Feb 07 2012
Trifecta! Santorum Slams Brakes On Romney’s Coronation
final update: Santorum pulls the upset, wins all 3 contests handily. Romney takes a huge loss as voters deny his inevitability!
Well, well, well. A very surprising night for the GOP primary race.
It’s 9:55 PM and with 30% of the locations reporting from Missouri Rick Santorum looks like he is going to win big. Fox News has Rick at 54% to Romney’s 26% and has now called the beauty contest for Santourm. Santorum has nearly twice Romney’s votes, which is clear indication that the ‘anyone but Romney’ insurgent voters out their in Main Street.
In the Minnesota caucuses Santorum is leading with 44% to Paul’s 27%, with Romney a distant 3rd at 17%. That is with 11% reporting so it is still early. But if that ALSO holds that will be two big wins for Rick.
So where will Colorado go? We shall see, but if Romney fails 3 out of 3 he will be hurt badly. Santorum has been winning the debates of late, so maybe it is the last anti-Romney candidate standing!
I could get behind a Santorum candidacy.
Major Update (11:56 PM): Surprise ending.With 32% reporting in Colorado Santorum leads 43% to Romney’s 29%. We may not have enough votes in yet, but Santorum looks to be on path to a trifecta win. What a blow to Romney and the GOP establishment!
Major Update (10:33 PM): As predicted CNN just called Minnesota for Santorum. He has 46% to Paul’s 26% and Romney’s 16%. Congratulations to Senator Santorum. Now we see where Colorado goes.
Major Update (10:20 PM): 23% of Minnesota results are in and the previous numbers are holding. I expect the networks to call MN around 10:30 PM for Santorum. With 70% of the vote tallied in Missouri Santorum has twice the votes of Romney, who finds himself back at the 25%. Big day for Santorum, huge blow to Romney.
Major Update (10:10 PM): Minnesota’s count keeps coming in and Romney looks to be toast. 20% of the votes are in and Santorum as 44%, Paul has 27% and Romney is fighting for 3rd at 17%. If Romney loses all three contests tonight his campaign will have taken a serious blow. Maybe even a terminal one.
Congrads to Santorum…three big wins last night !!
If he can get money support and help with an organization, I will switch my Romney support, to him, in a heartbeat !!
With me, it is who can beat Obama ….it is that simple !!
Crosspatch, I hear you !!
Santorum jumps into second place in delegate race
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Former Sen. Rick Santorum moved into second place Tuesday in the race for delegates with wins in Republican presidential caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota.
Santorum picked up at least 28 delegates while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got at least six.
Overall, Romney has 107 delegates, including endorsements from members of the Republican National Committee who automatically attend the party’s national convention and can support any candidate they choose. Santorum has 45 delegates, Newt Gingrich has 32 and Ron Paul has nine.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/08/santorum-jumps-into-second-place-in-delegate-race/
Romney’s problem with Romneycare is that he’s not repudiated it in ANY way. He could make a strong case that the MA legislature was determined to pass some sort of socialized medicine scheme, and he was only able to keep some sort of private option – but he hasn’t.
It’s a theme in his campaign. Romney reminds me of Bob Dole…he’s not a bad person, but seems unable to make the case for voting FOR him.
Looking at the sweep this morning, and I am *very* encouraged by these results! Not exactly because Santorum won (although I cheer his success!) but because the real message is that the candidates who go into the slime and the muck and play on the level of vicious personal attacks are going to be abandoned by the voters. Both Romney and Gingrich have been doing that, and now both have seen their numbers collapse. Santorum is the “last man standing” because he and Paul have been the only ones running sincere campaigns where they talk about the ideas they have, not who they hate.
Romney still has a chance to come back, BUT….. it is NOT going to happen by throwing money into more ads or trying to attack Santorum. The only way Romney can come back will be if he completely changes his message and starts talking the voters language. Example – talk about Eric Holder and his criminalized DOJ, why not? Figure out that voters REALLY want to get rid of Obamacare!
Now these are just possibilities, I don’t know if he’s capable of this. If he can’t figure this out, he won’t win.
