The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Compiled by ABC News' Jackie Fernandez and Jayce Henderson
SUPER TUESDAY ABC News' Amy Walter: "Mitt Romney Wins the Night, But Not the Momentum" It wasn't pretty and it wasn't impressive, but Mitt Romney came out a winner Tuesday night. He came into Super Tuesday with one significant goal: winning Ohio. And, it appears that he did - albeit by a narrower margin than he had wanted. LINK
The New York Times' Jeff Zeleny: " With No Knockout Punch, a Bruising Battle Plods On" Mitt Romney won the delegates, but not necessarily the argument. His quest to win the Republican presidential nomination has always resembled a detailed, methodical business plan. Mr. Romney, who spent much of his life fixing troubled corporations, must now decide whether steps are necessary to repair his lethargic candidacy. LINK
The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin and Stephen Dinan: " Romney takes Super Tuesday lead with Ohio; rivals win Ga., Tenn., Okla., N.D." Mitt Romney emerged the winner of Super Tuesday, taking half of the 10 caucuses and primaries and claiming victory in the critical showdown state of Ohio - though chief challenger Rick Santorum's three victories solidified his claim as the heartland's conservative alternative. LINK
Bloomberg's John McCormick and Lisa Lerer: " Romney Edges Santorum in Tight Ohio Race" Mitt Romney won a tight race in Ohio, the most coveted prize among the Super Tuesday contests, even as his weaknesses were again exposed in a Republican presidential match in which the fight for delegates may drag on for months. With Romney edging Rick Santorum by 1 percentage point in Ohio and the pair splitting yesterday's other major races, neither candidate could claim a decisive showing. LINK
The Washington Post's Jerry Markon and David Fahrenthold: " Mitt Romney wins the grand prize of Ohio on Super Tuesday" Mitt Romney pulled out a narrow victory in the critical Super Tuesday battleground state of Ohio, giving the former Massachusetts governor an important boost after he and Rick Santorum divided up Republican primary votes and traded victories in states across the nation. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan: " In the rural religious South, Mitt Romney just doesn't connect" Reporting from Oneonta, Ala.- Randy Underwood cringed at the mention of Mitt Romney's name. Underwood, who lives in this small town in rural Blount County, a religious-right stronghold in the rolling hills of northern Alabama, would prefer Romney over President Obama. LINK
The Boston Globe's Christopher Rowland: " Mitt Romney labors back, but at a cost"Many Republicans are calling for a unifying push behind Mitt Romney. Party officials know the longer the acrimonious GOP primary continues into spring, the tougher it will be for the ultimate nominee to build strength for a general election campaign against President Obama. LINK
Politico's Maggie Haberman: " Super Tuesday primaries: 5 takeaways" This was one the polls got right.Heading into Ohio, various surveys showed the race there as statistical tie, and it did not disappoint: Mitt Romney won, but just narrowly over Rick Santorum, by a single percentage point. LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Neil King Jr. and Patrick O' Connor: " Romney Extends His Lead" Mitt Romney eked out a narrow win in Ohio and extended his delegate lead on Super Tuesday, but voters failed to deliver a decisive victory that could have brought a swift end to the Republican nominating contest. LINK
The Hill's Justin Sink: " Newt Gingrich: 'I am the tortoise' of the 2012 Republican primary" Newt Gingrich heralded himself as the "tortoise" of the 2012 Republican primary after a strong win in Georgia - the state he represented for two decades in Congress - and pledged to fight on for the Republican presidential nomination despite an otherwise poor showing in the Super Tuesday contests. LINK
USA Today's Larry Copeland: " Newt Gingrich wins Georgia, but will it help?" A resurgent Newt Gingrich, fresh off a resounding win in his home state, touted "the power of large solutions and big ideas" during a victory speech at his primary night headquarters. "You believed that people can make a difference, that in fact, Wall Street money can be beaten by Main Street work," Gingrich told an enthusiastic crowd in a suburban hotel ballroom. LINK
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