Just four votes separate Santorum and Romney.

[Indy Coug]

Even more amazing is that he was 6 votes shy of his exact vote total in 2008.

Uncanny. I don't think it bodes well for Mitt that he gets slightly fewer votes in a year where he is expected to be the nominee as opposed to a year where it was clear he would not win Iowa.

The raw vote totals are meaningless. He paid Iowa only token attention this time around compared to 2008 and still won despite the best efforts of the Evangelicals.

[myboynoah]

Even more amazing is that he was 6 votes shy of his exact vote total in 2008.

Uncanny. I don't think it bodes well for Mitt that he gets slightly fewer votes in a year where he is expected to be the nominee as opposed to a year where it was clear he would not win Iowa.

I don't think it matters that much, especially since few thought he would win in Iowa. He didn't pay much attention to the state until late. Romney goes on to win New Hampshire, coupled with the Iowa win, giving him some good momentum going into South Carolina and then Florida.

He gets McCain's endorsement tomorrow, gets to claim victory, gets some buzz.

[Uncle Ted]

Comments heard in IOWA:

Mitt Romney: "I won?"

Rick Santorum: "I won. Oh, wait."

Ron Paul: "The military still likes me."

Newt Gingrich: "You fools! I will destroy you all...except I like that Santorum fellow. I hope his delegates pick me when his campaign craters."

Michelle Bachman: "I was born in Iowa. Guess I just died in Iowa. But I can still kick Obama's butt. Go Santorum!"

Jon Huntsman: *crickets* (although not in Iowa bystanders in NH report overhearing "Anyone but Romney!")

Rick Perry: "Oops!"

[YOhio]

Even more amazing is that he was 6 votes shy of his exact vote total in 2008.

This means there are six fewer Mormons in Iowa than in 2008. Sad.

[calicoug]

The raw vote totals are meaningless. He paid Iowa only token attention this time around compared to 2008 and still won despite the best efforts of the Evangelicals.

Meaningless? That's overstating things. They aren't disastrous either, but it signals Romney has work to do and it shows just how fractured the electorate was in Iowa and likely will be in several other states. It also begs the question which you unintentionally hit on in your post: can Romney win the nomination and general without the evangelicals? If not, can he get evangelicals to support him?

[pellegrino]

Meaningless? That's overstating things. They aren't disastrous either, but it signals Romney has work to do and it shows just how fractured the electorate was in Iowa and likely will be in several other states. It also begs the question which you unintentionally hit on in your post: can Romney win the nomination and general without the evangelicals? If not, can he get evangelicals to support him?

Work to do? With evangelicals? There is absolutely nothing that Mitt Romney can do to win over the evangelical vote. Nothing. He may pick up a few here or there, but if he does win the nomination it will be because the evangelicals realized that there are no other options and either voted for him or stayed home.

[Moliere]

Meaningless? That's overstating things. They aren't disastrous either, but it signals Romney has work to do and it shows just how fractured the electorate was in Iowa and likely will be in several other states. It also begs the question which you unintentionally hit on in your post: can Romney win the nomination and general without the evangelicals? If not, can he get evangelicals to support him?

If Romney gets the GOP nomination, the evangelicals will fall in line. They hate Obama more than they hate Mormonism, which is saying something. They are smart enough to know that pushing a 3rd party candidate will guarantee another Obama term, so they'll fall in line and choose the lesser evil.

Having lived in the South it's amazing to see the number of cars that have 1/20/13 bumper stickers.

[Indy Coug]

This means there are six fewer Mormons in Iowa than in 2008. Sad.

Hack. http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=8005583

[YOhio]

Hack. http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=8005583

Wrong. You were talking about conversion. I was talking about retention.

[calicoug]

Work to do? With evangelicals? There is absolutely nothing that Mitt Romney can do to win over the evangelical vote. Nothing. He may pick up a few here or there, but if he does win the nomination it will be because the evangelicals realized that there are no other options and either voted for him or stayed home.

I don't completely agree with that. His best bet is not to be Obama and to be the Republican nominee and convince evangelicals that Obama is out to destroy America and he is their only option. In fact, he has already started that (saying just the other day that Obama doesn't want America to be "one nation, under God").

It won't work for most evangelicals, but the extent to which it does work will significantly impact his probability of being elected.

[pellegrino]

I don't completely agree with that. His best bet is not to be Obama and to be the Republican nominee and convince evangelicals that Obama is out to destroy America and he is their only option. In fact, he has already started that (saying just the other day that Obama doesn't want America to be "one nation, under God").

It won't work for most evangelicals, but the extent to which it does work will significantly impact his probability of being elected.

I was only referring to the Republican Primary, the general is a completely different matter. Evangelicals will likely hold their nose and vote, but it depends on how much they really hate Obama.

Who knows, maybe the world really will end in 2012.

[calicoug]

I was only referring to the Republican Primary, the general is a completely different matter. Evangelicals will likely hold their nose and vote, but it depends on how much they really hate Obama.

Who knows, maybe the world really will end in 2012.

Ah. True.

By the way, I can't help but note the irony that the first shot of religious bigotry between the parties was Romney's. His "Obama doesn't want an America that is one nation under God" nonsense seems calibrated to build on the subtext that Obama is supposedly a Muslim.

[Commando]

This means there are six fewer Mormons in Iowa than in 2008. Sad.

My sister and her husband moved to Idaho when she graduated, so there's 2 of those votes...

[Indy Coug]

Ah. True.

By the way, I can't help but note the irony that the first shot of religious bigotry between the parties was Romney's. His "Obama doesn't want an America that is one nation under God" nonsense seems calibrated to build on the subtext that Obama is supposedly a Muslim.

It's to build on the record of Obama's administration for being openly hostile towards religion.

[myboynoah]

Ah. True.

By the way, I can't help but note the irony that the first shot of religious bigotry between the parties was Romney's. His "Obama doesn't want an America that is one nation under God" nonsense seems calibrated to build on the subtext that Obama is supposedly a Muslim.

Yeeaahhh, that's the ticket.