# Feb. 7th - Colorado, Minnesota caucuses; Missouri primary **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146 "2012-02-08T01:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/61 "2012-02-09T01:51:30Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > To be fair, Romney and Paul are the only ones on the ballot there. Virginia’s change of their rules for getting on the ballot seems to have thrown all the other candidates for a loop. Well, 'twill make for an interesting matchup, if there’s a primary where Paul is the only non-Romney in the field. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/62 "2012-02-09T05:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > To be fair, Romney and Paul are the only ones on the ballot there. Virginia’s change of their rules for getting on the ballot seems to have thrown all the other candidates for a loop. Which to be fair, I think is a sign that all of the other candidates are incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/63 "2012-02-09T06:15:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Which to be fair, I think is a sign that all of the other candidates are incompetent. This is **not** the sort of thing candidates are supposed to handle for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/64 "2012-02-09T06:25:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > This is **not** the sort of thing candidates are supposed to handle for themselves. But if the staff they choose are too incompetent to do stuff as basic as this, it says volumes about the lack of competence they’d display as chief executive of the United States Government. One of the many reasons I preferred Obama over Clinton was the blundering errors her campaign fell into. Mark Penn alone was a disastrous choice she made, boding ill for a future administration. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/65 "2012-02-09T06:40:19Z")
Shit, he was bad choice? Look at the horndog she married! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/66 "2012-02-09T08:11:17Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > You are completely clueless as to the Colorado 2010 election. Maes did have some. . .interesting views about the UN, though. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/67 "2012-02-09T11:38:15Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I agree - while Mitt can’t carpet-bomb every Super Tuesday state with negative ads about his rivals, he really needs a win in at least one Midwestern state, other than Michigan where his father was governor. And Ohio is the only Midwest state up for grabs on Super Tuesday. So my expectation is that he’ll hit Ohio with everything he’s got. I’m not so sure that Michigan is in the tank for Romney. Much of the electorate is too young to remember when George Romney was governor, but they do remember Mitt in effect telling the auto industry to go suck eggs and he was just fine if they went belly-up. The trouble with carpet bombing Ohio is selecting a target. If he blows Gingrich out of the water, Santorum could bite him in the ass. Another problem with Mitt is the GOP rank and file is having buyer’s remorse even before closing the sale. They’re really just not that into him. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/68 "2012-02-09T14:14:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Another problem with Mitt is the GOP rank and file is having buyer’s remorse even before closing the sale. They’re really just not that into him. It has been obvious to me the support for Romney is tepid at best. However, at this point who do they turn too? With each passing day Romney appears to be on less solid ground but compared to the other three he is still the best of a bad lot. Barring some dramatic, last minute entry by a more popular politician, I still don’t see any way this nomination goes to anyone but Romney. And I have a feeling the party leadership will guarantee it, one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/69 "2012-02-09T15:13:19Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The trouble with carpet bombing Ohio is selecting a target. If he blows Gingrich out of the water, Santorum could bite him in the ass. Eh. He crushed Gingrich pretty hard at the last debate or two and Romney and the Super PAC are going to put more energy into smacking down Santorum now. It’s not that hard to make two ads, or one ad that goes after both guys. Gingrich seems to be running ahead of Santorum in Ohio, although it’s close. > [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Barring some dramatic, last minute entry by a more popular politician The last minute was months ago. Not a lot of delegates have been handed out, but for someone to get into the race now, build up a national network and raise the kind of money you need to compete at this stage and get enough delegates to win, or even come close, would be incredible. Rick Perry got into the race late compared to the other candidates and he entered last August. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/70 "2012-02-09T21:33:16Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The last minute was months ago. It was indeed. [Here’s a list](http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012pdates.pdf) of states whose primaries are still ahead, but whose filing deadlines have passed: Alabama Arizona DC Illinois Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Ohio Oklahoma Puerto Rico Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin On top of that, some upcoming deadlines: New York - today (2/9) Indiana - tomorrow (2/10) Pennsylvania - next Tuesday (2/14) So someone entering the race as soon as next week would be giving up all of those states, plus the states that have already had their primaries or caucuses. That’s more than half the states, including most of the big ones. Really, the best a late entrant could hope for would be to force a brokered convention. But the most likely outcome is that the late entrant would fail miserably, embarrass him/herself publicly, and ruin his/her chances of competing for the nomination in 2016 or beyond. Kinda like Rick Perry, only with far worse chances of success upfront. As we used to say back in my childhood, “the game’s locked.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/71 "2012-02-09T21:36:18Z")
