But, make no mistake: Romney's victory tonight is total. Gingrich led the Florida primary in the days following South Carolina's vote but watched that lead ebb away amid middling debate performances, an avalanche of negative ads and his own self-inflicted wounds (permanent moon colonies, anyone?)

Romney's Florida victory re-establishes him as the clear favorite for the Republican nomination. It also puts the onus on Gingrich, Santorum and Paul to find a convincing argument as to why - and how - they can beat him.

David Fuller's view It may no longer resemble the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower or even Richard Nixon but at least the GOP seems to have stepped back from its suicide mission.

Now that the autumnal nuts have been gathered in,
the real presidential race can begin.

It certainly wasn't pretty, but Mitt Romney, who I assume will now win the nomination, looks to me like the most capable candidate that the Republicans have had for quite a while.

Four years ago the Democrat Party had two very strong candidates in Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Today, the US President is vulnerable despite the advantages of office. If Romney, once nominated, runs as the moderate that he really is, it should be an absorbing and close contest.