Posted on 03/19/2012 3:38:09 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney may lead in delegates and Rick Santorum might have momentum, but neither of the two leading Republican presidential candidates is having an easy time exciting even his own voters.
Out of a dozen states where voters in the GOP contest have been polled, most Romney voters have said they strongly favor him in just five of them. A majority of Santorum voters felt that committed to him only four times out of 11 states where he was on the ballot and voters were surveyed.
Each man is struggling to consistently spark the intensity that could separate him from the pack.
Consider that Arizona is the only state where Romney had a higher proportion of voters expressing strong feelings about him than his rivals did. And Santorum hasn't had that edge in any state yet, despite an animated campaign style and passion for hot-button social issues like contraception that have contrasted with Romney's stiffer, more analytic manner.
On average, 50 percent of Romney voters and 49 percent of Santorum's say they strongly favor their candidate, with the rest expressing reservations about their man or a greater dislike for his rivals, according to entrance and exit polls of voters in 12 states.
When it comes to winning fervent devotion from his own supporters, both men trail former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Those two GOP presidential campaigns are lagging but 58 percent of Gingrich's backers and 53 percent of Paul's, on average, say they strongly favor their candidate. Analysts say higher percentages of devoted supporters are common with candidates whose lesser backing leaves them with only the most committed followers...........
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I am not totally bullish on any of our choices this time. I wanted Paul Ryan to run.
I have said I will support the person who stands to wrest the nomination from Romney. It seems to be Sanrorum because it is too late for Newt in the primaries. Newt knows that too.
The best way to beat Romney would be in the primaries. But it seems as each primary comes and goes, Romney gets the most delegates. Pretty soon it will be too late for Santorum too.
The only way to get a brokered convention is to deny Romney as many delegates as possible. That was why I made that sloppy typed post.
I stick up for Rick because he is still standing with all the cards stacked against him. I don’t get upset if people don’t want him as the nominee. I just think at this point in time the hate wasted on attacking him is useless when it should be trained on Romney.
Lets face it, people are getting all emotional. Someone says something bad about Newt and the Newt folks get nasty. It goes both ways and we all get carried away at times. I am sure Newt and Rick are both nice people.
I think you are a nice people too!
FReep’d!
Good, I am sure Santorum likes Newt. They are just in a contest at the moment. It doesn’t look good for either one of them, unfortunately.
Romney 33.24%
Gingrich 24.8%
Santorum 33.11%
Paul 3.82%
Newt to address the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference..
http://paleadershipconference.com/media/press-releases/152-newt-gingrich-to-address-2012-plc
Put Newt, Santorum and even Uncle Paul together and Mitt is still ahead:( this is truly the election year from hell
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2861032/posts
The VIDEO of Rick praising Newt has its own thread.
You know that isn’t going to happen, CW. There may be a Conservative uprising in the works..but it won’t be headed by Gingrich.
And rather than being a firewall, Newt is looking more like a spoiler.
There is plenty of nastiness on both sides. I try hard to be respectful, but it’s difficult at times (on two occasions I broke down and made sweater vest jokes). We all need to keep in mind that although we have differences of opinion they are trivial compared to the differences between our side and theirs. We also need to remember that although we disagree about some things that most of us are decent, well intentioned people.
I’m a big fan of Newt’s. The tidal wave in 94 was the first really big victory for conservatives after I had become interested in politics in the early 90s. I think that Newt dropping out now only helps Romney clinch. The only hope for conservatives is to deny Romney delegates, take it to the convention, and spill establishment blood (just a metaphor).
One think many Santorum supporters do not understand is the Gingrich supporters KNOW that Newt is the only true conservative and are very loyal to him. There are people in Texas looking forward to voting for Newt..they do not want to be disenfranchised. I doubt Perry or Norris want Newt out either.
I know. I get some mean old jabs at Newt too. I think it is more of a tit for tat thing. Nothing personal because we all share a desire to rid ourselves of the Communist In Chief.
I would vote for either in the primary and I will vote against Obama. I can’t handle his crap anymore.
The mute on mah TV is starting to fail.
Wow, an anti-Perry, shoot illegals at the border full-fledged troll is still around. Who’s your candidate, because whoever it is I am definitely voting against.
Troll.
Done.
I know I find cheap shots difficult to resist when I feel as though I’ve been attacked.
I apologize if I’ve ever gotten out of line. You seem like a decent guy. In the end we’re all just trying to hang on to the freedom we have left.
Amen, I will promise to behave too....unless...Just kidding.
“IF Romney spent as much money blasting Rick Santorum with smear attacks as he did Newt...Rick would be polling in single digits..the man has slithered through the first half of this election with little vetting.”
Romney nor Obama have any fear WHATSOEVER of little Rooster Rick, hence they invest very little in even messing with him. Rick has already pretty much imploded on his own.
Now Newt—he was a danger to all sides, hence, going nuclear was in order.
Well, Rick asked for the field and now he’s got it. Even with Newt’s delegates, Rick is on the train to nowhere. How’s that workin’ out for ya’, in that free field you whined for?
If one looks at the South Carolina primary, that’s how an electorate is supposed to look- Fired UP. (I’m not sure about Georgia) And what about the turnout?
No other primary has mirrored that.
Look at Iowa, pre-adbombing & look at SC. If there hadn’t been a crush by the establishment RINOs; the pundits & the media, we- and esp the dems, would probably know now, that 0 is toast.
Do we want to win & get things *finally* straightened out in this country? Mitt is an outlier- a liberal who stuck an R after his name & no more.
A house divided against itself cannot stand. Newt has strong social conservative values that he has stood for, always, and articulated *strongly* well before any of the contraception kerfluffle ever came up. He is *steamed* about the war on Christianity *day one*. He is not “half a loaf”. (Do people know that story? It ends with getting nothing.) DOMA, Life, Christians ostracized and SILENCED- all of it. It wasn’t a “reaction” It is who he is & has always been.
We need to get our act together.
Thank you for this post, CW.
That was great---thank you, Marguerite! God love him. America, you are missing out on your best chance. WAKE UP!
Vote Newt Gingrich"
Done!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.