Just barely; with 95 percent reporting, 39 percent to Paul’s 36 percent (2,190 to 1,996 – yup, that there’s a mighty large sample of voters, innit?), with Santorum – who didn’t even campaign in Maine – taking 18 percent and the absentee Gingrich trailing in with 6 percent.
So the presumptive nominee isn’t even breaking 40 percent. Never mind winning an outright majority; he’s barely eking out a plurality over a gold-bug loon.
I think that “victory” needs some biggish air quotes.
I don’t deny there should be concern among the party leaders at the weakness Romney keeps showing and the lack of any real enthusiasm among the base for him as nominee. At the same time I don’t see how they get rid of him at this point even if they decide they want to.
The moneyed power brokers Rove has been soliciting will never support any of the 3 Stooges. And it really is too late to get on the ballot in just about every primary state so that kills the idea of a last minute Christie, Bush or Daniels entering the race.
The only remaining option is a brokered convention. Do any of today’s party leaders even know how to bring that about? It has easily been a generation since the party conventions were any thing more than a coronation.
Mind you, I’m not saying it is impossible - I just don’t see how they get there from here. And there is still a very very strong likelihood Romney will manage to wrap this up pretty tightly on Super Tuesday.
Bet it isn’t that long before pundits are talking about the various state party rules about delegates and the extent of their commitment to whomsoever won their primary/caucus/beauty contest.
Two bits says a comprehensive report on the subject is already privately circulating amongst well-manicured Republican hands.