I was just thinking of the work and time involved, not the filing deadlines, but the deadlines might be an even more insurmountable obstacle. This is evidently not the field a lot of Republicans want, but it’s the one they have. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/72 "2012-02-09T21:43:14Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m not so sure that Michigan is in the tank for Romney. Much of the electorate is too young to remember when George Romney was governor, but they do remember Mitt in effect telling the auto industry to go suck eggs and he was just fine if they went belly-up. > > The trouble with carpet bombing Ohio is selecting a target. If he blows Gingrich out of the water, Santorum could bite him in the ass. Another problem with Mitt is the GOP rank and file is having buyer’s remorse even before closing the sale. They’re really just not that into him. Yeah, I’m thinking that the son of an auto industry exec might not give quite the local son advantage in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/73 "2012-02-10T00:41:54Z")
> [@](#): > > The trouble with carpet bombing Ohio is selecting a target. If he blows Gingrich out of the water, Santorum could bite him in the ass. Another problem with Mitt is the GOP rank and file is having buyer’s remorse even before closing the sale. They’re really just not that into him. Yeah, he’s playing whack-a-mole. As long as both Gingrich and Santorum are both in the running, he doesn’t have a clear target. If he attacks Gingrich, then the not-Romneys flock to Santorum, and if he attacks Santorum, then the not-Romneys flock to Gingrich. It’s like trying to pop the last two bubbles in the bubble wrap, that are connected to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/74 "2012-02-10T00:53:05Z")
The Romney superPAC is running anti-Gingrich ads in the Columbus market now (since at least yesterday). I haven’t seen an ad about Santorum (yet). ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/75 "2012-02-10T03:06:40Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Maes did have some. . .interesting views about the UN, though. Well, sure, but he was running for **governor**. The governor of Colorado has little or nothing to do with the UN. It certainly wasn’t opposition to his views on the UN that had Tancredo puffing up like a blowfish and thinking he had a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/76 "2012-02-10T04:12:54Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I find it interesting that Minnesota is so conservative considering it is the state that has gone the longest without voting Republican. It isn’t conservative. The people who show up at non-binding Republican party caucuses are. Rhey are so conservative that any sensible ‘moderate’ has already left the Minnesota Republican party. Or been thrown out, like some of their prominent previously elected officials. They are way more conservative than the Minnesota voters. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/77 "2012-02-10T06:18:01Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The last minute was months ago. Not a lot of delegates have been handed out, but for someone to get into the race now, build up a national network and raise the kind of money you need to compete at this stage and get enough delegates to win, or even come close, would be incredible. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Really, the best a late entrant could hope for would be to force a brokered convention. > > \ > > As we used to say back in my childhood, “the game’s locked.” Oh, I don’t really expect a late entry. I just wonder what type of conversation goes on at certain levels of the party each time Romney appears to have one of these stumbling moments. When Moe, Curly or Larry wins a caucus or primary somewhere the media just goes nuts about how Mittens is in trouble. Ultimately those losses will end up being meaningless but I imagine it must make everyone on Planet Rove reach for their antacids. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/78 "2012-02-11T01:10:45Z")
Romney’s campaign seems not to have learned from previous experience in South Carolina not to shift the focus from Gingrich and Santorum to Obama while the former remain in the race. Some article after South Carolina and Florida claimed he was to campaign otherwise but apparently he hasn’t… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/79 "2012-02-11T19:27:12Z")
Does Romney have enough money to suppress both Gingrich & Santorum votes? Does he have enough money to do it in enough states. It seems like there aren’t very many states he wools have won WITHOUT a huge money advantage. Will he have this sort of money advantage in the general election against Obama. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146/80 "2012-02-11T19:48:27Z")
In a cabin deep in the Minnesota woods, Tim Pawlenty wanders about aimlessly, humming “Hail to the Chief” to himself, under his breath, and weeping. One would require a heart of stone not to bust out laughing. The corporatist Republicans are going start bailing out on Romney. Karl Rove has already gone door to door with his bucket, tapping the money. You know how much money his Crossroads PAC has, and from whom? No, you don’t, and you ain’t gonna, either. But its reasonable to assume its totally oink. They’re gonna fork that over to Mitt uns, knowing he will crater? No, they won’t, they are still backing him, but investigating the various rules about how "committed " delegates really are. (Hint: in most states, not all that much.) The money Republicans would shove two toothpicks in either testicle rather than give their money to someone who they _know_ will lose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feb-7th-colorado-minnesota-caucuses-missouri-primary/612146.md?page=5)