Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado results: A sweep for Santorum
Rick Santorum dealt an embarrassing setback to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign Tuesday night, sweeping non-binding contests across three states and raising new questions about conservatives’ willingness to accept Romney as their nominee.
Santorum beat Romney handily in the Missouri primary and Minnesota caucuses, and well after midnight on the East Coast he was also declared the winner of Colorado’s caucuses. He defeated Romney by 30 percentage points in Missouri, 55 percent to 25 percent; in Minnesota, Santorum took 45 percent to Ron Paul’s 27 percent and Romney’s 17 percent.
The margin in Colorado was the closest of the three contests — Santorum led by 5 points with 100 percent of precincts in. But that defeat may have stung the most for Romney, who led polling in the Western state, where his Mormon faith was expected to be an asset.
Just when it looked like Mitt was going to walk away with it, the GOP voters spoke up. They’re just not that into Mitt.
But Rick Santorum? Seriously?
Expect to hear the words “non-binding” and “beauty contest” quite a bit the next few days as the Republican establishment tries to stop the hemorrhaging of support for Romney. Counting Iowa, this gives Santorum four wins compared to three for Romney and one for Gingrich.
It won’t be easy to lose to Obama next November, but the Republicans seem determined to try.
The Crawdad Hole 
Headline at P&L’s facebook fanpage: RON PAUL won all 57 state caucuses last night! 😀
2 for Romney. Remember, Iowa was later granted to Santorum, too. Doesn’t it just suck that SANTORUM is their Hillary?
Imo Santorum is their John Edwards, in that he is appealing to the rightmost base.
Yep. They’re “Hillary” didn’t enter the race this time.
That is brilliant. So let’s speculate what his personal scandal will be. I think he mortifies his flesh with a hair shirt with bugs in it. That would be diametrically opposite of JE.
I think there will be ethics scandals – that seems to be the attack method of choice for tptb and Santorum relies on a holier than thou image.
I don’t really care that much anymore – I’d vote for Attila the Hun / Torquemada over Obama.
VM – the hillbuzz link goes into the scandal issues during Santorum’s Senator days. None seem to be fatal ?
Minor stuff, and Santorum actually does have some record of reform as a Senator.
I don’t really like him, but as I said, ABFO.
Good point. Of course, he’s getting the Hillary treatment. I just saw a headline that read: “Front-runner targets Santorum.”
Um, with four wins, doesn’t that make Santorum the front-runner?
Minnesota? MINNESOTA? Colorado (home of lots of verrry conservative religious groups) I get. Missouri, too. But Minnesota? Home of Jesse Ventura? I went to high school there for a while, and have no recollection of there being any significant number of people there who would comprise Santorum’s natural constituency. Clearly I have been gone a long time.
He may be more Bachmann than Pawlenty, and Bachmann always seemed to have strong conservative support in the state. This was also the state where Palin made her big impact debut at the convention.
Low turnout can skew results – less than 50,000 people voted in Minnesota yesterday.
Good point about Bachmann, who I must have wiped from my mind. I think Sarah Palin’s appeal is both broader and narrower than Santorum’s. Broader in that she has appeal to people who care about issues other than abortion. Narrow in that, if you really were gung-ho for Santorum’s plan to legislate morality, her record of declining to try to impose her own beliefs as governor might make a real right-winger less enthusiastic about her. I hope that makes sense. had to write it in three pieces thanks to The Most High Maintenance Infant Ever.
The Most High Maintenance Infant Ever
LOL
Yeah, I’m kind of kidding on the square. I’m sure I’ll look back on this and laugh… many years from now. : )
He couldn’t make up his mind if he was coming or going.
I can’t imagine Santorum as the GOP nominee BUT if he is, I would still vote for him against Obama.
ABFO
Sigh. Me too, ABFO 😀
Cripes, with just Romney and Paul on the VA primary ballot, Paul could possibly win now ! That would really mess with the GOP heads.
I want to mess with their heads, I’m voting for Paul. I can’t believe it either. 🙂
Ron Paul won several caucuses in Wa state back in 2008. There were some lawsuits over it from the other candidates who thought it wasn’t fair. This time Wa has completely canceled our primary and will only be using a caucus, so it’s possible Ron Paul could upset the apple cart.
I’ll vote for Ron Paul when and if it comes to it just to make sure he stays in the race. Some of the issues he’s talking about are paramount, and he’s on the right side of it. No, that’s not a pun or euphemism. He’s actually correct on stuff like civil libs, GWOT, the abuse & largess of the Fed, etc.
Don’t you just love the caucus system that represents less than 20% of a state’s population?
Think about the night workers, people with children, shut-ins like the elderly.
The there are the pushers and shovers. I remember the caucuses from the 2008 primaries. They are definitely draconian and unfair to the masses.
Clearly Mittens is NOT the choice of TPTB.
