausing to see some official results before declaring a winner. January 21 2012, 07:02 PM
• Analysis from the AP: A Newt Gingrich win "could reshuffle the contest and lead to a months-long nomination battle." A win by Mitt Romney "would make his nomination seem all-but-inevitable." January 21 2012, 06:56 PM
• Five minutes to go before polls close. January 21 2012, 06:54 PM
• Tomorow, "Romney and Santorum go to Florida for Sunday events, Gingrich returns to DC, Paul no events," CNN says: (link) January 21 2012, 06:53 PM
• There are 25 delegates to the GOP national convention at stake today. The statewide winner will be awarded 11. The remaining 14 will be divided among South Carolina's 7 (beginning with this year's election) congressional districts -- 2 to the winner of each district. January 21 2012, 06:46 PM
• After the economy, the issue that was most important to GOP voters today was the federal deficit, according to AP analysis of "exit polls." January 21 2012, 06:43 PM
• More "exit poll" analysis from the AP: "Well more than half" of the South Carolina Republicans interviewed today said "they are born again or evangelical Christians." January 21 2012, 06:39 PM
• Trivia break -- Earlier today, "Hamgate" was narrowly avoided: Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich did not arrive at the same time at Tommy's Country Ham House in Greenville, as their schedules had warned they might. Romney showed up early. (link) January 21 2012, 06:37 PM
• Reminder for those who like their results to be from official sources -- The state of South Carolina says it will post them here "as counties report": (link) January 21 2012, 06:30 PM
• We're about 30 minutes from the closing of polls in South Carolina. January 21 2012, 06:27 PM
• About half of GOP voters surveyed today "said candidates' debates played a major role in making their decisions," the AP reports. January 21 2012, 06:25 PM
• The past week's debates, in which Newt Gingrich fared well according to most observers, may have been crucial. January 21 2012, 06:25 PM
• Also from NPR's latest report: Pollster Scott Huffmon concedes he had underestimated "the anger of the electorate" -- but says that Newt Gingrich "tapped into that near-perfectly the last two debates." (link) January 21 2012, 06:22 PM
• From NPR's latest story: "Gingrich may very well have a pretty big win tonight," says Chip Felkel, a longtime Republican strategist in South Carolina who is not aligned with any candidate." (link) January 21 2012, 06:17 PM
• The large number of "late deciders" (more than half today) stands in contrast to 2008, when "just 34 percent of voters said they made up their mind in the final three days," the AP reports. January 21 2012, 06:15 PM
• "A majority of voters in the first-in-the-South contest said they decided on a candidate in the last few days," the AP reports, as it continues to dissect "exit polls" done as South Carolina Republicans left their polling places today. January 21 2012, 06:14 PM
• Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said today that "he expected to finish third ... but added the campaign would continue its 'steady progress' as it attempted to pick up delegates," The State reports: (link) January 21 2012, 06:11 PM
• The top issue for GOP voters today, according to the AP's reading of "exit polls": The economy. January 21 2012, 06:05 PM
• More news from "exit polls" of GOP voters in South Carolina today: "Solid majorities consider themselves conservative and around the same number support the Tea Party," the AP says. January 21 2012, 06:04 PM
• Though only four major candidates are left in the race for the GOP nomination, there are nine names on the South Carolina ballot. Can you name them all? Don't peek: (link) January 21 2012, 06:00 PM
• Along with showing Newt Gingrich leading Mitt Romney, pre-primary polls of South Carolina Republicans have shown Rep. Ron Paul and former Sen. Rick Santorum 15 to 20 percentage points behind the leaders. (link) January 21 2012, 05:53 PM
• Also from exit polls, according to the AP: After finding a candidate who can defeat President Obama, South Carolina Republicans were looking for "experience, strong moral character and true conservatism." January 21 2012, 05:44 PM
• The first bit of information from today's "exit polls" of voters: Nearly half said "their top priority was finding a candidate who could defeat President Barack Obama in the fall," The Associated Press says. January 21 2012, 05:43 PM
• The next big dates for the Republican presidential race: A CNN/Republican Party of Florida debate on Jan. 26; and the Florida primary on Jan. 31. (link) January 21 2012, 05:41 PM
• What are polls of South Carolina Republicans signaling will happen today? In the past week, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has moved ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (link) January 21 2012, 05:37 PM
• But if "exit poll" surveys of voters give news networks the sense that the vote's been close, we could be in for a long night. January 21 2012, 05:29 PM
• Polls close in the Palmetto State at 7 p.m. ET. Depending on what they've learned from surveys of voters as they left polling places, news networks may declare a winner soon after that. January 21 2012, 05:28 PM
• There's been rain and a tornado watch in parts of "upstate" -- an area thought to favor former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. (link) January 21 2012, 05:23 PM
• Reports in local news outlets indicate that turnout has varied across the state. (link) January 21 2012, 05:23 PM
• Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is a candidate again this year, was fourth in the 2008 South Carolina primary. He got 15.3 percent of the votes cast. (link) January 21 2012, 05:18 PM
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was second in the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was third. (link) January 21 2012, 05:17 PM
• For those who like to look back: Just under 20 percent of eligible voters turned out for the 2008 GOP primary in South Carolina, which was won by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). (link) January 21 2012, 05:17 PM
• The South Carolina State Election Commission says it will be posting results here: (link) January 21 2012, 05:15 PM
• Welcome to our live blogging of today's Republican presidential primary in South Carolina. Click "more updates" to see all our posts. And stay with us through the evening to see what happens. January 21 2012, 05:13 PM