Breaking News on KCRG now: Santorum won the Iowa caucuses vote.

[Skidmore]

More details to follow and this is part of the official vote count being released today.

[aaaaaa5a]

1. In other words... so far Willard has only won on his home turf... nowhere else. nt

[MADem]

3. And his numbers went down, down, down as time passed.

If NH had been held two weeks later he might have lost or tied.

[dkf]

2. Iowa result: Santorum up 34, officially a 'split decision'

By ALEXANDER BURNS | 1/19/12 5:35 AM EST
After all that, the Register brings this news:

There are too many holes in the certified totals from the Iowa caucuses to know for certain who won, but Rick Santorum wound up with a 34-vote advantage.

Results from eight precincts are missing — any of which could hold an advantage for Mitt Romney — and will never be recovered and certified, Republican Party of Iowa officials told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday.

GOP officials discovered inaccuracies in 131 precincts, although not all the changes affected the two leaders. Changes in one precinct alone shifted the vote by 50 — a margin greater than the certified tally.

The certified numbers: 29,839 for Santorum and 29,805 for Romney. The turnout: 121,503.

In the near term, the results are a shot of encouragement for Santorum, as well as the other anti-Romney candidates, who no longer have to contend with the idea that Romney won an unprecedented one-two victory in Iowa and New Hampshire. If Newt Gingrich were to win South Carolina, the early-state scoreboard would suddenly look rather different than it did at the start of the week.

Just as important, the botched vote count is a real embarrassment for Iowa and its caucus process, which lured candidates to devote weeks and months of their time to the state and spend an awful lot of money there. What did they get in exchange?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/iowa-result-santorum-up-officially-a-split-decision-111399.html

[Skidmore]

4. KCRG just amended its ealier report

by saying it is unresolved.

As for botched vote counts, this Iowan will note that there are plenty of other states which have had vote counts questioned. I will stand by our caucus system anytime. It not only provides for good exchanges between voters but forces candidates to explain themselves early on.

[dkf]

5. Sounds like they do have an official certified count though.

[Skidmore]

6. There are 8 missing precinct counts which will never be certified.

Santorum, by 38 votes.

Something deeply satisfying about Mitt having to work for something for once in his life.

[global1]

7. This Is All Beginning To Smell Rovian To Me.....

Mitt has $8 million in the Cayman's. Iowa recount says Mitt lost to Santorum. Gingrinch gaining on Mitt in SC. If this is all happening in the primaries - just wait until we get to the general election. This is just Repugs fighting Repugs.

[MadHound]

8. And it doesn't change a damn thing

Both he and Romney still get seven delegates.

[customerserviceguy]

11. More importantly

It means that both Gingrich and Santorum got a boost this last week, and the only one sure to drop out after SC is Perry. There will not be a single anti-Mitt on the ballot in Florida.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Something is fishy, as in "touched by Rove" -- this doesn't sound like Iowa politics, at all.

Of course, it is the Republican side, so who knows? There are too many mistakes for Iowa. It sounds like they were trying to manipulate the votes, early on, and got everything screwed up. That's why I say it smells like Rove.

[malaise]

10. Ding ding we have a winner

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. Good , I want Newt or Froothy to win the Republican nomination.. otherwise

When Obama defeats the nominee which he will
the radical right cannot blame Mitt for being not far right enough
which is the claimed reason they loss. He was 'too much of a liberal' and other clap trap will be discussed.

If they go for the biggest nutjob it will destroy the far right
and the teaparty nuts.