The DNC and the Obama campaign gave us a clear blueprint of how to install the nominee of their choice despite the voters and gaming caucuses was the most effective tool. So as this drags on it is becoming clear to me that we’re going to be stuck with the fraud for four more years. God help us all.
Sadly I agree. Romney can’t win IMO. And the other three have even less of a chance. I suspect TPTB tend to take turns and it’s Obama’s turn, just like it was HW’s turn in ’92, only this time around there isn’t a big dawg equivalent.
We’re so screwed.
ITA.
One thing I will say, this primary is fun to tweet about.
You’re a Twittering fiend!
LOL.
Btw, guess what, we are getting snow today. Oh noez.
I’m going to take a wild guess that in Pennsylvania, they put more than a TABLESPOON of sand onto the roads before they call it a day. Our little road hasn’t actually been plowed at all (the tablespoon of sand was for the main street up in town) and so it’s getting worse and worse even though there’s been very little new snow.
I think they must have tons of salt saved up — it has been a really warm dry winter so far.
This bumper sticker makes me LOL.
Four years ago, I opined that it would be harder for Republicans to install a candidate because their primary system doesn’t appear as designed for fraud as the Democrats. I think that’s what we’re seeing. Although someone brought up a good point about Romney: he won’t be as beholden to TPTB because he’s one of them. So maybe he isn’t the chosen one after all.
Curiouser and curiouser.
OT: This is interesting -a new political PAC to support conservative women. Looks like the battle to redefine the “party of women” is on. I credit the PUMAs for showing that women’s votes can not be taken for granted.
http://shepac.com/
Issa has been tweeting a link to this and now that I am reading it I can see why.
Claire Waites Employee of Baldwin County Public Schools (Alabama) and a 2004 & 2008 National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly Delegate
Testimony before the Full Committee U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
8 February 2012
Click to access 2-8-12_Full_Waites.pdf
political mafia stuff
Whoa, that is a big ass deal. More reasons unions–especially teachers unions–should die. I’m sorry, but people who work with at-risk populations should not be unionized EVER. That includes medical people, teachers, cops, etc. The risk for abuse in these fields is way too high for the level of “protection” a union provides. And unions are just no longer trustworthy with their own union members’ money. Mafia was absolutely the correct word. Right-to-work everywhere, I say.
I can’t imagine how mad I would be if I had been literally forced to donate to Obama’s campaign in 2008.
I blogged about public employee unions before and my point was that unions only exist with the support of the public. Private employees are unionized because it is the way for them to bring their issues in front of the government if their private sector employer is unfair. Public sector unions are already employed by the government. If the government isn’t being fair, they have the power to disband the unions anyway.
The real drawback of public employee unions is that even though the chief executives (mayors, governors and so forth) are the “bosses,” they are not responsible to the people paying the salaries. It is politically expedient for them to give into unions most of the time because it is not their money.
What happened to this woman was very wrong but it does not mean that unions aren’t necessary to assure the rights of working men and women. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I’m starting to think Obama helped Santorum last night 😀
It’s an interesting theory. I had it, too, but it would take Rube Goldberg levels of planning to get it to fall just the right way.
LOLOLOL.
Santorum just had a daughter in the hospital a couple weeks ago…
The conservatives I know would reward a candidate who gained their sympathy and also did the “right” thing.
Good ole’ Kevin of Hillbuzz says Santorum worth a second look.
http://hillbuzz.org/rick-santorum-won-himself-a-second-look-last-night-82834
For those not familiar with Kevin, he’s a former Hillary, then Sarah supporter. Like some of us, 2008 changed him from rabid liberal to Puma to Tea Party Independent supporter. He’s also a proud gay man from Chicago, so this second look at Santorum is an interesting read 😀
I am an out gay man as well who spent months going door to do and countless hours phone banking for Hillary back in 2008. Saint Torem
is acceptable to me. Wish there was another option but voting for him over obama will be easier than Romney. Although Roseanne Barr is looking better by the day.
So, you’d vote for a candidate who thinks that you should go to jail for having sex with your partner?
I loathe Obama and will not vote for him but I’d cut my arm off before I’d vote for nutbags like Santorum or Gingrich.
Wow, a Santorum sweep.That sure makes a statement about what conservatives think of Romney. It’s kind of refreshing to see some uppity voters out there refusing to do as they’re told.
“refusing to do as they’re told.”
I harbor great resentment towards the DNC for 2008. I have zero intention of getting over it. Gov Palin was my first R vote ever but she will not be the last. I liked the PUMA movement initially then it seemed to me to become a women’s thing. I can understand that given the undeniable sexism towards Hillary and then Sarah but it did alienate me. Why did it become a woman thing as opposed to a general distate for politics and the status quo?
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OT. My neighbor has a Chevy Volt. I asked how they like it and the first thing they make sure to tell me is that they didn’t buy it, the company issued it. LOL.
