Santorum Another Trifecta in OK,TN, and ND. Ohio Too Close To Call {Should Gingrich Withdraw?]

March 06, 2012

[Mariner]

No.

Santorum would be the worst thing that ever befell the GOP.

Besides he has fewer COMMITTED delegates than Gingrich. It's all about delegates.

Anyone who believes Rick Santorum can win a general election, or even avoid a turn of the GOP House to democrats is delusional beyond belief.

He and his supporters are my political enemies.

[Steelfish]

So the voters of IA,CO,MO,TN,OK,ND, and almost half the primary voters in MI and bellweather OH are “delusional beyond belief” even though Santorum is connecting with Rust-Belt state voters and according to USA-Gallup is trailing Santorum by just 3 points.

What is the basis for your crystalline rationality? Gingrich has an unbridgeable gender gap and just as much a large divide with working women and independents, and his southern strategy is up in flames placing him a distant 3rd or 4th in TN and OK, and analysts on the Fox Panel believe his presence in MI and OH, has allowed Romney to win and gain the necessary momentum. So unless you can provide us with some rational basis for what you say, we must think that if your guy does not win, or worse, brings us Romney, and yet you conclude that the rest of us including the Santorum voters are your “political enemies”

Your illogic is inescapable.

[Mariner]

"So the voters of IA,CO,MO,TN,OK,ND, and almost half the primary voters in MI and bellweather OH are “delusional beyond belief” "

Yes, absolutely.

This is why Romney is the certain nominee.

All Gingrich votes and all Paul votes that continue to vote...will go for Romney over Santorum.

For most Santorum is seen as the greater danger.

OK, if not all, at least 90%.

This is not advocacy, just my observation.

[Mmogamer]

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

[Pinkbell]

It’s over. The split worked. Romney won.

[red flanker]

You conveniently left out the fact that the GOP establishment (Dole, Abrams, Bush) orchestrated a co-ordinated smear of Newt during the week of the critical Florida election. Those smears were equivalent of millions of dollars in negative ads directly aimed at Republican voters who were favorable to Newt by double digits after his South Carolina blowout win.

Rick, by contrast, hasn't experienced anywhere the degree of smears by the GOP establishment because he is mostly aligned with those in Washington.

[Steelfish]

Carl Cameron just said on FoxNews that the Romney camp is very happy to know that Gingrich is still in the race.

So dear Mariner, you continue to assert that all of us, Santorum voters and supporters here in FR, and respected news reporters and even the Romney camp are all “delusional beyond belief” because at this stage of the game we believe it is Gingrich who is splitting the conservative vote, his “southern strategies” is in tatters having placed third and fourth in OK and TN, he continues to undermine Le Resistance by allowing Romney to squeak through in WA, AZ, MI, and now in bellweather OH leading to an inevitable clinching of the nomination.

Santorum has won in several key states across a geographical spectrum, he’s winning blue-collar “Rust-Belt” voters that went for Obama in 2008, and you keep saying “Santorum is the greater danger.” Having campaigned vigorously and spent a bundle of his own and super-pac money in GA, Gingrich could not get to a 50% threshold in his home state of GA, and yet you say that “Santorum is the greater danger”? than Obama?

So pray tell us how do you reach this conclusion?

[Kevmo]

So pray tell us how do you reach this conclusion?
***I think Mariner reaches that conclusion because he is a bandwagon jumper. He can’t think for himself. He waits until the leader decides and then he pushes with all his might to bully others into joining the cause, behind the leader. It’s an authoritarian personality thing. That’s why you’ve got nothing but crickets so far.

[Lazlo in PA]

Rick, by contrast, hasn't experienced anywhere the degree of smears by the GOP establishment because he is mostly aligned with those in Washington.

You obviously haven't payed attention to the 24/7 slams on Rick for his religious beliefs from the MSM, twisting them to fit their distorted views and the constant barrage of attack ads from Milt since MI. Romney outspent Rick 5-1 by some accounts in OH. Rick still continues to soldier on winning states (plural), picking up delegates and challenging Milt hard.

[Lauren BaRecall]

Romney is pulling a McCain, i,e, running as a conservative, but will go back to his true nature if he should win. Romney will make us suffer, and I'm not exaggerating.

