The primary in Oklahoma is worth only 40 of the 419 delegates that will be awarded today, but the Super Tuesday state that some refer to as the "reddest of the red" is still important to the Republican presidential contenders, as all four remaining GOP hopefuls have campaigned there.
[See pictures of Super Tuesday voters heading to the polls.]
The Associated Press reports that Rick Santorum calls Oklahoma the "ground zero of the conservative movement." He paid his second visit of the campaign to Oklahoma over the weekend. "A state like Oklahoma is a state, as you hear, that fits me well," he told the AP after addressing a crowd of 1,300 at a suburban church in Tulsa on Sunday.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul also visited Oklahoma recently, and Mitt Romney campaigned there in October.
[Romney A Virtual Lock in Massachusetts.]
On Sunday, Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn—considered to be among the most conservative members of Congress—endorsed Romney, writing in The Oklahoman newspaper that Romney is a "leader" rather than a "career politician."
Oklahoma's conservative reputation is not unwarranted. Republicans have won every presidential election in the state since 1964, and it was the only state in the country where President Obama did not win a single county in 2008.
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trenchpress of MA 8:27PM March 06, 2012