Romney Assumes the Reigns - The Road to the White House - Election 2012 - Week 16
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- Category: Beltway Insider
- Published on Saturday, 21 April 2012 22:25
- Written by Janet Walker
Mitt Romney, heir apparent for the GOP Presidential nod, has officially assumed the reigns of a divided Republican party, assuring all he’s the man to dethrone Obama and replace the current ailing administration.
USA Today Poll USA Today Political Poll Tracker as of April 22, 2012 places former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney leading the pack in popularity, nationally, with a huge 7.0 percentage point gain over the past week, at the top with 48.4%. Santorum, even with his suspended campaign, held steady in the number two spot although dropping 1.9 percentage points with 22.3%. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, gained 3.4 percentage points over the past week coming in at 15.6 % and Texas Representative Ron Paul dropped .01 percentage points to end at 13.7%.
As we transition into the general election the current democratic administration’s over all approval rating, according to a recent Gallup Poll, is at 47%. Term to date average is at 49%.
Both former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Texas Representative Ron Paul have yet to announce the end to their presidential bids and still, limitedly, have a message that resonates with voters. Although Romney has all but accepted the party’s nomination, and released the balloons, the fact remains that he is still close to five hundred delegates short of formally securing the GOP Presidential nomination.
Restore our Future, the Super Pac money machine behind Romney’s well crafted campaign, is picking up huge contributions, over 10million in the past month, from wealthy pro-republican supporters who clearly believe he is the strongest candidate to defeat Obama in November.
Romney has also picked up additional key endorsements this week including Ohio Governor John Kasich, who’s state barely made it into the Super Tuesday win column for the then struggling former Massachusetts governor. Although not pivotal, or key to his campaign, the missing endorsement from the past week of fawning is Rick Santorum, who has remained quiet. With Santorum’s record clear, an endorsement for his chief rival should be imminent, and costly. The rate of exchange for a public statement from the staunch conservative to the more moderate Romney almost assuredly has a price tag attached. In what currency is the only question.
The next race on the primary schedule for the Republican Presidential is two days away. The five state April 24th contest has a total of 231 up for grabs. Although Santorum’s name is still on the ballot in the seven remaining primaries, the former presidential contender and Pennsylvania senator has effectively ended his presidential bid.
The next two days will see the GOP hopefuls campaigning heavily to relay their message to the voters. Plum prizes on the April 24primary include 95 delegates from New York State; 72 from Santorum’s Pennsylvania. Connecticut brings 28 delegates, Rhode Island 19 and Delaware 17.
Upcoming the final seven primaries include the April 24th listed and Indiana, West Virginia, North Carolina on May 8; Nebraska and Oregon, May 15; Arkansas and Kentucky May 22; Texas with a whopping 155 delegates, May 29; Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and California with a golden prize of 172 delegates, on June 5 and the last primary Utah on June 26.
The 2012 Delegate Tracker, of the 2286 total available delegates, Mitt Romney has secured 659 delegates, Rick Santorum 275, Newt Gingrich; 140, and Ron Paul 71. To secure the Republican Nomination for President a candidate must receive 1,144 delegates.
