Posted on 03/06/2012 1:59:32 PM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP
In the days leading to Super Tuesday contests, Rick Santorum stepped away from social issues and bombastic speeches while barnstorming Ohio to recast himself as the underdog whose blue-collar roots would stay true to American values.
Yet the former senator from Pennsylvania lost ground, slipping to a near dead heat with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Ohio, the key state among 10 in which voters will cast ballots today, pollsters said.
"I thought his message has become so unclear on who he is or what he stands for that I am losing confidence on his ability to win the election in November," Dana Kasel, 43, of Perrysburg, Ohio, a Czechoslovakia native who became a U.S. citizen, said of Santorum. "It was his talk about how his grandfather realized the American dream that attracted me."
In a weekend poll of 753 likely GOP primary voters, Romney pulled ahead of Santorum, 34 percent to 31 percent -- a 10-point shift in one week, said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The survey's 3.6-percentage-point margin of error "makes the Ohio race too close to call, but Romney is the one with the wind at his back," Brown said. (Snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
"Wishy-washy," said Terry DeGarmo, 58, a Chillicothe businessman. "The only person he can blame is himself. It is his own words that have made me rethink my support."
His deeply conservative stances on seemingly settled social issues, such as his dislike for contraception, haven't been helpful, even in a Republican primary," Kondik said.
"It now appears that Mitt Romney will win Ohio," Kondik said, comparing the state's dynamic to Michigan a week ago, when Romney turned a polling deficit into a lead by delivering a consistent message and pounding Santorum with advertising.
"That said, the race is not over," he cautioned. "There's little indication that Santorum, former Speaker Newt Gingrich or Texas Congressman Ron Paul are contemplating leaving the race."
Shifting support
Polls in Ohio, released on the eve of Super Tuesday, show Rick Santorum's 11-point lead over Mitt Romney collapsed in one week. Support for Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul remained steady.
We still need to vote against Romney in Ohio, as well.
If possible, we MUST deny him that headline.
GO NEWT!!!
This Ohioan voted Gingrich.
I suspect Romney will win Ohio.
Santorum may now lose to Romney in Ohio - do you consider it good news, or bad news?
To bad, so much attention and support was thrown at so poor a candidate, with so little thought or research. Now, we are almost guaranteed Romney, outside of a Brokered Convention or a miracle.
Newt still has a chance, so I am hoping it will unfold to turn out that way.
We will be told that Newt supporters must make up the difference for the collapse, and if they don’t, they and their candidate will be blamed.
I don’t know how it will be blamed on them, as well, that RS has delegate problems in Ohio, but somehow, the entire amorphus mess will be blame shifted elsewhere.
What I wish is that people would look closely at the candidates before jumping to support someone, and imagine them against Obama and the media, and imagine them as president.
Then, vote for the best one.
That one is Newt Gingrich.
The other two are in a seperate class altogether.
We’re not even watching a train wreck. We’re watching a war where the bad guys win.
You did the right thing! This stupidity of voting for who ever is the closest to Romney is insane. Just vote what your heart tells you and stay true to one candidate and plan.
GO NEWT! GO!
Santorum is done. He never should have been considered viable, because he wasn’t.
Newt is the only thing between Myth and the nomination.
Otherwise I'd be 100% delighted.
GO NEWT!
HE’S ON THE OHIO BALLOT IN ALL DISTRICTS!
If Santorum gets the nomination he’ll be like a pinata hanging in the wind as obama’s gang beats him with an ugly stick.
Woohooo!!!!!
God bless you.
Go Newt!
Santorum is every bit as bad a candidate as Romney is. We lose Ohio, and do what we have to, to win in the other 40 states left to vote.
Newt stands to win a strong number of Delegates in Georgia, which will put him back into the running, which also relieves people like yourself from having to sell Santorum as the only one who can beat Romney.
In fact, you just might find Newt back towards the front in short order, with strong momentum where and when it counts!
GO NEWT!
Remained steadily low, which isn’t anything to crow about. LOL
“Just vote what your heart tells you and stay true to one candidate and plan.”
I see no gain in playing games, voting for the not Romney du jour.
Gingrich is the only candidate remaining who could be counted on to actually govern in a conservative fashion. And, just as important, Gingrich is the only candidate who can stand up to the enemedia and the liberal attack machine. Gingrich is far from perfect, but he’s the best option we have.
The Michigan debate (or shortly before) was the beginning of his slide. What a debacle. All these hoodwinked Santorum supporters could’ve helped the conservative movement by getting behind Newt.
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