Santorum Surges in the South, Romney Holds on Doggedly

Ron Paul presses on, Rick Santorum surges in the South, Mitt Romney doggedly holds onto frontrunner status, and Newt Gingrich is, well, Newt.

Washington Post Columnist Dan Balz wrote that Santorum’s wins in Mississippi and Alabama earned him an opportunity to consolidate a conservative base “with former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) unable to win either state in his home region.”

Balz wrote: “The former senator from Pennsylvania must now convince Republicans in other regions that his brand of conservatism would make him a stronger nominee against Obama.”

But you wouldn’t know it to hear Romney speak. In fact, in dogged frontrunner status, Romney hasn’t mentioned his Republican rivals much. An Associated Press story reads:

“The more Romney portrays himself as a formidable challenger to Obama, the more he may be able to persuade lukewarm Republican voters he's the most ‘electable’ candidate.

"I'm the one guy in this race who can beat Barack Obama," he told 400 sun-drenched people Tuesday in Liberty, Mo.

But conservatives in the Republican party do not seem sold on Romney.

“Romney’s losses to Santorum in the deep-red South — home to the Republican Party’s most conservative voters — holds a particular sting for Romney as he attempts to persuade GOP voters that he is a true conservative,” reads a Politico article.

Another raucus caucus?

That brings us to Missouri. Most of the state’s Republican caucuses will be Saturday, even though a winner may not be clear until April.

So, did Paul’s message at Lindenwood on the Constitution and the error of the government’s ways impress St. Charles County voters? Will his organization take over the caucus as happened in 2008?

Will Gingrich simply hang on until the Republican National Convention or is another surge possible?

Can Santorum turn a primary win into Missouri delegates in the (mostly) St. Patrick’s Day Caucus and keep up his momentum?

Or will voters decide that Romney—since he looks, acts and talks like the clear frontrunner—actually is the only choice?

Share with us which candidate you would choose to be president right now.