Michigan's Republican primary result

[professorscott]

So here is how the News put it:

"Mitt Romney pulled out a victory Tuesday in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary, avoiding what would have been an embarrassing loss in his native state."

Heck of a "victory": nowhere near a majority, and all of about a 3 percentage point win over Rick Santorum.

So do you think Mr. Romney met expectations for Michigan? Or would he have had to do better to really claim this as one in the W column for himself?

[mwilbert]

Good enough. Not enough to completely eliminate the doubts, but that probably would have been impossible. Way, way better than if he had not come in first. Not as good for those of us whose main use for the GOP is as a source of amusement.

[313WX]

That's about what I expected.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Romney didn't win, Santorum lost. Romney will be the nominee. Not that he's all that great, it's just the others suck in comparison. Had Santorum kept his mouth shut instead of blathering and calling people snobs for having college ambitions and saying that seperation of church and state makes him want to barf, he would have won. Newt fell from grace pretty much the same way. He came off a great South Carolina win only to go to Florida and promise Moon colonies in his 2nd term. Romney for all his flaws is consistant. The rest are jokes....

And yes I'm personally because I wanted Santorum to win Michigan before he started exposing the crazier side of his ideologies. Unfortunately his big mouth opened before a victory could happen. Ugghhh!!!

[rjk]

Whether it's a dem or rep primary you're always going to get more of the hardcore voters who are at the extremes. Throw in the dems who voted for Santorum and I'm not really surprised he did as well as he did.

[Scottathew]

Romney scares me much less than Santorum and Gingrich.

Hopefully next Tuesday will concrete a winner and they can stop the primary coverage on TV.

[Bham1982]

Why can't the Republicans give us a single reasonable candidate?

I'm an independent voter who would consider the GOP [[I voted Obama, and am generally unhappy with his performance), but they're all a parade of nutjobs and crazies. Really only Romney is non-insane, and I disagree with him on almost everything.

There's basically no way I'm not voting for Obama, and I don't even like him! We need a third party, IMO.

[JBMcB]

There's basically no way I'm not voting for Obama, and I don't even like him! We need a third party, IMO.

The Simpsons on third party candidates:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giddygirlie/2987270819/

[[Link to poor quality video, but still funny)

[ghettopalmetto]

And yes I'm personally because I wanted Santorum to win Michigan before he started exposing the crazier side of his ideologies. Unfortunately his big mouth opened before a victory could happen. Ugghhh!!!

No worries. Santorum is leading the polls by double-digits in Ohio, which has twice as many delegates as Michigan.

This is the best damned reality show ever. You can't write this stuff. :-)

[Danny]

Of course Mitt Romney wins Michigan. This is where his father was once governor and his childhood home. He also got Arizona in the bag. He's getting more support from evangelical Christians, Mormons and the Tea Partiers.

I glad I didn't vote Republican! Screw them.

[Lowell]

So do you think Mr. Romney met expectations for Michigan? Or would he have had to do better to really claim this as one in the W column for himself?

Let's not lose focus that the real race is for convention delegates and there is some indications that Santorum may end up with more than Romney. Psychologically it is an important 'win' for Romney but practically it may not be. The most votes don't always win. Just ask Al Gore.

So far the primary sequence has generally been to his advantage with Nevada and Arizona having Mormon assets, Michigan being his birth state with his father a respected former governor and New Hampshire next door to Massachusetts. All that is gone in super Tuesday and even his vast wealth will not be able to cover all those bases, many far more conservative that the previous contests.

His advantage continues to be a negative one which 48091 states succinctly.

Romney scares me much less than Santorum and Gingrich.

[1953]

I thought John Huntsman was a reasonable candidate, but apparently I was rare among my Republican friends.

[Bham1982]

I thought John Huntsman was a reasonable candidate, but apparently I was rare among my Republican friends.

Huntsman was reasonable, and there are plenty of reasonable candidates that didn't run, but I just can't take the existing slate very seriously.

A few sound like U.S. versions of Saudi mullahs, making crazy proclamations about the evils of family planning or higher education.

[drjeff]

Why can't the Republicans give us a single reasonable candidate?

I'm an independent voter who would consider the GOP [[I voted Obama, and am generally unhappy with his performance), but they're all a parade of nutjobs and crazies. Really only Romney is non-insane, and I disagree with him on almost everything.

There's basically no way I'm not voting for Obama, and I don't even like him! We need a third party, IMO.

It's very difficult to beat an incumbent. The strongest republican candidates are waiting for 2016.

[firstandten]

It's very difficult to beat an incumbent. The strongest republican candidates are waiting for 2016.

True, the smart candidates are waiting for 2016, in Romney's case I think he felt his window of opportunity was closing and he needed to make his move this election cycle

[poobert]

It's very difficult to beat an incumbent. The strongest republican candidates are waiting for 2016.

Yes. David Duke, Pat Robertson, and Ted Nugent are holding off until then to throw their white pointey hats in the ring.

[Scottathew]

OK. All the news outlets are claiming Romney victory. However, when I look at the raw data it seems that both candidates won 13 delegates each.

Would this not be a dead-tie?

I understand the Romney won the popular vote, but as Al Gore can tell you, that doesn't always matter.