I could support sanatorium, his far right so-con positions concern me but may not be as devasting as romneycare or newts insider perception. I still like what newt did as speaker and think he could move legislation and the machinery but sanatorium would mobilize the religious right like no other and perhaps Obama has dragged us so far left that the country would accept farther right candidate and thus the pendulum swing back toward center, this would not happen nearly as much under romney if he could even wiin. We shall see at cpac a test run of obamas army ready to rock the vote and republican voters this fall. Wait till the word goes out to the lyin kings peeps on their free obamaphones to organize and terrorize the polling places. It’s gonna be a dog fight with the media behind the occupy stinkers all the way.
Yeah, that’s the problem, crosspatch. Obama, the democrats, Democratic Super-PAC, mainstream media will make sure to hide the positives Mitt did for Mass. Americans have short memories…
What Mitt needs to do is message his business success with compassion for all Americans. He’s not doing it. He’s acting like a robot with the same message over and over. And all the negatives he did against Newt probably harmed him more than it helped him. And if he goes negative against Santo, it may do more harm to him than help him.
As for the opposite numbers, like your 95 percent of voters skipping the primaries, that may not be important just yet. Now that Rick has four states on his belt, all he needs is just one more state and “make” it to the convention. There is a new rule RNC just passed that now allows a minimum of five state victory to get to the national convention. Maybe this leads to a brokered convention.
I don’t quite understand this new RNC rule, though. Maybe you can explain?
“Romney’s problem with Romneycare is that he’s not repudiated it in ANY way. He could make a strong case that the MA legislature was determined to pass some sort of socialized medicine scheme, and he was only able to keep some sort of private option – but he hasn’t.”
Romney has also stated that he will NOT repeal ObamaCare and one on his staff, Norm Coleman, also made the same comment.
Romney’s message is wrong.
HHS’ decision against the Catholics probably did more harm to Mitt because the decision was made at the wrong time for Mitt and the right time for the voters because the voters have already been informed that Obama will give a one year reprieve before enforcing the contraceptive “law” only if he gets re-elected.
Maybe this helped Santo get a trifecta win?
I also wonder if the elites’ endorsement of Romney is one of the cause of low voter turnout as if there is a growing rift between the GOP establishment and the Tea Party.
Super! finally the real Conservative gets the vote. Newt and Romney are both big time Establishment guys.
I would hope the Newt would do the right thing and drop out and help clear the field for Santorum.
Romney is one mean nasty (traditional meaning) campaginer, I hope he has the guts to campaign that hard against Obama if he gets the nod.
another misstep by Romney in the last couple of days which didn’t get a whole lot of play, but which was big to anyone who considers themselves an economic conservative: in an attempt to placate the criticism of his statement about the “very poor”, Romney attempted to placate those critics by announcing his support of automatic indexed annual minimum wage increases.
This is horribly destructive to *any* small business, and destroys entry level jobs. It is hard core Teddy Kennedy liberal pandering, and it indicated that Romney, who’s strength is supposed to be economic management, Just Doesn’t Get It.
I’m more and more getting up for putting up a hard core social-con like Santorum and seeing what happens. As I said in a previous post, if the stock market continues to rise and the economy keeps getting better, Obama will probably win no matter who runs.
On the other hand…. if Greece blows up, and the EU blows apart, and Egypt and Syria go into civil war, and Iran and Israel go into a hot war, and China’s economy gets its hard landing as exports collapse, and the US sinks into a real depression –
We’re whistling past the graveyard right now, but there’s a more than decent chance that every one of those things happens in the next 6 months.
Hey! A great night for Santorum. Well done. Now the race gets interesting.
I agree that Romney has to do a better job of defining his role in the MassCare issues and articulate how he will be able to contrast himself with Obama. He needs to sell us that he will be able to sell himself in the general election.
Lurker: A question for you. How does a President repeal an exisiting law? Romney has said on day one that he’ll grant waivers to all 50 states. It will take an act from Congress to overturn Obamacare. That’s why its important to remember that we need the Senate as well as the Presidency. A GOP President that has to deal with Harry Reid in the majority won’t be able to get much done.
