Posted on 02/26/2012 5:50:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The Republican presidential race faces a potential turning point on Tuesday in contests in Arizona and Michigan, where upstart Rick Santorum threatens to plunge an already unpredictable nominating battle into chaos.
Mitt Romney, the former front-runner and presumed nominee, and Santorum are in a close race in Michigan, the state where Romney was raised and his father was an auto executive and popular governor.
A Santorum win there would be a devastating blow to Romney, turning lingering doubts about his ability to win the allegiance of Republican primary voters into a deep panic in the party's senior ranks.
"If Santorum pulls off the upset in Michigan it turns the entire race on its head," said Republican Dan Schnur, an aide to Senator John McCain during his 2000 presidential bid. "There aren't going to be a lot of people who have much use for a front-runner who can't win his home state."
But Republicans worry about the general election viability of Santorum, a staunch conservative who has courted controversy with a burst of comments on social issues like birth control, pre-natal testing and women in the military.
Santorum's rise and Romney's weakness have sparked speculation about more contenders jumping into a Republican race that could last all the way to a brokered convention in August. The Michigan result could shift that speculation into overdrive.
"A Santorum win in Michigan takes all of the talk about a new candidate or a brokered convention and puts it on steroids," Republican strategist Todd Harris said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
FReepmail Antoninus to be added or removed.
If Mitt Romney as our nominee is what they consider regular order then I’m all in for chaos.
Hear that, RNC? Ever recall something called "representative democracy", the "will of the People", and the "consent of the Governed"? No, probably not. These are outdated concepts for you and your ilk, RNC and official beltway RINO-hood all hanging on their plum Administration jobs they have staked out from 2013 if Romney wins, in this horrid economy where their K-Street business is going nowhere and junior's got to get college paid for.
It is reprehensible.
No, it doesn’t just give it to Rick. :)
Chaos is exactly what the GOP needs.
Not another RINO sleep fest.
A Santorum win in Michigan would send the RINO establishment into a panic.
Reuters, the giant concern troll.
let chaos reign!
I don't know. Gingrich? I don't know. Palin? I hope.
Getting ready to just hand it to BHO are the Republican elite are they?
No gun grabber for the primary.
Not since Ronald Reagan has such an in-your-face unapologetic conservative threatened the corrupt taxpayer raping sweetheart arrangements between the Leftist Democrats and the liberal Republicans.
Why, The NERVE! of the Republican rank and file in Michigan deciding the 2021 GOP nominee would be somebody other than the annointed we have had on tap for three years all set and good to go!!! / sarc
2012!
If Schundler gets the nomination there are a lot of backroom RINOs who would rather Obama win. We saw that in NJ with Bret Schundler’s nomination for governor - very little party support.
Seriously?
This is their latest?
That there will be chaos if we don’t support “Mitt”???
I can’t think of anything stupider than this coming from even the Democraps...
Here’s hoping for chaos.
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