LIVE: American Samoa Caucus Results, Mitt Romney Wins (GOP Primary)
LIVE UPDATES: Having taken first prize in Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands over the weekend, Mitt Romney wins American Samoa and Hawaii on Tuesday.
PolicyMic is covering the primary live, and will be regularly updating this page as new information becomes available. Stay tuned:
Wednesday 11:00 a.m. American Samoa Believes Romney Can Save America: According to the Washington Post, Falemao M. Pili, vice chairman of the local GOP and a delegate, says he believes Romney can fix the U.S. economy that extends to American Samoa. He says Romney can “turn this country around."
3:00 a.m. Mitt Romney wins the GOP Caucus in Amerian Samaoa! 70 voters participated...
Tuesday 9:36 p.m. It's 84 degrees and sunny in American Samoa. It's currently 2:46 p.m. local time and we won't be getting initial results for another 2 hours at the earliest.
7:30 p.m. According to the AP, local GOP chairman Victor T. Tofaeono, a superdelegate, is hopeful caucus attendees will agree to commit all nine delegates to one candidate.
"That will be the aim of our caucus," he said.
3:50 p.m. As the Associated Press reports, the American Samoa caucus will be "a decidedly local affair. Republicans will meet at Toa Bar & Grill.
"They will choose delegates to the Republican National Convention in August and vote on a presidential candidate. The six delegates picked at the caucus will join three American Samoa "superdelegates" at the convention.
Only registered Republicans can vote in the caucus, and that's why so few attend. It's rare in American Samoa for anyone to officially register as a Republican or Democrat because local elected officials don't run on party lines."
Despite being U.S. citizens, American Samoa residents are not allowed to vote to elect a president in November.
2:00 p.m. The caucuses in American Samoa convene at 11 p.m. EST. First results aren't expected until after 2:30 a.m.
11:20 a.m. Romney Dominating in Hawaii. According to Intrade, a site that speculates on the outcomes of non-sports-related future events, Romney has a 95.5% chance of winning the state. Closest compeitor Ron Paul has a 2% chance of winning.
A win in Hawaii and American Samoa would mean Romney has swept the Pacific, locking up crucial delegates.
Romney Will Clinch the GOP Nomination in the South? “I think it’s over if he wins here,” said Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant of Romney after a Monday rally with comedian Jeff Foxworthy at a trucking company outside Jackson, according to Politico. “At that point how do you go and say, ‘I’m the most conservative candidate’ if you can’t win the most conservative state in the country?"
Romney, Santorum, Paul will be the biggest contenders in the American Samoa. Gingrich is seen as an outsider here and in Hawaii.
Monday 1:00 p.m. The Daily Caller says Romney will likely get all nine delegates from American Samoa, which caucuses this week
Most Important Statistic: 25% — the percent of American Samoa that is Mormon
Most Important Number: 6 —American Samoa’s delegate count. When added to the wider “Island Campaign” strategy Romney is waging, the former Massachusetts governor will likely win some 51 delegates from U.S. territories and Hawaii.
Biggest Factor On Voters Minds: Electability
Mitt Romney is storming the Pacific. And if the GOP presidential contest heats up any further, his island hopping strategy will be a gold mine of delegates that could very much help him secure the eventual Republican nomination.
American Samoa has only six delegates, but in the wider scheme of Romney’s Island strategy, those six delegates will add up.
On Saturday Romney swept the Guam and Northern Mariana Islands caucuses, securing support of all 18 delegates in these U.S. Pacific territories.
And after winning another seven delegates from the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday, Romney has notched 25 delegates. If Romney wins Hawaii (20 delegates) and American Samoa (6) on Tuesday, he will have effectively won more delegates than are offered in Mississippi. Thus, were he to lose the contests in Alabama or Mississippi, his Island strategy will have provided him with some solace and a boost over his GOP rivals.
In American Samoa, Romney is expected to do well for one overarching reason: The U.S. territory is 25% Mormon.
Still, polling in the U.S. territory is, understandably, lacking. The true measure of where each GOP candidate stands on American Samoa is unknown.
Electability is on voters’ minds in this race. Party Chairman Victor Tofaeono said his group is not yet committed to any candidates. Tofaeono says he wants to make sure American Samoa’s votes count.
“We don’t want to vote for somebody who will not be the nominee because then our votes will be wasted,” Tofaeono said. “So we have to pretty well decide by Tuesday who that nominee will be so that we can back the right person.”
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Independent State of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa). The main (largest and most populous) island is Tutuila, with the Manu?a Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island also included in the territory. The largest island is slightly larger than Washington, D.C.
The 2010 census showed a total population of 55,519 people.
As of Sunday, Romney currently leads with 454 delegates and Santorum follows with 217. Gingrich is well behind with 107 delegates while Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) trails with 47. To secure the nomination, a candidate needs 1,144 delegates in total.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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