Santorum shakes up GOP race with three-for-three finish

[Geee]

Fox News:

The Republican presidential contest is a two-man race no more.

Rick Santorum proved that the 2012 primary election still has a few surprises left, after he went three for three in Tuesday’s contests and once again shook up the GOP nomination battle.

Santorum, in perhaps the biggest upset of the night, was declared the winner of the Colorado caucuses -- a contest Mitt Romney had been leading in recent polls and won in the 2008 race. The former Pennsylvania senator also won the Minnesota caucuses and the non-binding Missouri GOP primary.

 

The candidates head next into Maine, and later in the month to Arizona and Michigan. Santorum’s performance stokes questions about Romney’s appeal in some corners of the Republican Party but also puts the pressure on Newt Gingrich – as he challenges Santorum’s claim to be the “conservative” alternative to Romney.

Santorum, though, said Tuesday night in Missouri that he wasn’t looking to be the alternative to Romney.

"I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama,” Santorum said.

The three-for-three finish marked the best night of Santorum's campaign since Iowa, in which he was belatedly declared the winner.

Santorum said at his victory rally in Missouri that the night's results showed conservatism is "alive and well." Santorum used the victories to build his case that the Republicans need a nominee who can demonstrate "sharp contrasts" with President Obama -- something he claims the other candidates cannot do.

[Valin]

This is fun!

[Rokke]

"Santorum, though, said Tuesday night in Missouri that he wasn’t looking to be the alternative to Romney.

"I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama,” Santorum said."

 

I like that focus. It's not about slamming Republicans. It's about Obama.

[Valin]

@Rokke

 

Three Lessons from the ‘Beauty Contests’

The storyline changes again.

Jim Geraghty

 

(Snip)

 

For conservatives hoping to unite behind one Romney rival, Missouri offered a tantalizing look at what the race would be like if Gingrich and Santorum were not splitting that segment of the GOP electorate.

 

Gingrich was not listed on the Missouri ballot; he and his campaign said that they did not bother to qualify for it because they deemed the nonbinding contest irrelevant. Cynics may notice the Gingrich campaign’s inability to qualify for the ballot in Virginia and wonder just how deliberate their approach to Missouri was.

 

In the reduced field, Santorum didn’t just win, he thrashed Romney. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Santorum led in every Missouri county that was reporting results.

 

(Snip)

[Evad]

Once again the voters show that they are not interested in an "Obama Lite" candidate.

[Rokke]

Once again the voters show that they are not interested in an "Obama Lite" candidate.

 

This really throws the "Romney is the inevitable nominee" back under a rock. IF Romney responds to this by unleashing the dogs of negativity against Santorum, then he's learned nothing in the last week. He absolutely must start focusing on explaining what HE plans to do in the White House, and why he's better than Obama.

[Evad]

Once again the voters show that they are not interested in an "Obama Lite" candidate.

 

This really throws the "Romney is the inevitable nominee" back under a rock. IF Romney responds to this by unleashing the dogs of negativity against Santorum, then he's learned nothing in the last week. He absolutely must start focusing on explaining what HE plans to do in the White House, and why he's better than Obama.

Amen. I truly do not understand why they aren't pounding Zero EVERY day. He gives them more ammunition daily with whatever he says and does. It's like a gold mine of data.

It's almost like the football coach that saves a special play that he won't let the opposition see until he really needs it. Well, they need it now, not the week before the election!