It’ll be a relieved Mitt Romney and a deflated Rick Santorum who head to Ohio ahead of next week’s Super Tuesday primaries. Romney scored an impressive 21-point victory in Arizona — exceeding the already high expectations for him there. This win provides him with a significant boost in the delegate count — a factor that becomes more important the longer the race drags on — as Arizona assigns all of its 29 delegates to the winner. But more important for Romney was the three-point margin he secured over Santorum in Michigan.
Winning Michigan may not help Romney extend his lead in delegates — he and Santorum might well come away with 15 each from the state — but his victory there was crucial in setting the media narrative in the run-up to Super Tuesday. It has provided Romney with some much-needed positive headlines: the Wall Street Journal, somewhat self-fulfillingly, proclaims ‘Romney Regains Momentum’.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in