19th January witnessed a heated conflict between Republican presidential candidates. This was prior to organizing South Carolina primary, on the basis of which nominations for the forthcoming elections were to be finalized.

To cut short the lead of the primary candidate Romney in South Carolina, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney were on the defensive part of the debate which was deemed as a final opportunity to cancel the lead of the main candidate. Among them, former speaker from U.S. House of Representatives, Gingrich had the best say.

He annoyingly refuted the accusations made by his ex- wife and told that it was an attempt to ruin his stand in South Carolina. Marianne Gingrich, his former wife, blamed him for proposing her for an “open marriage” at the time of having affair.

Gingrich cleverly defended himself through a robust debate performance, which has sustained his highs and lows in the campaign for the whole year round.

“I think the disruptive, vicious, negative nature of the news media makes it harder to govern this country,” Gingrich fumed. “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

Being pointed for character in the public and stern questions raised against his 1990 term for the position of House Speaker, will make voters remember about how he is and this may ruin his aspirations.

In a fervent attempt to upturn the leading candidate, Gingrich made public the documents related to his latest tax returns. This was an indication that the same was not done by the very rich Romney.

On the path to claim the nomination as a Republican candidate, Romney’s win on 21st January will be a big step. It would be after his win in New Hampshire on 10th January and his close win in Iowa on 3rd January.

Romney vowed to make his taxes public in the month of April, but was booed down by the crowd and this annoyed him.

He told, “I’m not going to apologize for being successful”.

Santorum launched a drive to beat down his main competitors in South Carolina- Romney and Gingrich. He took this step after he came to know that he had won the Iowa convention on 3rd January with 34 votes.

He named Gingrich as “grandiose” and provided burning account of term by Gingrich. And, was of the opinion that Gingrich had unpredictable behavior when the latter was asked about the potential of the former to function as a leader of the large masses.

Sanctorum opined, “I don’t want a nominee that I have to worry about going out and looking at the paper the next day and … worrying about what he’s going to say next”.