Romney Races to Defend Michigan [Panic Time For Romney: Should Newt Endorse Santorum?]

Wall St. J ^ | February 14, 2012 | JOSEPH B. WHITE AND NEIL KING JR.

[Steelfish]

FEBRUARY 15, 2012 Romney Races to Defend Michigan State Up for Grabs as Santorum Surges

BY JOSEPH B. WHITE AND NEIL KING JR.

[Subscriber Content Preview] DETROIT—Amid signs Rick Santorum could win an upset victory in Michigan, Mitt Romney escalated his campaign to win the state's Republican primary by taking on the powerful auto union and reigniting the debate over the federal bailouts of two Detroit auto makers.

Mr. Romney, writing in a Detroit News editorial-page column Tuesday, attacked as "crony capitalism on a grand scale" the Obama administration's $81 billion auto-industry bailout nearly three years ago.

The salvo comes as Mr. Santorum is surging in polls nationally as well as in Michigan. A Santorum win in Michigan's Feb. 28 primary, a week before the March ...

[SoConPubbie]

I'm afraid just the opposite is true. If both stay in and semi-equal, the notMitt vote is split and Mitt wins.

I respectfully disagree.

If either drops out, Mitt will be able to handily destroy the remaining candidate by being able to solely focus on that one remaining candidate. He still has millions to throw into the campaign for dirty campaign tactics.

[VinL]

Hey Titan- yeh, I didn’t think they would go for it either. -:)

I tried to ping you on the WSJ report that Adelson was giving Newt money, but I had your name spelled incorrectly.

[ReneeLynn]

Should have changed that to “Why should Newt endorse Santorum?” Endorse? For pete’s sakes!

[D-fendr]

I don’t think the math is in favor of that position.

Crazy primary this year.

thanks for your reply.

[TEXOKIE]

I found this one interesting. It is by a Gingrich team insider, entitled, “Evans: How Gingrich Wins the GOP Nomination”

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/evans-gingrich-wins-nomination/2012/02/13/id/429318

[okie01]

As long as both are in the race, Mitt has to focus on both, he has no choice. He has to divide his resources and his attention.

Exactly. Moreover, Santorum and Gingrich are free to concentrate on those states where they each have the best chance of winning -- putting up token opposition in the states they are each likely to lose.

Gingrich's and Santorum's competitive problems are lessened, while Romney's are doubled.

By the same token, it's way too early for conservative voters to be committing to one or the other. We should all recognize that a.) we don't know yet whether Newt will implode and b.) we don't know yet whether Santorum can hold up over the long haul.

Why make tht decision until you have to?

Certainly, there is no need to make it before April 1 -- when some primaries become "winner take all".

[ari-freedom]

Newt could win once he realizes it’s not a good idea to attack RINO Romney from the left.

[Gator113]

“................ Mr. Santorum is surging in polls nationally as well as in Michigan.”

This too shall pass.

[Lucas McCain]

“Newt’s negatives are beyond repair.”

---

You’re full of crap!

Santorum, although ideologically much better than Obama, would be in way over his head. We don’t need another man-child in the presidency.

[freedomfiter2]

Newt’s negatives are beyond repair.

He’s spent a lifetime building them up.

[freedomfiter2]

As long as both are in the race, Mitt has to focus on both, he has no choice. He has to divide his resources and his attention.

As long as both are in the race he won’t lose decisively.

[hinckley buzzard]

Elect Santorum President, but let Newt lead the charge.

Excellent example of why the GOP is headed for defeat, engineered not by "the establishment" but by conservatives.

If Newt is the man to lead the charge then he is the man to be president, not some weaselly Ashley Wilkes waiting in the wings for Newt to do all the heavy lifting and taking the flack.

[freedomfiter2]

If either drops out, Mitt will be able to handily destroy the remaining candidate by being able to solely focus on that one remaining candidate.

The only reason Mitt could destroy Newt is that conservatives had another candidate that they could turn to. If Newt dropped out, it wouldn’t matter what Romney did.

[hinckley buzzard]

we don't know yet whether Santorum can hold up over the long haul.

Yes. Even now the Leftwing enemy is probing Santorum's defenses, looking for weakness, vulnerable issues, potential checkmate gambits. I see the possibility of several, and assess Santorum's chances of winning the White House at 5% or less.

[Linda Frances]

Some have suggested that if Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum were to drop out of the presidential race, their supporters would combine to provide the votes needed defeat Mitt Romney. Polling suggests this is not necessarily the case.

A recent poll in South Carolina suggests that a significant number of Gingrich supporters would back Romney if Gingrich left the race, or if Santorum left the race a significant number of his supporters would also back Romney.

[SoConPubbie]

The only reason Mitt could destroy Newt is that conservatives had another candidate that they could turn to. If Newt dropped out, it wouldn’t matter what Romney did.

See post #35.

[SoConPubbie]

As long as both are in the race he won’t lose decisively.

Once again, see post #35.

[napscoordinator]

Why would Gingrich endorse Santorum, Gingrich is still in the race.

I think they mean for Michigan only since Gingrich is not running there. Kinda what Santorum did for Newt in Florida since Santorum was not running in Florida.

[ansel12]

I missed Santorum endorsing Gingrich in Florida.

[JoSixChip]

"Kinda what Santorum did for Newt in Florida since Santorum was not running in Florida."

I must have missed that, because what I saw was santorum stand almost unnoticed on the sidelines. Only coming out of the shadows long enough to launch unprovoked attackes and then slinking back into the shadows. It seemed very opportunistic and sleazy to me.