Will Newt Gingrich Score A South Carolina Surprise?

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Newt Gingrich clearly owned the night with a strong showing on the debate stage in Charleston, but whether he wins primary day in South Carolina remains the big question.

Even though political observers here agree that Gingrich has a shot at the top prize in the Palmetto State, Mitt Romney is still well-positioned to walk away with a victory after all the votes are counted tomorrow.

All of Romney’s remaining rivals — Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul — have vowed to carry their campaigns on in the next state to vote, Florida, but everyone knows that a Romney win in South Carolina would represent a devastating blow to the rest of the field.

Gingrich could still eke out a win here if, as some polls suggest, he is beginning to consolidate the anti-Romney vote. He will reap at least some benefits from Rick Perry’s decision to quit the race and it also appears he is finding support from other segments of the Republican Party.

“I think in South Carolina, from what I’m hearing, a lot of the Tea Party people are behind Newt,” Tea Party leader Jenny Beth Martin told The Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas in an interview after last night’s debate.

Read More at ABC News By Michael Falcone, ABC News