Wow. Rick Santorum has surprised most analysts by going three for three in tonight’s Republican primary battles, winning in Missouri, Minnesota and – most surprising – in Colorado.
As I noted earlier, he was polling well in Missouri and Minnesota, but Mitt Romney’s team was confident that they would be able to pull out a comfortable win in a state that he won handsomely back in 2008. However, with 92 percent of counties reporting, Santorum has secured 38 percent of the vote, with Romney coming in second with 36 percent.
One thing to remember here is that turnout is way down on the 2008 primaries, which goes back to the point I made in New Hampshire about an enthusiasm gap among Republicans. And although Santorum has actually won half of the eight states that have gone to the polls so far, Romney still has to be seen as the favorite.
Still, a big night for Santorum and a deeply disappointing one for Romney (and for Newt Gingrich as well – how long will he continue with his slash-and-burn campaign?) I’ll have more on Santorum’s foreign policy tomorrow.