Do these Santorum wins seem a little odd?

[CoffeeCat]

Was there any hint that Santorum was doing well in these states?

What about the exit polls? Do they jive with the results?

I am convinced that there is so much cheating involved in our elections. I admit it, I do not
trust election results--especially when the results seem counter intuitive.

I saw the hanky panky that went on in my state of Iowa. Fraud happens.

I'll just say what I think is happening. I think the Republican establishment is punishing Gingrich. I think
these Santorum wins pummel Gingrich and make him look weak and finished. Romney wins would have
only perpetuated the Gingrich-Romney dog fight--which often makes Newt come out on top--as he positions
himself as the "true conservative."

I think the Republican, elite, corporoestablishment needed to run the election off the tracks--and get
the focus off of Gingrich. Yes, this hurts Romney, but the entire Republican establishment is gunning
for Romney. They can prop his dead candidacy up like a Weekend at Bernie's scene--and get him back
on track with more multi-million dollar ad campaigns and with cooperation from the MSM.

Perhaps Romney will select Santorum as VP--so propping up Santorum for a while (to beat down Gingrich) will
really be a win in the long run for a Romney/Santorum ticket.

I smell a rat. And no--I have no proof. So don't ask me for links and pie charts. Most of America is scratching
their heads tonight and feeling as if something is a bit off. These bastards cheat and lie--they start illegal
wars, delight in torture, have no problem destroying our privacy and civil rights and have spent the past decade
empowering the corporations and allowing them to run our government. Come on...do we really believe that
election tampering is beyond these sociopaths?

Something doesn't feel right. Maybe someone else can explain it all.

[Tunkamerica]

1. yes it seemed odd, but not in the context of anybody but Romney. Newt's little peak is over and it's

on to the next.

[Miqqyy]

31. The froth rose to the surface on the night of a Full Moon

Republicons follow their instinks.

[Obama3_16]

2. I think you're over thinking it

But that's just my opinion.

[CoffeeCat]

4. That could be...

I guess this outcome seems unlikely. Santorum didn't have a lot of money to spend on
ads--in all of those states.

It just seems unexpected.

I suspect that the Republicans (remember the "math" that Karl Rove had?) routinely tamper with
elections. They're very, very pissed at Gingrich, and I wouldn't put it past them.

I wish I wasn't so cynical. I wish I had more faith in our election system, but I really don't.

[quinnox]

3. Well, I'm shocked

I can't believe Santorum won all three states just like that.

Whether there was some conspiracy against Newt, I guess its possible, because for some reason a lot of Republicans seem to hate Gingrich. Maybe they fear he would cause a Democratic party blowout and the republicans would lose in a steamroller or something if he had won the nomination.

[CoffeeCat]

5. The Republican establishment...

...the real big wigs in the Republican party--Karl Rove, the Bush family, the powerful corporations--are
all gunning for Romney and they HATE Newt.

[REP]

6. Missouri was not going to an LDS candidate due to the RLDS presence in the state

The rift between LDS and RLDS is too old and too deep for Missouri to vote for an LDS candidate. Aside from that, the LDS doesn't have a great history in Missouri (The Mormon War).

[xmas74]

36. We'll see what the caucus brings us.

If the moderates are at the caucus it'll be Romney. If the conservatives show it'll be a fight between Santorum and Gingrich. (Yep, quite a few coworkers refused to vote because Newt wasn't on the ballot.) What I'm curious about is the very vocal Paul group throughout the state. If they show up to a caucus (and this could happen) we could be setting ourselves up for an interesting fight.

[kctim]

43. Curious as to why you say that

There are tons of Mormons here and very few Community of Christ.
There are also sacred Mormon sites, two temples and Adam Ondi Ahman.

[DCKit]

7. I totally expected this. He was the candidate of last resort for the fundamentalists.

I never thought they'd go for a Mormon, and there's not a Southern Baptist in the bunch. He's the "best" they've got.

