Romney urges rivals to give up after winning majority on Super Tuesday (Washington Post)

Yesterday, Mitt Romney declared that the best thing his fellow republican candidates could do was to give up their campaign because only he would be able to stand to Obama on the presidential election. As Romney’s campaign director remarked, the only thing Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are achieving by continuing in the race within the GOP (Grand Old Party, the Republican’s Party nickname) is increasing Obama’s possibilities to win by splitting more and more the party’s sympathizers.

Why is it that after winning just barely more than a half (six out of ten) states in Super Tuesday, is Romney so sure of his victory? The answer is more simple than conventional; in order to win the nomination within the Republican Party, a candidate must have 1,100 delegates. Out of that number Romney has, so far, 626, while Santorum has only 176 and Gingrich 105. Even if the other four take it all contests left where won by either, which is highly unlikely according to statistics, it would be difficult to even equal Romney’s delegates. Being so and after presenting all this data, Romney concluded in yesterday’s declaration that it was best for the party if they focused in the coming presidential run instead of keeping fighting in between then.

The message Romney directed to his competitors could be interpreted as being directed also to the wealthy donors of super PACs to Santorum and Gingrich. The amount to which their interests would be affected if they continued to support their privileged candidates, even against the odds of either of them winning, is unknown; but Romney’s message is sure to make them rethink their options if their interests lay within the victory of the Republican’s Party in Fall’s election.

Personally, Santorum’s successive and spontaneous victories on these last weeks attracted too much media attention, which caused people to forget about the real data and stats about the amount of delegates each candidate had until this point; which may explain the people’s surprise at Romney’s evident victory at the Super Tuesday this week. As a Romney’s assessor remarked, letting other candidates stand their chance until the end is fair; however, the price of this democratic practice could be more separation within the GOP that could lead to a decisive victory from Obama at the presidential election this Fall.

Finally, one important aspect we ought not to forget is the refusal of both candidates (Gingrich and Santorum) to back out from the race in the GOP. Even though both of them know that their chances are now very limited, they have declared that they are not ready to surrender yet. While Santorum appeals to his charisma and his campaign goals, Gingrich declared soundly convinced that the Republican Party could not win the presidential campaign with a moderate candidate like Romney. With this pessimism within the same walls, could the Republican Party regain politic control not only in these presidential elections, which is unlikely, but afterwards? Romney’s message at the subsequent refusal of Santorum and Gingrich makes this doubtful.

Armando Cruz Ubaldo; ID 138740; R.I. - UDLAP