Gingrich: I'm the Tortoise

Super Tuesday began with four candidates in the mix, and it ended the same way. All four are focusing on what comes next:

• Rick Santorum, speaking before Ohio's results were in, said he would pick up a "couple of gold medals" tonight along with a "whole passel full of silver medals," a showing that he says proves he's a legitimate national candidate. “We have won in the West, the Midwest and the South, and we’re ready to win across this country.” More at the Tennessean.
• Mitt Romney, speaking before his Ohio win was confirmed gave a pretty standard stump speech, congratulated his opponents on their success, and promised to win. "I'm going to get this nomination," he told supporters. He focused most of his speech on President Obama, rather than his opponents, notes AP.

• Newt Gingrich gleefully celebrated his big win in Georgia, taking pains to tweak the "national elite, especially in the Republican party" who he says have repeatedly tried to torpedo his campaign, reports AP. "I'm the tortoise" who has survived "lots of bunny rabbits," he said, ticking off former rivals such as Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann. He also spent a good deal of his speech ridiculing President Obama's energy policy and high gas prices.
• Ron Paul, speaking just before the first polls closed, wasn't ready to anoint anybody, notes Politico. “Nobody's going to clinch the election tonight," he said. "Sorting all this delegate selection process, I think we have a little bit of time left before we declare anybody a winner."

(More Mitt Romney 2012 stories.)