Posted on 02/28/2012 7:48:25 PM PST by Red Steel
DETROIT, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Mitt Romney was a double winner Tuesday, capturing the Michigan and Arizona Republican presidential primaries, results showed.
The Detroit Free Press declared Romney the victor over his GOP rivals in Michigan.
With about 74 percent of the precincts counted, Romney had 317,258 votes (41 percent) to Rick Santorum's 286,530 (37 percent), results posted by the Free Press showed. Ron Paul was third with 88,521 votes (12 percent) and Newt Gingrich followed with 50,726 votes (7 percent). Another 2 percent voted "uncommitted" and a handful of votes went to several other Republicans who are no longer contenders.
CNN called Romney the winner in Arizona. With 71 percent of the vote counted, Romney had 191,182 votes (48 percent) to Santorum's 101,232 votes (25 percent). Gingrich was third with 65,182 votes (16 percent), with Paul bringing up the rear with 33,505 votes (8 percent).
Exit polls in the two states Tuesday had indicated electability was the top priority among Republican primary voters.
Thirty-three percent of Michigan voters said beating President Obama is the top priority when selecting a GOP nominee, while 38 percent of voters in Arizona said the same, CBS News exit polls indicated.
Romney and Santorum slashed at each other ahead of the Michigan primary, which was too close to call. The contest in his home state is seen as crucial to Romney and his claim of the front-runner's mantle.
Despite the closeness of the Michigan race, the Post said Romney was expected to win about three times as many convention delegates as Santorum Tuesday. Arizona is a winner-take-all primary. Michigan's 30 delegates are allotted proportionately to the primary winner in each of the state's 14 congressional districts. Arizona's winner picks up all of its 29 delegates.
The Washington Post said Romney was expected to garner 45 delegates from both contests, with Santorum picking up about 15.
Gingrich and Paul were not expected to win any delegates, and did not seriously campaign in the two states.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, have been shooting fireballs at each other in recent days.
Romney blasted Santorum's use of robocalls urging Democrats, who can vote GOP in Michigan, to vote for Santorum.
"I know why [President] Obama doesn't want me to face him but I just think it's outrageous and a terrible dirty trick at the last hour, by the way, late in the afternoon on the day before the election, maybe hoping no one would notice, they start sending out calls to Democrats, union members telling them to go into the Republican primary and vote against Mitt Romney," Romney told Fox News.
"This is a new low for his campaign and that's saying something," he added.
Santorum told Fox News Monday night he's just trying to attract the Democratic voters he'll need in November.
"When he runs a robocall of my voice from four years ago saying good things about him, that's not a low moment, and when I run a call basically saying, calling Democrats that are eligible to vote here, to vote for us, that's a low?" he said.
Whom his father admired is irrelevant to this thread. My point is, again, if your father was elected governor 3 times in a state 20 times larger in population that Alaska, you have a huge name recognition advantage. Losing to a man from PA would be a shock and a huge repudiation.
I think most of the people making this ridiculous vow that they’d rather have Obama; through with the R party, blah, blah, blah, are just venting and disappointed.
I hope so anyway.
Freudian much?
lilyfreeper wrote:
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do you truly believe little ricky can beat OB? Insanity.
>>
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Why, yes I do. Hell, I think my cat could beat Obama!
Think about it... What has the Marxist dictator done that a majority of American voters are clamoring for him to do for four more years?
A brokered convention is a distinct possibility.
"Electability" was what got John Kerry nominated, too.
Put Rubio on the ticket and I'll show up.
Free Republic down all day and now all I get is this lousy whining.
Michigan is proportional. Santorum got almost as many delegates as Romney.
But, anyway, you hate Santorum.
Once the conservative field consolidates, if it ever does, Romney will not win.
You people are worse than my husband.
You over-estimate intelligence of American voters.
47% do not pay federal income tax.
45 million are getting free food stamps.
20 million are collecting disability checks.
95% of blacks voted for 0Bama and 90%+ will do so again.
0Bama just told Hispanics, he has 5 more years to get them
everything they want..wink wink.
Oh yes, 0Bama will be tough to beat in 2012.
Agreeing with you 100%. As expected there is a lot of groans and even gnashing of teeth on FR. But it was much the same way when McCain became the nominee. It got pretty ugly here, and everyone seemed to lose any excitement they had about the election. That all changed the day he chose Palin as his VP. People on FR who knew who she was, were now doing cartwheels, and asking how to get yard signs. All we can hope for is Romney chooses his running mate very wisely.
I’m not sure how pushing Romneycare is any different from pushing Obamacare.
If my choices are both, I choose not to play. The stupid party has to earn my vote.
“All we can hope for is Romney chooses his running mate very wisely.”
Rubbish, sheer rubbish.
Why do we settle for this? We can do better, and we should insist on better.
Romney is a non-negotiable. The day that he passed Romneycare in MA is the day that he left my ballot. Had he chosen another path, then perhaps we could speak of things today.
I will not live under a regime that forces me to pay for abortion. McCain for all his flaws, never asked me to do so. Romney on the other hand does. This is why I cannot vote for him, and I will not support him.
We can fight, and we can win - but we are running out of time. We don’t have time to waste on picking someone.
I’ll correct my previous post.....Romney won Michigan in 2008 with 39%, McCain got 30% of the vote, and Huckabee got 16%.
So Romney did 2 points better in 2012 than he did in 2008.
Santorum did 8 points better than second place McCain in 2008.
We’ll see what happens next Tuesday.
“Put Rubio on the ticket and I’ll show up. “
Ditto.
Sure, but let me ask you a question.
Remember the number one rule of elections -
If it ain’t close they can’t cheat.
Why would we pin our hopes on a draw when we can fight for a win?
A few days ago?
You’re reading-challenged...
...for starters.
And my toenail clippings are wiser than you are.
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