Politics: The South Rises for Santorum

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Politics The South Rises for Santorum Even as Romney wins more delegates, he appears weaker with every contest. By John Dickerson Posted Wednesday, Mar 14, 2012, at 06:28 AM ET Mitt Romney said Rick Santorum was at the "desperate end of his campaign," by which he apparently meant the winning end. The Pennsylvania senator won the primaries in Alabama and Mississippi. He is now the leading conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, though Newt Gingrich promised to take his fight all the way to the Republican convention. Mitt Romney, who came in third in both states, is approaching the qualities of some cursed mythological figure who gets stronger on the outside while his insides decay: With each contest, Romney gains delegates but appears to get weaker. In Alabama, Santorum won with 35 percent of the vote. Gingrich and Romney both earned 29 percent. In Mississippi, Santorum captured 33 percent of the ballots to Gingrich's 31 percent and Romney's 30 percent. The Republican presidential race is holding the pattern that first emerged on Super Tuesday: It remains a race of mathematics versus a movement. Though Romney lost the marquee contests of the evening, he was expected to do well in Hawaii and American Samoa, perhaps giving him the most delegates of any candidate for the evening. The math is still on his side: Romney has won more states, has more delegates, and hundreds of thousands more Republicans have voted for him.  But the momentum and energy of the night belonged to Santorum who continues to captivate the grassroots heart of the party. "Ordinary people across this country can defy the odds," said Santorum about the message of the evening and ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Weigel: Four Lessons From Alabama and Mississippi What That Outraged Guy From Goldman Sachs Doesn't Get About Goldman Sachs Being Arrested in the U.K. Is Very Different Than Being Arrested in the U.S.	Advertisement
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