Republicans Struggle to Make Sense of the Numbers
Four candidates remain in the race for the nomination, but McCain bolstered his lead on Super Tuesday.
As the evening stretched into the late hours Tuesday night Republicans were still trying to determine what all the numbers and tabulations meant. But one thing seemed clear: Senator John McCain, only a few months ago flailing to keep his candidacy alive, would beat his chief opponent, Mitt Romney.
The results remained murky for most of the evening, which turned into a political hopscotch game as Senator McCain claimed victory in one state, and moments later, Mitt Romney declared himself the winner in another. Even Mike Huckabee’s candidacy remained alive as he took Georgia.
Somewhere in the middle of the night though, clarity began to surface. McCain claimed many of the vital states, including New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut. Another cluster of states, including Utah and Massachusetts, went to Romney. Mike Huckabee, for his part, won Georgia, Arkansas and West Virginia.
Approximately nine months ago, the Republican presidential candidate list was eight names long. By yesterday, it had been chiseled down to four: McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Representative Ron Paul—all vying for Super Tuesday’s 1,191 delegate votes.
Super Tuesday 2008 stands as the single most telling day in primary election history. Never before have 21 states voted en masse. In eight of the races in the larger states, the winner takes all of the delegates, adding drama and glory to each vote counted. The end of the night, capped off by returns from California, promised to produce one clear Republican presidential candidate.
Indeed, the values and image of the Republican Party were at stake. The primaries have highlighted differences between the party’s social conservatives and moderates. At one time, which now seems like ages ago, former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani led the polls and forced the party to confront the possibility of nominating a candidate who was strong on defense, but also pro-choice.
These conflicts have paved the way for a final showdown between Mitt Romney and Senator McCain, a battle over whether liberal ideas have a place in an ideologically conservative party. The fight has become increasingly heated since McCain won the Florida vote on January 26, when the race for the nomination turned into a two-candidate battle.
Romney, a multimillionaire businessman, has led the conservative charge against his moderate foe, questioning McCain’s vote against the Bush tax cuts and amnesty to immigrants. Romney has strong support from influential conservatives, including radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who has said that in a general election, he would vote for Barack Obama over McCain.
McCain refuses to buy into the liberal label being foisted on him by Romney, pointing out that he is anti-abortion and has always supported Bush’s tax cuts and the war in Iraq, including the troop surge.
As of early Wednesday morning, the final outcome for Republicans was unclear.