I am pretty fit for a 45 year old. Love my ten speed but I got fined for using my electric motor to go up one hill. I don’t drive but I bike in all kinds of weather. I live near trails that run along railroad lines so it is not usually a problem, but this time i went to the liqueur store to get several bottles. Camping type back pack laden with alcohol. Hundreds of pounds. Flat surface no problem but i live at the top of a small hill so i went electric and I got pulled over. Place has three cops on staff and one of them found me using an illegal motorized vehicle
😯
Best part was that he used the lights and siren. Told me to pull over out of a loudspeaker. I was on a ten speed already hugging the curb, No where to pull over. Situation is/was actually very funny as he demanded my ID and then went into his car and did a search on me. In the end all I got was an 85 dollar ticket.
I am trying to learn how to drive but in the interim I have spoken with the local church to hire someone older as a driver. A few hours per week to a retired person plus happy hour prices any time he/she would like to stop in.
You betcha the minister’s son was the cop who pulled me over for an electric bicycle
Of course it depends on the laws where you live, but where I live, we took the cops to court and won on the electric bike issue. In my state they are not regarded as vehicles, they are non motorized transportation, like a disabled person’s scooter. We had a couple of guys here who got tickets for riding electric bikes, took them to court, and won.
LOL! The pundits on TV were really piling on Santorum for the way he dresses. Wahhh, why can’t he wear a suit and look more presidential? It got kind of funny because they were acting like mean kids, “so what if he won, he dresses funny so there.”
In all honesty, those sweater vests are ridiculous.
Yes, but it’s rather funny. Of all the reasons to dislike Santorum people decide they don’t like him because….he wore a sweater vest??!
Frumpiness can almost be a plus now thanks to FLOTUS backlash.
It’s kind of reminiscent of the clothing criticism of Hillary and Sarah, though.
Hey VM: You’ll love this one:
😆
He is on FIRE today. Here’s my latest:
More Iowahawk
#ABGFail
Good grief, is this a-hole still around?? Give it up already, abg.
the Nobel Peace Price is becoming a sick joke. First backtrack for what they think he might do, now bradley manning?????
you can not make this up catagory
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/02/08/super-bradley-manning-for-the-wait-for-it-nobel-peace-prize/
I saw that. I hope they do it — the backlash would be so amusing.
Although, if you think about it, at least Manning did something to get himself nominated.
What the heck did Obama ever do to get a Peace Prize?
Well, both trashed the US to get famous.
yttk
i thought about challenging my 85 dollar fine and I was really pissed when I got it, Big picture though it does nor matter. In PA the law required that you purchase alcohol from a state store. I always intended to hire a retiree to drive me to the store. Ten hours per week at 8 an hour can really help someone on a fixed income.
If it’s like VA, for a very small motor scooter or small motor add on to a bike, you don’t need a license. You might want to double check your local requirements.
However if the motor is big enough, in VA you need a motorcycle license. Even if you’re only riding a scooter or motorized bicycle, I still recommend the motorcycle safety course (at least in VA and any like that). Way fun and well run. Frankly I wish that level of safety were required of car drivers. And you even learn how to ride well.
He gave a speech!
Sometimes I think about giving Obama a second look. Then I remember all the slimy ways he and his surrogates used the race card, and I come to my senses.
you will not believe this one
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/02/obama-appoints-illegal-immigrant-czar/
at this point I almost do not care who the republicans nominate, just get backtrack gone
This is what the Secret Service looks like
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mitt-romneys-secret-service-clobbers-potential-glitterbomber/
These “glitterbombers” could be potential acid throwers too. I don’t quite understand the message, but throwing anything at any politician should be treated as assault. I remember Tucson and pray for all our politicians (sh*theads that they are) safety.
another reason this coming election is so important
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/sp-threatens-us-another-downgrade-little-6-months
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/02/08/court-to-hear-arguments-about-pastors-testimony/
attack on the seal of confession
I’ve always thought that the laws protecting confessions to clergymembers were wrong. Truly penitant persons are willing to take the punishment for their sins.
In other words: you shouldn’t have a problem with the state knowing more and more about you if you don’t have anything to hide. Sorry, that’s BS.
In this case we’re talking about a fundamental tenant of a religion that says you can open up and confess things to gods representative just as if it were directly to god, knowing it will never go past that confession. For a state to get in the middle of that and break it apart is a pretty damn big violation of the separation of church and state.
In my mind church and state separations are mostly there to protect a church from the state destroying or redefining a religion to suit its purposes. Not to protect the state. That state will do just fine. I think that’s a fundamental thing many religions have wrong when they try to merge church and state. They will lose in the end if they do.
The testimonial privileges that exist in law (priest-penitant, doctor-patient, attorney-client, etc.) have a long history and a solid philosophical/policy basis. They are older than but related to the privilege against self-incrimination.