To hear the media rattle on, Tuesday’s contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri could be Mitt Romney’s final nails in Newt Gingrich’s coffin, delivering the front-runner successive wins and oodles of delegates.
But Republican officials are working overtime to downplay the non-binding caucuses which in fact will deliver absolutely no immediate delegates to any candidates. In Colorado and Minnesota, for example, the caucus results will be sent back to local parties that will divvy up the delegates in several weeks. And Missouri’s primary is just a beauty contest. The state will have an official caucus March 17.
Below is the memo from the Republican National Committee’s Sean Spicer to reporters on the issue.
Memo
To: Political Reporters
From: Sean Spicer, RNC Communications Directors
Subj: Reporting on Delegates for Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri
For those of you covering the race for the GOP presidential nomination and writing about the current delegate count, please keep in mind the no delegates will be awarded tomorrow.
Colorado is a non-binding precinct caucus. Their 36 delegates will be chosen at district conventions held between March 31 – April 13, 2012, and at the state convention on April 14, 2012. .
Minnesota is a non-binding precinct caucus. Their 40 delegates will be chosen at district conventions held between April 14 – 21, 2012, and at a state convention on May 5, 2012. Delegates are not bound unless the state convention passes a resolution to bind the delegates.
Missouri will hold a primary tomorrow that is not recognized as being a part of any delegate allocation or selection process . A precinct caucus will be held on 3/17/2012 to begin the process of choosing their 52 delegates which will be chosen at district conventions on April 21, 2012, and a state convention on June 2, 2012. Candidates for delegate must state a presidential preference at the time of nomination and will be bound to support that candidate for one ballot at the national convention.