[Lazlo in PA]

No need for defeatism yet. There are a few states left that do not look good for Milt coming up. It could even out the delegate count between Rick and Milt.

[Lauren BaRecall]

Yes, it’s time for Newt to suspend his campaign. Very good vanity you wrote.

[trappedincanuckistan]

“by allowing Romney to squeak through in WA, AZ, MI, and now in bellweather OH”

Baloney.

Santorum couldn’t even beat Ron Paul in Washington, and finished 3rd.

Newt Gingrich didn’t even campaign in Arizona, and Rick couldn’t beat Romney.

Rick blew big leads in both Michigan and Ohio by blowing debates, putting his foot in his mouth, and not getting enough signatures to field delegates. Newt barely campaigned in either.

Get a grip.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It is troublesome. The Washington Times chief reporter said that after being vanquished in Mississipi and Alabama (if it comes to that) Newt Gingrich essentially will be out. Even as it was per tonight, he stated that out of 18 contests so-far in 2012, Newt Gingrich has won only two of them, and even at that, one his home state as might be expected, and the other just in the state next to his home state(SC). He cannot seem to get the traction outside of those narrow geographic parameters in his classification as an anti-Romney. But the decision to stay in is up to Newt Gingrich, whether he continues to want to jeopardize the nomination for all conservatives and end up having Mitt Romney as the standard bearer, in which case we all suffer, or take a risk, and see if Rick Santorum can carry the fire all the way to Tampa. Maybe he needs to "take one for the team", I don't know. One does wonder.

As for the RS team, we need to continue to run lean, mean, grassroots, small-donations, a political guerilla warfare movement straight out of Sun Tzu combined with Ross Perot, George Wallace and Ronald Reagan, all different in their own regard, but each with political lessons. It can be done. Romney can be knocked off kilter, the GOP Establishment and MSM made apoplectic:

[Kit cat]

I really, really, wanted Newt to bring this home, however I am with you now, Rick is actually working his heart and soul out!!! Romney CAN NOT
win the election, so I am ready willing and very able to back Santorum!!!!
If Santorum puts a Rubio, or Newt on his ticket that would be great!!!!!
I will not vote for Romney if the Pope is on the ticket!!!!

[Kit cat]

Romney can not win the General either!!!!So I say BACK Santorum and
get someone GREAT on his ticket!!! I am VERY sad I thought Newt
could pull this off but his campaign is a mess. If he can’t take the south
WE ALL need to change course!!!!

[Lazlo in PA]

Rick blew big leads in both Michigan and Ohio by blowing debates, putting his foot in his mouth, and not getting enough signatures to field delegates.

Rick did no such thing. He was outspent 10-1 in some cases by the Romney smear machine. The same one that seems to have permanently crippled Newts campaign after SC. Rick still won states, delegates and challenged Milt very closely in MI and OH.

Newt barely campaigned in either.

Right there might be Newts real trouble. His campaign is a shambles. This concept of a "Southern Strategy" that everyone has been selling here the last week was put to the test tonight. It included winning TN and OK. It failed. Now what is his plan? California. Like that is going to happen.

[Guenevere]

This is so true.

Through the years I've been here, I've generally thought of Freepers as level headed .....

...but some of them lately are so star struck with Newt, they have forgotten to put the good of the country ahead of their idol.......tis a pity.--
I know many here like Newt....Newt is a likeable guy.....

..unfortunately a select few will resort to name calling and bullying to get their point across.

But Rick Santorum will press on toward the goal, regardless of Newt's decision to remain.....

..It will be harder, but I believe Rick Santorum can do it!!...GO RICK!

[Guenevere]

I'm a very small part, and proud of it..

..I'm doing exactly what you suggest...

Donating time, money, effort, heart and prayers to this campaign....

Rick Santorum loves the hearts of grass roots America!!

[muawiyah]

With no Conservative at all in the Race, Mit received RECORD LOW NUMBERS in Virginia!

Only 1/10 of the usual number of primary voters showed up.

That's Romney's true "strength level" ~ less than 10% ~ it's only when there's competition that he gets above that.