Six wins for Mitt - yet he still can’t close the deal
“Mr. Romney had hoped that a string of Super Tuesday victories… would effectively bring the Republican race to a close. But he found himself winning over Rick Santorum by only the slimmest of margins with almost all the votes counted in Ohio, the most coveted primary of the night, while losing other contests across the South.” -
New York Times
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"[T]he news could have been much better for Romney, he's escaped with his life, but will have face continued doubts over his inability to finish his rivals -- even though his delegate total by the end of the night puts him well on the way to winning the Republican nomination." - [The Atlantic](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/03/mitt-romney-wins-an-ohio-nailbiter-and-snaps-up-delegates/254050/)
The battle for the Republican nomination is now a battle between the conservative movement and pure mathematics - [Slate](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/03/mitt_romney_narrowly_beats_rick_santorum_in_the_ohio_republican_primary_.html)
Mr. Inevitable survives another scare - [Commentary](http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/03/07/mr-inevitable-survives-scare-romney/)
Romney best able to beat Obama, but still not loved -
MSNBC
Romney’s Southern problem continues
“Romney’s perceived trouble in empathizing with Americans who struggle to pay their bills is part of his larger difficulty in consolidating his party’s base, particularly voters most animated by social issues. It has encumbered his campaign against GOP rivals, and it risks becoming a drag on his candidacy in the general election, should he win the party nomination.” -
LA Times
“If anything, Tuesday’s results confirm that Romney still has some big problems with the base of the party. The Republican Party is a Southern party, and he hasn’t done well in the South.” -
Larry Sabato
Romney’s forward strategy: keep grinding it out and hope for conservatives to come to terms with his inevitability
“Despite clear signs of continued resistance in the GOP’s conservative heartland, Romney reaffirmed the verdict of his momentum-shifting victory last week in Michigan… Romney’s nail-biting win in Ohio, capping a night that widened his overall delegate lead, may allow him to begin shifting the conversation among Republicans from whether he will clinch the nomination, to when.” -
National Journal
Despite strong Tennessee showing, Santorum needs Gingrich to drop out in order to make a real impact
“A scenario involving a Gingrich departure from the race, helping Santorum consolidate the anti-Romney vote, still threatens the former Massachusetts governor. Santorum supporters point to Gingrich’s failure to win a single state outside of the South. “Right now, if you’re either Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich, you’re thinking, ‘oh my gosh, if I could just get Mitt Romney one-on-one,’” said political commentator Juan Williams on Fox News.” -
Daily Caller
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'After Ohio came in tonight, it is clear Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee if Newt Gingrich stays in the race. Gingrich is now only serving as a spoiler to Santorum." - [Erick Erickson](http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/03/07/the-nominee/)
Super Tuesday gives cool kid Rick Santorum some false hope -
Tim Stanley
Loudly Catholic Santorum loses Ohio Catholics -
CNN
Santorum’s lack of organization is hurting him
“He ceded Virginia – where he lives – and its 46 delegates because he failed to qualify for the ballot. He lost the chance at picking up another 18 delegates in Ohio, because he failed to file full delegate slates. Santorum is fighting an uphill battle against a well-oiled Romney political machine and these mistakes are proving to be very costly.” -
CNN
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