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Tonight will feature three state events related to the Republican Presidential primary. Colorado and Minnesota will both be holding their caucuses this evening starting at 7 pm local time.
In addition there is a totally non-binding primary in Missouri. Polls close at 7 pm local time. It is purely a beauty contest that will have no direct or indirect impact on delegates. As a result Newt Gingrich decided not to get on the ballot for this event. Most expect turnout to be extremely low in Missouri.
The official process for delegates selection in Missouri will begin with the March 17th caucus. If you are interested, Chris Good at ABCnews.com explains how idiotic political wrangling resulted in the state wasting millions on this meaningless contest.
PPP did the only recent polling of these three events. They found Mitt Romney with a big lead in Colorado and Rick Santorum leading in Minnesota and Missouri. From PPP:
Rick Santorum could be headed for a big day in today’s contests in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. Missouri looks like a probable win for Santorum. He’s at 45% there to 32% for Mitt Romney and 19% for Paul. Minnesota provides an opportunity for a win as well. Currently he has a small advantage with 33% to 24% for Romney, 22% for Newt Gingrich, and 20% for Ron Paul. And Santorum should get a second place finish in Colorado, where Romney appears to be the likely winner. The standings there are Romney at 37%, Santorum at 27%, Gingrich at 21%, and Paul at 13%.
Santorum’s personal popularity is the main reason for his sudden reemergence as a relevant player in the GOP race. In all 3 of these states his favorability is over 70%- 74/17 in Minnesota, 72/17 in Missouri, and 71/19 in Colorado. He’s far better liked than his main opponents- Romney’s favorability is 47-60% in those states and Gingrich’s is 47-48%. While Romney and Gingrich have hammered each other in recents weeks Santorum’s been largely left alone and he’s benefiting from that now.
Tonight could be a big night for the Santorum campaign with him coming in first or second in all three events. Doing well tonight will probably give Santorum his single best chance to convince people that he and not Newt Gingrich should be viewed as the most viable Romney alternative before Super Tuesday.
28 Comments
And the winnah is…
On one level, I actually hope that Santorum wins. It would put him under a MUCH brighter light of investigation. Perhaps his Opus Dei membership would either be confirmed, or refuted.
Which will be more harmful to the environment- the Republican worms running for President or these worms in Japan?
Cesium detected in worms near Fukushima plant
Researchers say high levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in earthworms caught in areas around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The researchers from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute checked cesium levels in earthworm samples they collected at 3 locations.
The institute says about 19,000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram of worms were detected in Kawauchi Village 30 kilometers from the plant, about 1,000 becquerels in Otama Village, 70 kilometers from the plant, and 290 in Tadami Town, 130 kilometers away.
The institute says the cesium levels rise in proportion to the radioactive levels of top soil containing decomposed leaves, the worms’ feed.
The reading in Kawauchi was higher than the 146,000 becquerels per kilogram detected in a wild boar in Fukushima Prefecture. The radioactive level in the animal is 30 times the official limit.
The chief researcher at the institute, Motohiro Hasegawa, says boars, birds and other forest animals feed on earthworms. He says the radioactive impact on these creatures will need to be constantly monitored to prevent contamination through the food chain.
The froth-man cometh? Errrrr, scratch that.
Santorum up-ends Romney? No, not enough…
Watch for Legacy Media to ignore the non-binding nature of these events. It’s important to keep in mind that a protracted competition brings more eyeballs to their silly graphic displays and musical montages. So, tonight’s results will be a BIG DEAL if someone other than Romney shows any strength at all, despite the fact that no actual bound delegates are chosen.
featuring Rick “so, dumb-eyes” Santorum
To this day I can’t believe when asked by Santorum, “What do you think of my running for president?”, that anyone, ANYONE replied, “I think that’s a great idea Rick.” If this guy was running for president of my tennis club I wouldn’t vote for him.
From the article: “Santorum’s personal popularity is the main reason for his sudden reemergence.”
————–
I can’t believe ANYBODY actually WROTE that with a straight face. This guy thinks adultery should be ILLEGAL. He thinks contraception should be ILLEGAL.
Incorrect. Santorum is incapable of coherent thought.
Since I have no good reason to follow the Republican talkfests, I don’t know if Santorum has been kind or gentle towards Mitt. Could he be hoping for a VP slot? The only thing slightly better than any Republican as president, is any current extremist Republican (which is nearly all of them we read about) in any office. Are there any moderate Republicans out there anymore?
I don’t even think Obama is “left” enough to qualify as a moderate Republican. A better question might be: Are there any candidates who aren’t corporate puppets/whores?
Agree. Those worms could grow so big that they’ll be eating whales.
Dude, you are back! And in such fine form today.
Is that his official US Senator photo?
Off I go.
Life in Minnesot-ah, doncha know?
No Veal Pen politics for this boy.
Grin
Is there a blog where Progressives aren’t just spewing emotive garbage?
“Santorum is incapable of coherent thought.” No, he is; when he stands up against the free market extremists and says that we need progressive taxation and the GOP cant be the party that forgets the working man. He very coherently lays out a case that we should attack Iran; it is akin to evil and jarringly apposite the teachings of Christ, but coherent none the less.
“From the article: “Santorum’s personal popularity is the main reason for his sudden reemergence.”
————–
I can’t believe ANYBODY actually WROTE that with a straight face. This guy thinks adultery should be ILLEGAL. He thinks contraception should be ILLEGAL.”
The article references his personal appeal (sweater vest, personal decency, family man struggling with soon to be dead child)
the poster chides the article with references to unpopular policies…
this is the same shit that killed Daily Kos.
but, but, but Obama’s position on same sex marriage is still “evolving.” Don’t give up on President Bipartisan, just think of the alternative.
“In addition there is a totally non-binding primary in Missouri.”
What is a totally non-binding primary?
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, here’s a primer of current state representative, ALEC voter ID bill point woman, and former state Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, and twelve ways she tried to disenfranchise Minnesotans during her time as “Madam Secretary” (a title she insisted her staff and others use when addressing her).
“What is a totally non-binding primary?”
A waste of time and money. Something the Republicans controlling the Missouri legislature are apparently fond of committing.
tee hee!
Phoenix Woman,
I get that it’s a waste, but what is the purpose?
How are their delegates chosen?
I posted a diary saying Santorum was ‘cockblocking’ Newt on behalf of Romney by continuing his weak sauce campaign. Oops. Mea culpa
I enjoy watching this fratricide continue
Invest in Jiffy Pop. As long as the country is going to go to heck in a handbasket over the next 4 years(and lets be clear, left, right, Democrat or Republican, it’s likely we the people are screwed) we might as well get some sort of entertainment out of the process.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/02/why-missouri-is-holding-a-meaningless-primary/
Such a frothy indulgence!
Anyone who supposedly adheres to the dictates of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church of repression and pedophilia is not to be taken seriously. Santorum is a tool and a particularly ineffective one, as well. If you believe the bullshit he and our government spew in regards to Iran, enough said.