Santorum, Romney Lead Obama in Key States Due to Obamacare
Thanks to the massive unpopularity of the Obamacare law that includes abortion funding, rationing concerns and now a mandate that forces religious employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions, Obama is losing to the top two GOP candidates in key states.
In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of the nation's dozen top battleground states, a majority of Americans calls passage of Obamacare a "bad thing" and support repealing it should Republicans win control of the Senate from Democrats in November and the White House.
The Gallup survey queried voters in Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan, which casts votes tomorrow, was also included. Ref. Source 3
Early exit polls about three hours before the last polls close in Michigan's primary show frustration with the Republican field and hints of mischief among Democratic voters.
According to those who responded to questioners, less than half of those voting in the Republican primary said they strongly favor their own candidate.
While six in 10 voters identified themselves as Republicans, one in 10 of those voting in the GOP primary said they were Democrats. Michigan has an open primary where voters can choose without regard to party affiliation.
One in four respondents say they made up their mind in the last few days and six in 10 said the CNN debate last week was a factor in their decision.
Michigan is seen as a key state for Mitt Romney, who was born in Detroit and whose father was governor of the state. The GOP field is also competing tonight in the Arizona primary. Ref. CNN
Romney gaining momentum in Ohio
In yet another bizarre twist to the 2012 GOP Primary race, Rick Santorum's lead in Ohio has all but evaporated. What once was a double digit lead is now down to 2 points. Mitt Romney is making a late surge for the ever important electoral state of Ohio - but will it be enough to overcome Santorum? Why is Romney surging anyway? Could it be the bizarre interview of Santorum that Glenn played a portion of? Ref. Source 8
Ohio's Super Tuesday primary is a dead heat between GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, according to a CNN/ORC International Poll.
Strong support among Catholic voters in Ohio appears to be one reason why Romney has gained on Santorum. Among Ohio Catholics who are likely to vote, the poll says 39% back Romney and 33% support Santorum.
Contests in 10 states on Tuesday will decide how more than 400 delegates get allocated. In Georgia, the poll indicates Newt Gingrich is enjoying home-state advantage, with a 23-point lead over Romney. Ref. CNN
Romney wins Ohio, 4 other Super Tuesday states
Mitt Romney squeezed out a win in pivotal Ohio, captured four other states with ease and padded his delegate lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination but was forced to share the Super Tuesday spotlight with a resurgent Rick Santorum. Ref. Source 1
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will win the Kansas caucuses, CNN projects.
The state's 40 delegates will be awarded in proportion to the results.
Earlier, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the caucuses in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands also holds caucuses Saturday. Ref. CNN
Media asking all the wrong questions: Now it's Romney's dog story
For weeks the media has relentlessly repeated the contraception story - they invented it and attack GOP candidates for constantly talking about it. Now the media is pressing Santorum to talk about Romney's traveling dog story from the 1980s. The question is bad enough - Santorum's attempt to turn it into political points was also irritating. Ref. Source 8
With less than two hours before polls close in the Illinois GOP primary, early exit polls indicate Mitt Romney is dominating the vote in urban areas, while Rick Santorum is ahead in rural communities.
The majority of voters who responded to exit poll inquiries also said that the economy was their most important issue. Those who felt the economy was starting to recover preferred Romney, while those who felt the economy was getting worse preferred Santorum. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET in Illinois. Ref. CNN