Mitt's a Mormon, Newt's twice divorced with a proven record of serial adultery, and Paul is bipolar on the issues important to Republicans. None of them is very much trusted.

Unless they pull in an unknown quantity at their brokered convention (and I don't think Jeb Bush is going to be it), half the (R)s in the country are either going to have to hold their noses to vote, or just stay home.

At this rate, they may have to haul Cain back in.

[Electric Monk]

8. When I talked to my dad Tues am, he predicted a Santorum sweep. Then we had a big laugh.

Turns out he was right. We had an even bigger laugh when we talked tonight.

[Kennah]

9. Odd enough to make this agnostic reconsider God

If this ain't strange and mysterious ways, I don't know what is.

[hyphenate]

19. It's not strange and mysterious

It's dirty politics. And its been around longer than our country has been around.

[Kennah]

22. I'm not ready to call it cheating, yet

I think it's simply a case of the GOP electorate so baffled and confused because Faux News hasn't been consistently telling them how to think. As such, they are just randomly choosing based on the moment.

Imagine you eat pizza, then vomit, so you don't like pizza very much.

Next you eat fish, then vomit, so you don't like fish very much.

Now you eat ribs, then vomit, so you don't like ribs very much.

Whatever you eat is going to make you vomit, but it wasn't the last thing that made you vomit so you figure what the hell.

[JHB]

28. When you foster groupthink, contempt for opponents, and treating opposition as traitors...

...it's really not all that mysterious.

They're having a succession crisis, and each group has the knives out to take all the marbles. From each other, that is. And they're all too convinced that most of the country agrees with them to back down.

[GeorgeGist]

39. Believe it or not ...

God is not a whack job.

[limpyhobbler]

10. yes excellent point. Does the result match the polling?

We should always ask that. We shouldn't just trust that there is nothing fishy going on.

I don't know either of course.

Missouri and Minnesota I understand. MO is very religious. Somewhat Catholic around St. Louis and evangelical, pentacostal, etc. everywhere else. Also Newt was not on the ballot in MO, so it was a perfect storm for Santorum

Minnesota looks alot like Iowa. Lots of born again folks. Also Michele Bachmann may have had a big organized contingent there that would have caucused for Santorum. I wouldn't have predicted this result in MN, but it doesn't shock me.

Colorado I do not understand what happened there.

[MADem]

11. I think the wingnut electorate is waking up to the reality that the buffet sucks.

There's a lot of starch, and no red meat.

No wonder the doggone Alfalfa Club elected their "President" -- Jeb Bush. They smelled the lack of enthusiasm for the proffered meal a mile and a month away!

[Warren DeMontague]

15. The only thing that's odd IMHO is that it took 'em so long to come around to Sticky Ricky's station.

I mean, he's got all the things they want- he's completely batshittery winguttitized on the socio-religio-veggietales-culture war Jesusbagger issues, he's still on his first wife, he's the right race, gender, and religion, and did I mention that he's completely batshittery winguttitized on the socio-religio-veggietales-culture war Jesusbagger issues?

Plus, he's an idiot. He's their fucking dream date, which speaks awfully ill of him that even the pinheaded cranio-rectal inverts of the GOP base were desperately hunting for something- anything- else to take home from the right wing nut bar, before settling for the Santorum.



It's like he's too lame even for them. Which is pretty lame.

[MADem]

16. I think it was that dinky sweater--he's just not a fishin', huntin' gun-totin' type.

He looks like the guy you'd LET your daughter stay out till 2 a.m. with, because you know she'd be safe.... and completely uninterested!

What it came down to, I guess, is which candidate sucks the least?

[Warren DeMontague]

18. It's been a very fascinating process.

Like watching a crazy old lady at the Piggly Wiggly try to decide which brand of half-off, past date bologna to buy.

You want to scream: "They ALL Suck! Just Pick, Goddamit!"

