With Super Tuesday complete, the Republican presidential hopefuls turned their focus toward states looming on the calendar -- Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi -- and to trying to nudge each other out of the race.
After winning six out of 10 contests on Super Tuesday, Mitt Romneys team made the argument on Wednesday that only their candidate had a legitimate shot at winning the Republican presidential nomination -- and that his GOP opponents, particularly Rick Santorum who won three contests on Tuesday, and Newt Gingrich who carried his home state of Georgia, are only helping Democrat incumbent President Barack Obama.
Super Tuesday voting significantly increased Governor Romneys delegate lead and makes it increasingly difficult for any of his opponents to catch him. To date, Governor Romney has won more than 50 percent of all delegates awarded and now holds nearly 40 percent of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination, argued Rich Beeson, a strategist for Romney, in a memo released Wednesday.
Yesterdays six wins come on top of five consecutive wins leading up to Super Tuesday. Governor Romney now has more than twice as many delegates as Senator Santorum and four times more than Speaker Gingrich. He has won twice as many states as Senator Santorum and seven times more than Speaker Gingrich. Governor Romney won 60 percent of Super Tuesday states. By contrast, in 2008 John McCain won only 41 percent (nine of 21) of the Super Tuesday states.
Beeson looked ahead at the primary calendar and argued that Santorum and Gingrich faced "dwindling opportunities to close the gap" against Romney and that they are only helping Obama.
Super Tuesday dramatically reduced the likelihood that any of Governor Romneys opponents can obtain the Republican nomination. As Governor Romneys opponents attempt to ignore the basic principles of math, the only persons odds of winning they are increasing are President Obamas.
In the meantime, the Santorum campaign, which carried North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee on Tuesday, showed no signs of dropping out Wednesday. Santorum held a rally in Kansas, which will hold its caucus with 40 delegates at stake on Saturday, before heading to two campaign events Wednesday night in Mississippi, which holds its primary on Tuesday with another 40 delegates at stake. On Thursday, Santorum plans to head to Alabama, which also holds its primary for 50 delegates on Tuesday.
While Santorum looks to score points in the Sunflower State, Gingrich appears to have thrown in the towel on competing in Kansas. Earlier this week, Gingrich unveiled his team in Kansas, which included a dozen current and former state legislators. While Gingrich was scheduled to campaign in Kansas on Friday and Saturday, on Wednesday his campaign announced that he would focus his efforts on Alabama and Mississippi. Gingrichs two wins so far have been in Deep South states -- South Carolina and Georgia.
While Gingrich is pulling up stakes in Kansas, Ron Paul is increasingly turning his focus there. Paul is scheduled to be in Lawrenceville, Topeka and Wichita on Friday. The maverick Texas congressman will be looking to win the Kansas State Tea Party Straw Poll in Wichita on Friday as well.
Romney showed some signs that he was planning to make a stand in the South next week when he added to his team in Alabama former Gov. Bob Riley, whoendorsed the former Massachusetts governor on Monday. A former congressman as well as two-term governor, Riley had received some buzz as a possible presidential candidate but he did not enter the race.
While Romney is not exactly facing friendly territory in Kansas -- where he has the support of former Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Senate leader Bob Dole -- and the two Southern states, he is seen as increasingly likely to emerge with the nomination.
Europes largest oddsmaker thinks Romney did enough on Super Tuesday to further solidify his claim to be the favorite for the Republican presidential nomination. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power moved Romney from a 1-8 favorite to win the nomination to 1-10. The odds that Santorum will end up with the nomination dropped from 6-1 to 10-1. Paul remains a 25-1 underdog and Gingrich is a 33-1 longshot.
Romney continues to edge in front of his rivals but is yet to land a knockout blow, said a spokesman for Paddy Power on Wednesday. Santorum certainly faces an uphill task if he is to win the nomination, but I wouldnt rule him out just yet.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
