Over the weekend we learned that, barring any crazy events, Mitt Romney will be the Republican Nominee for President. His delegate lead is huge, and the GOP leadership is falling in line behind him.
Yawn.
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Romney won Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Idaho. For all intents and purposes he tied in Ohio. He may or may not have won Alaska, I’m going to bed before that race is being called.
Vermont and Massachusetts are not in play in the general election, President Obama can easily win the election without winning Virginia or Alaska, and Idaho’s Mormon population had a lot to do with Mr. Romney’s success there.
What happened Thursday night is that Mr. Romney did not prove that he is a viable candidate. His performance among 2 key Republican constituencies, evangelical Christians and voters earning less that $50,000, is especially concerning for the former Governor. Those voters went to Rick Santorum in a way that is making the Romney campaign sweat tonight’s results.
You will know that Mr. Romney has finally won when there is a significant media consensus that his opponents ought to drop out. In the case of Mr. Gingrich, whose results were absolutely pathetic everywhere outside of his home state, the verdict is in. He should drop out. The same cannot be said for Mr. Santorum.
If Mr. Gingrich leaves the race, and the anti-Romney supporters are able to combine their numbers, they might be able to knock off Romney in a few key states. The Santorum campaign is actively trying to convince Mr. Gingrich to end his campaign. With Santorum’s continuing high popularity among religious and middle class Republicans, and the prospect of Mr. Gingrich dropping out, there is no reason for Mr. Santorum to drop out.
Until he does, or the media declares his campaign to be dead, the race goes on.
Noah Karr Kaitin is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He may be reached at [email protected]. The Hill is a politics blog that aims to stimulate discussion on today’s most pressing issues, be they related to Cornell or national affairs. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, please contact [email protected].
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Original Author: Noah Karr-Kaitin