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Romney, Gingrich and Santorum Battle in South

Candidates run neck-and-neck in polling in Alabama, Mississippi

March 12, 2012 RSS Feed Print

The next chapter in the 2012 Republican presidential nomination saga is set to be written in a pair of southern states on Tuesday, as voters in Alabama and Mississippi cast their primary ballots. Voters in Hawaii and American Samoa will also caucus in lesser-watched contests.

Polls show three candidates in striking distance of winning both Alabama and Mississippi – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Each candidate garners a nearly equal portion of support, with Texas Rep. Ron Paul registering in the single digits, according to the most recent surveys by Public Policy Polling.

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The results of the Deep South contests hold significance both in the perception of the race – whether Romney can finally score a victory with the culturally conservative electorate – and in the day to day reality of delegate counts. Alabama has 50 delegates in the offing, Mississippi has 40. Both will be allocated proportionally, so the tight finish likely means Romney, Gingrich and Santorum will split the pot.

Romney, the race's front-runner, currently has 455 of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination, according to a tally by Real Clear Politics. Santorum has 199 delegates, Gingrich 117 and Paul 64, according to the count.

More than adding to his delegate count, Romney desperately hopes to land the knockout punch that seals the race in his favor. In recent days, he's rolled out countless endorsements from officials in both states in hopes of currying favor with demographics he's struggled with in other states and who make up a large portion of the voters heading to the polls on Tuesday – evangelical Christians and strong cultural conservatives.

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Romney's chances for notching a southern victory are probably boosted more from his rivals' near-even split among conservative voters than anything else. But he also benefits from strong political advertising both by his own campaign and the Super PAC spending on his behalf and his formidable ground game in the states.

Santorum and Gingrich have been running hard on the ground in Alabama and Mississippi, each trying to edge out the other and claim the "most conservative" mantle in the race. Gingrich won his home state of Georgia last week by a large margin and is hoping to transfer that success to the similarly-profiled states. Santorum hopes to build on his wins in Tennessee, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

[See photos of the 2012 GOP candidates.]

The path for either man securing enough delegates to topple Romney is difficult, but if both remain in the race it's likely impossible. And each side hopes the other is forced out of the race with a poor showing on Tuesday, though each has claimed he will stay in the hunt for the nomination until the party convention in Tampa at the end of the summer.

On Saturday, voters in Missouri will caucus while Puerto Rico holds its primary on Sunday. But the next big match-up comes on March 20 in Illinois, with 69 delegates up for grabs. 

Email: rmetzler@usnews.com

Twitter: @rebekahmetzler

Tags:
Rick Santorum,
elections,
2012 presidential election,
Newt Gingrich,
Mitt Romney

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loveyou of AK 10:35PM March 13, 2012

This article names the 3 Republican candidates (in the title) who want Washington DC dictating to individual State governments exactly how to do everything.

Many voters realize how much better it is when people decide things on a local level and support Dr. Paul ahead of the 'federalists' who are running.

Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was right in the great promise of our founding times, and so is Dr. Ron Paul of Texas right for today [Twelve term Congressman, Physician, United States Air Force Flight Surgeon]

As said by Thomas Paine in those heady days when liberty first made her way into the halls of government authority.... “We have it in our power to begin the world over again”. And so now it shall be as well.. in our history making re-transformation to a free, prosperous, and peaceful society. A community of Free States with our honored tradition of a strong and United defense arrangment.

Ron Paul for President 2012, and Ron Paul for Freedom 2012.

John of NY 11:01AM March 13, 2012

MITT ROMNEY IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND UNDERSTANDS BUSINESS AND JOB CREATION.

I am an evangelical still supporting Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination. My rationale is that Mitt Romney would make a great President for many reasons too myriad to mention. When a pastor is chosen by a congregation his doctrinal views are carefully examined prior to his approval as a pastoral candidate. Since I have personally endorsed Mitt Romney in his candidacy for President, being an evangelical an explanation is warranted. I may not always be in agreement with his differing views of my religious doctrinal positions. Yet the summary of my position is simple and easy to understand. Mitt Romney is running for President not Pastor, his theological views are not being examined in his quest for office.

John Kennedy faced this challenge as a Catholic seeking the same office in 1960. Reverend Herbert Meza, a Presbyterian chaired nominee Kennedy’s appearance before some 300 ministers and a similar number of observers. His speech was honestly presented and dealt with this question comprehensively for all present to hear. His response in as relevant today as it was in the past. “I believe in an America where the separation of Church and State is absolute-where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote-where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference-and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him…

That is the kind of America in which I believe-And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe-a great office that must be neither humbled by making it the instrument of any religious group, nor tarnished by arbitrary withholding its occupancy from members of any religious group. I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affairs, neither imposed upon him by the nation or as a condition to holding that office…

If my church attempted to influence me in any way which was improper or which affected adversely my responsibilities as a public servant, sworn to uphold the Constitution, then I would reply to them that this was an improper action on their part, that it was one to which I could not subscribe, that I was opposed to it, and that it would be an unfortunate breech-an interference with the American political system. I am confident there will be no such interference.” Kennedy further stated if he found any conflict between his conscience and the responsibility of the Presidency, he would resign the office. John F. Kennedy was running for President.

Now the price of gasoline has aggressively entered the political ethos. We are told by the administration that we are exporting crude out of the country, using less at home, there is no silver bullet to solving the problem, middle e

Alan G Phillips of IL 10:24AM March 13, 2012

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