Philly.com covered the South Carolina primary in detail this weekend, although the issue garnering the most coverage was legendary football coach Joe Paterno’s death. Using AP stories and a few op-ed pieces, Philly.com focused on Newt Gingrich  more than any other candidate prior to his victory over  Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.

In the week prior to the primary (and Paterno’s death), coverage was more detailed, especially for Gingrich and Romney. Gingrich made headlines when his ex-wife alleged that he had approached her with the idea of an open marriage. Thomas Fitzgerald, an Inquirer politics writer, wrote a column documenting Gingrich’s response—and attack against media—to the question posed during the debate.

Ultimately, Gingrich’s approach during the debate must have worked since he won the primary with 41 percent of the vote. This is surprising since Gingrich’s campaign has been fluctuating between disaster and victory throughout this election cycle. Gingrich’s recent success will prove to be troubling for Romney and Santorum now, with the Republican nomination a total toss-up for the November presidential election.

On a lighter note,  The Washington Post had some fun with the news of Gingrich’s victory, using a picture of President Obama laughing under a headline declaring Gingrich’s win—the picture went with a different story, but the point was made that the results were at once suprising and brought a sense of relief to President Obama’s campaign. 

Mitt Romney has a background in business and government, a resume he believes makes him the best Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election. Before he was governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007), he was the CEO of Bain & Company. He left Bain & Company to co-found and head Bain Capital, a highly profitable private equity investment firm. As governor, Romney eliminated a $3 billion deficit and signed into law the Massachusetts health care reform legislation, the first of its kind in the nation.

Romney unsuccessfully ran for the Republican candidacy in the 2008 election, falling short to Sen. John McCain. That election left many conservatives wary of Romney's convictions and his Mormon faith, a skepticism Romney still faces. He has swayed further right since his governorship, but the similarities between the Massachusetts health care legislation and the health care program presented by the Obama administration worry many conservatives. 

Romney's platform, as his website states, is that the country has "a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in." Romney seeks to encourage economic growth on the principles of hard work, free enterprise and innovation. 

Romney was initially thought to have won the Iowa caucus, but due to a miscount, Rick Santorum edged him out by 34 votes. However, with eight precincts missing votes, the Republican Party has declined to announce a winner. Romney did win the New Hampshire primary. With the Republican race so close, Romney is looking past this weekend's South Carolina primary, as Newt Gingrich and Santorum battle. If the more conservative members of the GOP remain split between Gingrich and Santorum, Romney will be the Republican candidate.