EASTON, Md., February 29, 2012 — Thanks to Michigan and Arizonia, Mitt Romney is back on track, after being nearly derailed by Rick Santorum, but he is once again at the head of the pack, with Santorum panting along in second, and Ron Paul playing the tortoise to Romney’s hare; slow but sure, sweeping up delegates as he goes.
As for Newt Gingrich, he may as well pull a Rip Van Winkle and take a long nap under a tree somewhere. When he wakes in August it will all be over.
However, knowing the egos that propel presidential candidates, it is doubtful that anyone will be dropping out soon. What better way to get your 15 minutes of fame than by having your face up on big screen TVs across America while you sell your “books.”
The Republican primaries now go into warp speed, starting with Super Tuesday on March 6.
Ready or not, the last four candidates standing now must hurtle through the gauntlet (including a caucus in Washington state on March 3) of primaries and caucuses from coast to coast.
Just take a look at the lineup and the possible delegates at stake:
March 6:
- Alaska —27 delegates — Caucus
- Georgia — 76 delegates — Primary
- Idaho — 32 delegates — Caucus
- Massachusetts — 41 delegates — Primary
- North Dakota – 28 delegates — Caucus
- Ohio — 66 delegates — Primary
- Oklahoma — 43 delegates — Primary
- Tennessee — 58 delegates — Primary
- Vermont — 17 delegates — Primary
- Virginia — 49 delegates — Primary
The candidates have barely enough time to take a quick snooze and then it’s back on the campaign trail for the next round of caucuses and primaries:
March 10:
- Kansas — 40 delegates — Caucus
- Wyoming — 29 delegates — Caucus
- U.S. Virgin Islands — 6 delegates — Caucus
- Guam — 9 delegates —Caucus
March 13:
- Alabama — 50 delegates — Primary
- Hawaii — 20 — delegates –Caucus
- Mississippi — 40 delegates — Primary
March 17:
- Missouri — 52 delegates — Caucus
There’s just enough time to change into a clean shirt and climb back on the campaign bus.
March 18:
- Puerto Rico — 20 delegates — Caucus
March 20:
- Illinois — 69 delegates – Primary
March 24:
- Louisiana — 46 delegates — Primary
Whew! March is then over.
But next looms April with its four primaries on April 3 with Texas, with 155 delegtes, being the elephant in the room. Whoever garners a majority in the Lone Star state can stomp all over the others.
Then comes April 24 when New York and Pennsylvania as well as three other states hold their primaries. But that is a ways down the road.
Right now, the candidates need to survive March Madness first. Any bets on who stumbles first, leaving this a three man race? And, no, Ron Paul will not drop out. He will be in it till the end, right up to and into the convention.
So will Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich pull the plug on their campaigns or will the Republicans do it for them?
That we should know before the March winds hurl the campaign into the spring.
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