The entire media spin (and Santorum spin as well) on Romney’s poor and rich comments has not only been taken out of context, it has been misquoted.
Eg: I “care” how my son does in school but I am not “concerned” how he is doing. Why? Because right now he’s doing great. I don’t have any real reason to be concerned.
Same rationale for Romney. The rich are doing great and the poor have a safety net – its those in the middle that are getting squeezed which is why he said those are the people he is “concerned” about.
I have been disappointed with Santorum as he contrasts himself with Romney and makes points for himself pointing out that Romney is out of touch. His proof: “Romney’s statement that he doesnt ‘care’ about poor people or rich people.” A clever lie, but a lie nonetheless.
Romney tells us who he fears, launches attack ad against Newt in Ohio
http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/02/romney-tells-us-who-he-fears-launches-attack-ad-against-newt-in-ohio/
Last night was a huge game changer. Coming from 10 points behind in CO to win by five is huge. Robamaney coming in a distant third in MN is huge. Although MO was a non-binding primary if one wins by 15 yawn, but 30 is a big F*** deal. 55-25 is a sit up a take notice result. No inevitable candidate gets ONLY 25% in a one on one match up. There is no “if it was a real election we would get our people to the polls” spin.
The race is taking on a regional, geographic feel. Newt won the Florida Panhandle, and SC. He looks like he may make a comeback in Georgia, and possibly TN. OK may be a Newt – Rick battleground. Santorum is looking good in the midwest (Michigan, Ohio) so I don’t know why Robamaney is attacking Newt in Ohio?
All of a sudden, the AZ debate looms large.
Survey USA did a poll on 2/1 and 2/2 of Georgia. Right after the big Florida win and Newt was up by 13 on Robamaney. Unless Rick can cut into Newt’s vote total in Georgia, it looks like another state for Gingrich.
Newt’s days are numbered. He will not get much cash and will continue to sink.
John-Bob McDole has the GOP establishment behind him. Watch for the destruction cyle for Santorium begin. It will not be so easy he is no Newt.
IMO, it was a ‘perfect storm’ situation for Santorum, who is considered the ‘values’ candidate. His daughter Bella, was suddenly stricken with health issues, bringing heartfelt empathy his way. You had the ongoing Newt-Mitt battle wearing thin on people. Then Obama’s religious fiasco, pressuring churches to go against their own doctrines, in order to abide by an unpopular healthcare policy. All three events dovetailed into peoples’ gaze going from the media-blessed frontrunners to someone who has been lower-case in polls, during most of the primaries.
How long this will last, depends, it seems, on the news events of the day, and how the electorate feels about a given candidate when they collectively wake up every morning. It not only appears to be a confusingly dynamic primary, but also one based on voter fickleness. This changeability is less than comforting to me, as it indicates no solidarity or factual comprehension of what comprises each candidate’s ‘real’ skill sets. It all appears to be more of an emotionally induced selection process, which can be a dangerous way to really analyze a candidate’s internal character traits, mastery of complex issues, or long-term potential when it comes to the final contest in the GE.
But the Heatlthcare debacle in only beginning, as we find out what else is in that law. I guess this is what Nancy meant when she said we had to pass it to find out what’s in it.
CP, where is your sense of humor?
“winning” a state when fewer than 10% and closer to 5% of the voters even bother to vote doesn’t mean much.”
did you watch the super bowl game. what % of the people at the game participated? how many scored? did the results ‘really count’ with such a small number ‘actually participating’?
The way I see it. there have been 7 touchdowns, Rick has 4 of them, Romny 2, Newt 1. If I were in the game, i’d prefer to have the 4.
Rick will certainly get the tea partiers (an extremely strong force in 2010) behind them. He won’t get the GOP ‘elites’ (if there is such a thing) but he will certainly get the social cons. He will get the anti-obamacare votes.
So, just agree to vote for the Repub nominee, who ever that is..
Santorum has always suffered from Wasted Vote syndrome. Not after last night.