[OriginalGeek]

47. The Baptists I grew up with

trust a Catholic only a tiny bit more than a Mormon. I think that's why it took so long.

Are there any numbers on what flavor of batshitty conservative religions make up the right? I'm thinking southern Baptist and their cousins, the independent baptists (where I grew up), are a big part. But that may easily be my cultural bias responsible for that theory - that's mostly what I know because that's mostly what I was exposed to...

My Methodist Aunt and Uncle are really the only actively religious people I know (forum company excluded - i mean in real life) who vote democrat. And even they feel they are not too typical in their denomination.

[Bohunk68]

27. Hmmmm, I look at those beaudacious

lips of Frothy's and start imagining things. How could you really call him a santorum? Bad boy. Bad boy. Stop that!!!!

[Hubert Flottz]

48. I just can't believe that Jesus would pal around with a geek like Rick.

No freakin' way!

[Tx4obama]

12. The Polls for Minnesota and Missouri showed Santorum beating Mitt pretty big

See here: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/

Minnesota: Santorum +9
Missouri: Santorum +13

The only surprise was Colorado.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. Every time there's a Santorum Surge, something smells a little funny.

I can't quite put my finger on it.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

38. Things are getting sticky for Romney. nt

[Ter]

14. Well, it's not voter fraud

The elite that's capable of fraud all want Romney.

[hyphenate]

17. Karl Rove

could have some involvement. I won't deny I've been wondering when the ugly head of the neo-cons and the religious right would rise, and find a puppet president they could control again. Santorum is ripe for that.

[JI7]

20. no

[JI7]

21. Romney has been doing horribly among the most conservative , lower income, religious type voters

even in states he won. so when there are states where there are larger percentage of those type of voters it's no surprise he wont win.

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. The wins were surprising, but the margins were jaw dropping.

Ron Paul came in second? Santorum by double+ digits? Noot barely trailing 3rd/last?

I know they hate R-money but this just seemed a little out of the norm tonight.

[jsmirman]

24. Not at all - this is a schizophrenic race/party

that has been very clear for a long time now.

These idiots cycled through Herman Cain and Governor Numb Nuts, at one point.

But it's like a condensed schizophrenic episode - every day they wake up and realize that they don't like the new personality that they've chosen.

[Justice wanted]

25. Actually it kind of scares me that there are so many Fundies in this country.

Colorado is the heart of the Mega-churches and Minnosota keeps voting the Bat-crazy-eye Bachmann so that doesn't surprise me BUT Missouri?

[xmas74]

35. Voter turn out was extremely low here

since the primary was a glorified straw poll. We'll see if Santorum holds in March, when the caucus is held. (And the caucus is what matters-this primary counts for absolutely nothing.)

[grantcart]

26. Little to do with Santorum and a lot to do with a residual Republican dislike of Romney

Very small turnout.

They just don't like Mitt, and the Evangellicals still turn out no matter what.

The big story is how small the turnout is.

[eShirl]

29. everything about the Republican primaries, including candidates, feels odd

it was ever thus

[MadHound]

30. Given the rotating podium that is being used by the batshit crazy wing of the Republican party, no

This doesn't seem odd at all. After all, look back and see the track record this year. Michelle Bachman was on top for awhile after the Iowa straw poll. Then Perry came out strong, until he opened his mouth and showed people just how dumb he was. Then Herman Cain took his turn on the runway, and was the conservative darling, until it turned out he had been wondering where all the white women were at(Blazing Saddles reference for those of you who are humor impaired). Then Gingritch had his turn in the spotlight, but the lighting showed up the fact that he was still just as weird, crazy and out of touch as he ever was. Now, on the strength of a couple of minor primary contests, and a beauty pageant in Missouri that didn't mean a thing, Santorum is being propelled to become the latest, greatest hope of the batshit crazy wing of the Republican party.

