Is the Romney/Gingrich battle weakening the Republican Party?

Will the battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich to be the Republican Party's presidential nomination weaken the party? (Gerald Herbert, Matt Rourke/Associated Press)Republican Newt Gingrich has vowed to stay in the race for presidential nominee despite a heavy loss in Florida Tuesday.

Gingrich came second in the winner-takes-all primary, with 32 per cent of the votes. The winner and now clear front-runner, Mitt Romney, won 46 per cent of Floridians' votes.

Ignoring convention, Gingrich did not call Romney to congratulate him, instead vowing to continue his fight through all 46 remaining states until the Republican convention in August.

But that fight so far has been acrimonious.

Romney spent at least $15 million US on ads in Florida, many of them pummeling Gingrich's history as Speaker of the House in the 1990s.

Gingrich, for his part, has accused Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, of being the "Massachusetts moderate" and "blatantly dishonest."

Though Romney insists the campaign is preparing the GOP for victory in the November election, fellow candidate Rick Santorum disagrees.

"The American public does not want to see two or three mud-wrestling matches in which everyone gets dirty," Santorum said.

Do you think the battle between Romney and Gingrich is weakening the Republican Party? Why or why not? Who do you think will ultimately secure the nomination? Share your comments in the field below.

(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)