Posted on 03/03/2012 4:09:17 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
In a potentially ominous Super Tuesday setback for Rick Santorum, a campaign filing mishap in Ohio could leave him ineligible to be awarded 18 Buckeye State district delegates -- more than a quarter of the total at stake there, ABC News reported Friday.
Ohio has 66 delegates total, with 63 at stake on Tuesday. Santorum failed to qualify for any district delegates in three Ohio congressional districts representing nine delegates because he didn't turn in names there.
ABC News reported that in six other congressional districts, the former Pennsylvania senator's campaign submitted fewer names than required to be eligible for all three delegates up for grabs in each district. That would put another nine delegates in jeopardy.
Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley responded to the report by issuing a statement that sought to depict the issue as a continuation of a controversy in Michigan. Santorum contends he and Mitt Romney should have split the delegates evenly in that state, but party officials there awarded Romney 16 and Santorum 14 in a move that the latter has decried as dirty politics and is contesting.
"The attempt by the establishment to to deceive the voters of Ohio and further their hand-picked candidate will be met with resistance on Tuesday," Gidley said. "I want to be clear -- Rick Santorum's name will appear on every ballot in the state of Ohio, and every vote cast will go towards his at-large delegate allocation.
"As it relates to individual congressional districts, it's clear we aren't the establishment hand-picked candidate, and back in December we were a small effort focused on Iowa. Now that we've won several states, obviously much has changed, and we feel confident that we will do well in both the delegate and popular vote count on Tuesday."
But a Romney spokesman seized on the report as further evidence that Santorum is a vastly inferior candidate.
"Rick Santorum has failed to get on the ballot in Virginia, has failed to file full delegate slates in Tennessee, New Hampshire and Illinois, and has failed to submit enough delegates in several Ohio congressional districts," said the spokesman, Ryan Williams, alluding to other Santorum logistical pitfalls. "The fact that he cannot execute the simple tasks that are required to win the Republican nomination proves that Rick Santorum is incapable of taking on President Obama's formidable political machine."
If he wins in a district where he failed to allocate a full slate of three delegates, Santorum would be eligible to take only the delegates he has already allocated in that district. But the unallocated delegates would not be awarded to anyone else.
"On Super Tuesday, if Sen. Santorum were to carry a district where he has not seated a full delegate slate, he will be awarded delegates where he has submitted delegate names," Ohio Republican Party spokesman Chris Maloney told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland. "And the additional delegates in that district will be unallocated."
Such a situation, The Plain Dealer said, sets up challenges -- if not from Santorum, then from political rivals such as Romney or Newt Gingrich.
The Ohio state party told the newspaper it has not faced this situation before, but it has been reviewing its bylaws and is prepared, if there is a challenge, to convene what it calls a "committee on contests."
But Romney, Paul and Gingrich all have full slates. OHIO is a prize not to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile in Georgia: In a tough call, Newt Gingrich gets my vote
What we really need is for all of our VA Freepers to vote for PAUL!
Still trying to figure out the TN delegate problem for Santorum. I found this interesting story, but it is very convoluted.
http://tennesseeticket.com/2012/02/27/how-to-pick-delegates-for-santorum-in-tennessee/
So... VA, OH, TN, all with ballot or delegate problems. We know that Santorum was able to get on the ballot in IN but the question is, are there ANY OTHER states out there that hold this kind of problem for Santorum or Gingrich?
For sure. Romney has no chance of winning against Obama. Zero. Zip. Nil.
If he does somehow win then nothing will really change. There will be not enough principles conservatives in Congress do change anything. Romney won't be like Obama and just magically mandate things.
Conservatives should take a long view of this and realize that the enemy is the political system. It virtually guarantees that power will be split forever among Democrats and Republicans with Democrats the majority. Society is geared to churn out liberal democrats.
A real coalition has to be built with the goal of peaceful destruction of the political system in place. That shouldn't be hard to do. Communists thought about this about a hundred years ago here in the US and now they've almost completed it. It's too late in the game to do anything about it.
It will be interesting to see the reaction if Santorum gets teh most votes and Romney walks with the most delegates.
There may be, but nobody will know until it is determined what Mitt may need for proper boost. LOL
You are right. The only thing that could be done is start another party. That takes time and it isn’t going to happen for 2012. Things like this take patience and years.
We would also have to groom really good candidates that haven’t been tainted by the GOP and their personal past.
Here is an old article (I don’t know if it will give you more information or make it more confusing).
http://www.capitalfreepress.com/4580-gingrich-santorum-missing-delegates-ballot-access/
Across the board, this is IMO the worst example of a Presidential primary I`ve ever seen. The one “success” each has had is making the others unelectable.
Poor Ricky. But ... Newt blew it too — in Virginia! Incompetence in understanding the process in EVERY State and district is what will give the nomination to Romney.
That is true but there is so much corruption in the voting system... we read about the ones that get caught... but that is just the tip of the iceberg.
LLS
Something I've told phone bank callers from the Republican Party requesting $$$. I tell them I'm giving to individual candidates and to the Republican Governors' Association but NOT to the GOP.
Personally I don’t think the GOP intends to win the white house this time anyway. Too many races get manipulated in favor of Romney and the GOP has to know he won’t win the general election.
I don’t think Newt or Rick are incompetent. Shame you do.
The rules keep changing and both have been cheated.
The problem for Newt and Rick from the start was money and a ground game.
But we are finding out that it all may not matter because these little things keep happening to keep them down.
WoW...and these guys (Newt and Rick) aren’t on the ballot in Virginia because of their own incompetence.
People in Ohio ought to vote for the guy who at least shows you the respect that at least he is prepared to run for President.
Thats like having one job and three people show up and only one is wearing a hard hat that is required.I’m hiring the guy who came prepared.I’m voting for Mitt at least he came prepared to work.
I hope everyone votes for Santorum anyway. It says if he wins in districts that he wins then NOBODY gets the delegates. That is why Romney is upset. haha. Santorum is working to ensure that Romney does not take the state of Ohio. Look folks. In Ohio, it is either Santorum or Romney and the last thing I want is Romney getting the delegates so if Santorum takes the delegates even if he doesn’t get credit for them than I am glad.
A true Mittbot has spoken.
How come Mitt has to keep correcting all the verbal mistakes he makes?
Ha he a problem understanding questions asked to him? Or is it or the cluelessness of his answers?
I mean, I know it is hard being on sides of all issues, but really.
Palinistas were organized in every state on her behalf, just waiting for the official word to get the necessary signatures and file the paperwork.............and she wasn’t even an official candidate!
How do these announced candidate idiots not know the rules and why aren’t they organized in advance?
Say what you want about the dems, but they know the rules (and how to get around them)
We sit there and wait, and then get surprised when something goes wrong.
Non one anticipates problems?
Are you insane? You are voting for Romney because he has been running for 4 years and has the entire GOP and establishment media on his side. You are crazy. Sorry but you are. He is a liberal. I will NOT vote for Romney even in the general. I will write in Sarah, Newt, Cain, or Santorum (not sure which yet), but one of those 4 will get my write in if Newt or Santorum do not get the nomination. I will NEVER vote for Romney. Shame on you for voting for a jerk like Romney.
Romney supporter here! Disgusting.
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