At a certain level, it’s hard to see how Tuesday could have gone much better for Mitt Romney. After a few very rough weeks and surprising setbacks, the former governor cruised to an easy win in Arizona’s primary, and hung on to win in Michigan, preventing panic and chaos within the Republican Party ranks.
And yet, as the dust settles, Romney and his supporters appear more relieved than satisfied. There’s a good reason for that.
It’s easy to forget, but as recently as three months ago, Romney led Rick Santorum in Michigan by 32 points. As recently as one month ago, a statewide poll in Michigan showed Santorum running fourth, barely reaching double digits. In the ensuing weeks, Santorum condemned prenatal care, denounced higher education, said JFK’s commitment to religious liberty makes him want to vomit, and saw reports surface that he argued Satan had pushed mainline Protestantism out of the realm of Christianity.
What’s more, Romney outspent Santorum in Michigan — a state where Romney was born and where his father was governor — by nearly a two-to-one margin.
And Romney still only beat Santorum by three points. The sports cliche “a win is a win” is being bandied about, but so is the phrase “winning ugly.” Only Mitt Romney can win two major contests and reclaim the momentum in the race, and somehow look worse anyway.









