Romney Is Rebuked With Losses in Minnesota, Missouri
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Chris Carlson / AP Photo
Make no mistake, victories by Rick Santorum tonight in Minnesota and Missouri represent a rebuke of the ” Mitt Romney will sail to the nomination” narrative. It also highlights Romney’s continued struggle to win over skeptical conservative GOP voters and energize the base.
After big wins in Florida and Nevada, the conventional wisdom was that Romney had vanquished his strongest rival – Newt Gingrich – and had this nomination all but sewn up. But, the voters of Minnesota and Missouri didn’t get the message. Romney came in third place in Minnesota – a state he carried in 2008.
Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, was boosted by the fact that social and cultural issues like Planned Parenthood, contraceptives and the Catholic Church dominated the news cycle. He was also helped by the fact that Newt Gingrich essentially conceded these contests.
So, where does it go from here? Look for Romney and the pro-Romney Super PAC to start to reload and regroup in Arizona and Michigan – the next two major contests on the docket on Feb 28. Romney is hoping his money and organizational muscle will pull him through in these states, much like money and organization helped him win Florida.
Either way, the nomination fight continues and Romney will once again have to bat away the questions about the lack of enthusiasm among GOP voters for his candidacy.
Another big loser tonight: Newt Gingrich. He’s betting on a good showing on Super Tuesday, March 6th. But, for now at least, Santorum, not Newt, owns the mantle of the “conservative alternative” to Romney.
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Romeny out spent Santorum up to 41 times! At this rate, spenting at the entire national debt level amount Romney could not beat Obama.
Posted by: D | February 8, 2012, 1:06 am 1:06 am
Go Rick Go. Hate when everyone assumes that Mitt will take it all.
Posted by: jay wright | February 8, 2012, 2:30 am 2:30 am
Anybody but Romney! Romney is just an 0bama-lite, I hope Rick goes all the way. This is also a wake up call to the GOP establishment who think they can give Romney the nomination.
Posted by: Tim | February 8, 2012, 6:54 am 6:54 am
Congratulations to Rick Santorum on his success.
Unfortunately, his victory speech wasn’t exactly an epiphany and the triumphalist tone starkly contrasted with Romney’s classy elocution which was more generous and less petty.
Posted by: Romney Supporter | February 8, 2012, 7:00 am 7:00 am
Santorum? Yeah, if he wins the nomination, you can be sure Obama gets four more years. In fact, the way these Republicans are going, I don’t think there’s any question of Obama getting four more years.
Posted by: Working_Class | February 8, 2012, 7:41 am 7:41 am
“How does it feel –
How does it feel –
To be without a home?
Like a complete unknown?”
– Zimmermann
Posted by: Aaron Ververs | February 8, 2012, 8:19 am 8:19 am
Republicans would prefer to vote for the “creepy” guys Santorum and Gingrich than win in November.
What are they thinking? No independent will ever vote for those guys. Santorum is against birth control. He is to the right of the Ayatollahs.
Posted by: welldirected | February 8, 2012, 8:26 am 8:26 am
Keep the House. Take the Senate. President? Toss up at this point. Concentrate on taking 2 out of 3 as a minimum.
Posted by: Salty | February 8, 2012, 8:49 am 8:49 am
The American People refuse to let the Liberal News Media and “MONEY” pick our President—You will see how the silent majority,,East, West, South and North stick together from now till November;;;WE WILL SELECT OUR PRESIDENT
Posted by: repubnut | February 8, 2012, 9:38 am 9:38 am
Santorum can thank Obama’s healthcare and the resulting controversy with the Catholic Church for these wins. He is too socially conservative (and not truly fiscally conservative) for most voters.
Posted by: S Norton | February 8, 2012, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm