If anything, Mitt underperformed. Maine is hardly an hour’s drive from Massachusetts.
Gingrich would perform spectacularly badly in the northeast, and Santorum not much better. That means that ALL of the state legislators and U.S. reps would fear a non-Romney candidacy for fear of how it would effect them. Winning the presidency is secondary, and losing bodies in the south and heartland doesn’t even enter into the calculus.
The below map shows how we did in the northeast in 2004. We don't pick our presidential candidates based on how they will perform in the northeast or on the west coast. If Republicans are winning in those states, it must be because they have unique RINO appeal to those constituencies even when they don't like the president. So we could expect the same thing to happen here, they would show up to vote against the conservative Republican president but will still vote for their local RINOs.
the north east, ARF, it’s like another country anyway.
To be honest if the north east left and joined Quebec I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep.
I remember that recent polling puffily claimed that Mr. Inevitable had 58% but he wound up with 39%. The forks are on the table and the toaster is all heated up and ready. Buh-bye, Mutt!