Super Tuesday
Today’s the day that voters in ten states go to the polls with a total of 419 Republican delegates up for grabs in Georgia, Ohio, Alaska, Oklahoma, Idaho, Tennessee, North Dakota, Idaho, Virginia, and Vermont.
That’s only half the number that were at stake in 2008’s Super Tuesday. But it’s still quite a few. They’re allocated proportionately now rather than winner-take-all, and polling shows that the most closely contested states are Ohio and Tennessee.
The accepted wisdom is that Santorum probably must win both to remain viable. Gingrich almost certainly will win Georgia, but it’s hard to see how that could change things for him unless Tennessee comes along for the ride, and even then it’s hard to see a path for him to become the eventual nominee. Paul—well, he’ll win some delegates and perhaps even a caucus state like North Dakota, but he’s still not going to be the nominee nor will he drop out.
The more interesting question is when and if Gingrich will withdraw; I predict it won’t be soon. And what will the turnout be?
[ADDENDUM: Drew M at Ace’s has a lot of good suggestions for changes in the primary rules. Don’t sit on a hot stove till they get implemented, though.]
If they withdraw before all the votes are in, then basically they just wasted our time and the time of a bunch of voters who didn’t even get a chance to cast their preference. That’s the “new way” of doing things in this nation, of course. Where elections don’t matter in the least. And if the Republcians will grow this harvest, think of what the Demoncrats have been planning.
BC. SP.