And then there were 4 in a 2-man race.
In South Carolina, tonight, 4 will stand on the debate stage as Rick Perry has officially dropped out of the GOP race for the nomination.
Yes, 4 – but in reality, at least in South Carolina this Saturday, it’s a 2-man race between Romney and Gingrich.
Rick Santorum will come in 3rd and Ron Paul will be emptying the trash cans after the polls close.
That’s just the way it is.
As Perry drops out and throws his support to Newt, Santorum is left trying to bolster support from evangelicals but, it’s just not going to be enough. Not enough as well is the news this morning that Santorum actually won in Iowa.
What the Iowa numbers do, though they will never be 100% confirmed, is to keep Mitt from wining the first 2 states. That is something which had never been done before and regardless of what Iowa officials are calling a tie, Santorum’s plus 34 makes HIM the winner there.
It’s a win with an * for Santorum and a loss with an * for Romney as there are 8 precincts which lost their ballots most likely never to be seen again.
While all eyes now focus like lasers on South Carolina, Iowa has managed to relegate themselves OUT of the picture maybe permanently. Iowa will probably make some adjustments to the way they cast, count and tally Caucus votes in the future, but they will be thought of for a long time as the Florida of the heartland.
