because MO is a non-binding primary, the delegates can still give their votes to Gingrich even though he didn't get on the ballot, as explained here by Lloyd smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party Lloyd Smith talks about the Missouri primary election | ksdk.com still, sad he didn't even get himself registered in MO and VA... esp sad regarding VA, being that is where he has lived since 1999. it appears that Gingrich will not be able to get any delegates from VA because of that "There's never this kind of problem that I can recall and in my memory of people (having problems) getting on the ballot,” he said. “You just need the staff and to follow the rules. Clearly Newt didn't have the organization or the proper staff to do so." Gingrich's primary win puts the spotlight on Virginia | WSLS 10 i don't know what the deal is with IL, OH, TN
another thing to note is that landslide victories are actually the norm in GOP presidential primaries...every one has been won by a landslide victory since 1976 when Ford edged out Reagan in a close one
This is truly sad. As easy as it should be to beat the sitting liberal and the RNC can't find anyone to run out there and carry the torch. What a sad sign of the times. Hey Amigo, better get your pal sabanfan back up in here, I think he is going to owe you some beer.
So, if one of them wins the presidential election, it will prove that most of this country is in the conservative camp, since the centrists would vote for Obama.
It would prove nothing of the sort. Not all moderates are centrists, the moderate band laps well into the right and left. Moderates swing between republican and democrat depending on the candidate and the issues. Often they split, the last time the majority went to Obama, but some went to Mccain. All surveys indicate that the majority of people in the country are moderates, not conservative or liberals. Obama has got them now, most of them anyway. Newt could not sway moderate blotters with an atomic bomb. Romney might sway some by invoking his Obama-style health plan in Massachusetts, a famously liberal state. But he has gotten so far to the right versus Newt that he'll never swing the majority of moderates.
Most of my Republican friends genuinely believe that they will win the White House while retaining control of the House and gaining the Senate. I believe their optimism is misguided because most of it is built upon their victories during the 2010 elections. That being said, there are several things that should be pointed out: Non Presidential election years are always low voter turnouts which definitely favors the Republicans. Secondly, the tea party congressional candidates swept into office under the promise of jobs, jobs, jobs. Instead the American people have gotten legislation involving English as an official language, bans on Sharia law, a constitutional amendment to ban gay marraige and an infinite number of proposals aimed at diminishing Roe vs. Wade. I predict Obama will win convincingly against either Newt or Mitt because in order to keep their base they have to abandon a large portion of the moderates that Red is talking about in his post above. The Republicans have shot themselves in the foot by attaching themselves to the social agenda of evangelicals which is out of touch with the majority of the American electorate unless you live in the deep South. Couple this with the fact that the economy is showing some signs of life and public opinion polls are starting to reflect this rising confidence and it doesn't paint a pretty picture for the hopes of Republicans this Fall. The only way the Republicans win this election is to hope for a major disaster in the economy between now and election day.
They may have trouble with Congress as well. People are unhappy with the "oppose anything Obama suggests" tea party agenda in Congress and the shameful budget fight. Many republican Congressional candidates will not want to be riding on Newt's 25% popularity coattails into the elections.
