The GOP's Super Tuesday 'split decision': What it means
Mitt Romney won the most delegates, but Rick Santorum's surprisingly strong showing might be the night's big story
![Rick Santorum speaks at an election night rally in a high school gymnasium in Steubenville, Ohio: The former Pennsylvania senator won Super Tuesday contests in Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Ten](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Swp72Q3abtxjfRVM6vZtTC-415-80.jpg)
On Tuesday, Republicans in 10 states voted to determine who will stand for them against President Obama in November — and delivered a less-than-definitive "split decision." Mitt Romney won Eastern Seaboard primaries in Virginia, Vermont, and Massachusetts, plus the Idaho caucuses. Newt Gingrich won the single biggest delegate prize, his home state of Georgia. And Rick Santorum won the other Southern state up for grabs, Tennessee, plus Oklahoma and North Dakota. In Ohio, home of Super Tuesday's most watched race, Romney eked out a narrow win over Santorum, and Alaska appears headed into the Romney column, too. What does Super Tuesday tell us about the state of the Republican presidential race? Here, five takeaways:
1. Romney won the delegate race
"The delegate count is what matters, and it's gonna make a difference in the three states we'll not be focusing on tonight: Virginia, Idaho, and Massachusetts," says Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Beast. Thanks to Mitt's decisive wins in those states, plus smaller district-by-district delegate grabs in states he didn't win, Romney is on track to take "the solid majority of delegates available on Super Tuesday," according to ABC News. Romney will be right to claim that "any result that leaves him much closer to the delegate count he needs to be the nominee is a big win," says Jonathan Tobin at Commentary.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2. But Santorum arguably won the night
The Pennsylvanian outperformed expectations, especially with his surprise pickup of North Dakota. Even without Ohio, "it's been a great night for Santorum," says Will Wilkinson at The Economist. His "wins are more impressive because he was so massively outspent by Romney in every contest," says Sullivan at The Daily Beast. Santorum trounced the putative frontrunner in the South, among evangelicals, and with white working-class voters. That arguably makes him at least "as electable as Mitt Romney up against Obama."
3. Nobody got knocked out of the race
Gingrich only won his home state of Georgia, and performed poorly everywhere else. But he was adamant that he's staying in the race to pursue his "Southern strategy" of racking up delegates. And with Santorum's big night, it's clear "the race will go on for some time, with both conservative underdogs continuing to drain Romney's resources and undermine his chances of uniting his party," says Commentary's Tobin. Neither Gingrich nor Santorum has a viable path to the nomination, and their persistence should scare anyone who thinks "Romney is the only conceivable Republican nominee in 2012," says David Frum at The Daily Beast. Obviously, "the Republican Party does not agree."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
4. Romney still has a "Southern problem"
"All eyes seem to be on Ohio," but Super Tuesday's "real story seems to be in the South," says Scott Galupo at U.S. News. Namely, Romney's stubborn inability to win any states in Dixie, save uncontested Virginia. This "Southern problem" won't stop him from winning the South against Obama, but not since Gerald Ford has a Republican nominee had such scant enthusiasm in the "heart of the Republican national governing coalition." That's "not a good sign." Now that you mention it, tweets Salon's Alex Pareene, "it is sort of funny that the guy who just won Vermont is going to be the Republican nominee instead of the guy who won Georgia."
5. Ron Paul came up short
Paul's second-place finish in North Dakota robbed him of his "his best shot at winning a contest on Super Tuesday," says James Hohman at Politico. He also came in second in Vermont and Virginia — where he won a much-better-than-expected 41 percent of the vote — but he still hasn't won a single state, raising "more questions about his long-term viability." Even Paul's "Virginia surprise" won't help much "in the delegate chase," says Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post. He won just three of the state's 46 delegates, with Romney taking the other 43.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published