Meanwhile, Romney continues to hold a steady course, beating back one challenger after another. The one thing about all this is that the longer this continues, the more likely that there will be a brokered convention. That's where the real fun will come. But I think that what this rotating platform of favorites shows is that anybody representing the batshit crazy wing of the Republican party, while looking good from a distance, turns out to look horrible to the electorate upon closer examination. I think that the Republican party wants a candidate who is bad boy crazy like a Santorum, Bachman or Gingritch, but with all the patrician respectability of Romney. That's why they keep tossing up these three week favorites, one after the other. I fully expect that Paul will get his turn on the runway as well here in a few weeks, he's the last out of the clown car after all.

But in the end, it will be Romney.

[ananda]

32. Remember that nobody logical or sane...

... is voting in the GOP.

[renie408]

33. Only the die hard of the die hardiest voted yesterday. Those would be the people who have something

to prove. Romney is expected to clinch the nomination, so his supporters probably felt like they didn't really need to bother. Gingrich wasn't on the ballot in MO and even if he were, he hasn't really put anything into these three states and he is losing support across the board every day. Santorum supporters may have seen this as their chance to shine some light on that little shit, so they did.

[xmas74]

34. Santorum is the only candidate to visit Missouri

and Missouri had extremely low turn out-one poster stated in the low teens. This primary was an expensive shamble.

Oh, and it doesn't count, not one bit. There will be a caucus held in March and that will decide who actually wins in Missouri. If Santorum takes the caucus in March then that'll be something to talk about.

[Brickbat]

37. Not to me.

[DevonRex]

40. No. And I'm not at all surprised by his wins.

Evangelical Christians like Santorum. They even voted on it as a group a few weeks ago and decided to support him.

[WI_DEM]

41. No, and yes, PPP had polls showing that Santorum was ahead in MN & MO &

surging in CO.

[sufrommich]

42. Low voter turnout and a manufactured new culture war

pretty much guaranteed a win for Santorum.

[aaaaaa5a]

44. It was odd that not one poll had Santorum ahead in Colorado. And the turnout was amazingly off. nt

[yellowcanine]

45. I dont think Mitt will pick Santorum for VP.

He likely would not help Mitt get Pennsylvania - Santorum is not that popular there. Mitt would be more likely to try to snag Florida with Rubio as VP, imo. Florida is more electoral votes and Rubio would in theory help Mitt there more than Santorum would help in PA. Plus Mitt probably needs some kind of minority as VP given that he is white bread going up against a minority incumbent. Rick Santorum is a kind of minority of course, given that there are not that many actual douches who might be a VP candidate.

[Hubert Flottz]

46. It could mean that...

The people who make and service the electronic voting machines are in Santorum's corner.

[woo me with science]

49. I think you may have something here, although

I'm not sure that vote tampering or rigging the results even needs to be a part of it.

There's been a huge push in evangelical communities to get out the vote for Santorum, and it wouldn't surprise me if the RNC weren't actually behind much of that purportedly "grass roots" effort, for exactly the reasons you describe. And how convenient is the recent resurgence in the news of stories about cultural wedge issues?

I think it's always smart to look for the big money influence, and the motives you describe for the PTB to push Santorum make an awful lot of sense.
.

[Douglas Carpenter]

50. I suspect right-wing fundamentlist churches really got behind him in a big way

They are a very big network capable of turning out a lot of voter and a lot of foot soldiers to drag their friends and neighbors to the polls.

No one is talking about how this made Gingrich look week or what a terrible day it was for Newt. They are talking about how it made Romney look week and what a terrible day it was for Mitt.

[B Calm]

51. It's the Bible Thumpers, because

Santorum wants to convert our current legal system into one that requires our laws to be in agreement with religious law, not unlike what the Taliban want to do in Afghanistan.

They been praying for a candidate that thinks like they do.

He's very dangerous to the future of our country and not to be taken lightly!

[Enrique]

52. the GOP establishment is behind Romney

don't you find it odd that Romney is the front-runner, even though the conservative base hates him?