Despite its swanky name, Super Tuesday really didn’t really matter this election cycle when it came to deciding the GOP nominee.
Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are not ready to step down and throw their support to Mitt Romney despite the fact that Romney has more than double the number of delegates than his closest competitor – Rick Santorum – and more delegates than the three other presidential candidates combined.
So why won’t any of the remaining candidates drop out? Because they are expecting to make it big in several of the upcoming primaries.
Here are the key states to watch:
Saturday, March 10:
Kansas: Santorum is planning on coming away with a big win here, picking up most of its 40 delegates. Although there is no recent poll data on Kansas, Santorum’s prospects are high given the state’s staunch social conservatism. It went nearly 60 percent for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Newt Gingrich announced today he will not campaign there.
Tuesday, March 13:
Alabama and Mississippi: Gingrich has been campaigning heavily in the deep south, and he won’t go down without a fight. As a result, he is expected to do very well in these states and pick up quite a few delegates (Alabama has 50 delegates; Mississippi has 40). Again, there are no recent polls to confirm his standing, but Gingrich’s substantial wins in South Carolina and Georgia are good comparisons of how he will likely do in other Southern states.
Saturday, March 17:
Missouri: Don’t get too caught up in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, because Rick Santorum will probably boost his delegate count with a Missouri win (52 delegates). He won the “beauty-contest” primary there on February 7 with more than 55 percent of the vote. However, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt’s endorsement of Mitt Romney today could help Romney do better in the Show Me State this time around.
Saturday, March 24:
Louisiana: Louisiana’s 46 delegates will probably follow suit with the rest of the south and go to Gingrich. Combined with Alabama and Mississippi, these southern states might provide Gingrich’s campaign with enough delegates to take his campaign all the way to Tampa, as he predicted.
This race is far from over, so stay tuned.
