What would happen if the Republican primary became a two-man race between Romney and Santorum? According to Doug Rivers, “[Gingrich supporters] split about 60 percent to 40 percent for Santorum over Romney.” So could Newt Gingrich play kingmaker for Rick Santorum?
In this podcast from the Hoover Institution’s 2012 In Perspective series, Doug Rivers, Morris Fiorina, and Tammy Frisby analyze the Republican primary with a look back at Super Tuesday and their views on what lies ahead in the presidential race.
Hear the scholars discuss the questions of the moment:
- How do the dynamics of the race change if Gingrich or Paul drops out? Where do the votes go? (Ron Paul: 5:32, Gingrich: 7:33), more discussion of historical precedents (10:26), and could Romney hold on as the front-runner? (7:47).
- Can Mitt Romney win the nomination–or the presidency–given the weakness he has shown in the South? (13:13).
- Why did Santorum, who looked very strong in Ohio and Tennessee several weeks ago, see his support erode? (8:50).
And the group takes up the persistent questions of the 2012 presidential contest:
- Will any candidate emerge as the nominee with a majority of delegates before Tampa? (1:48).
- Does a contested, or even brokered, convention await us? (14:28).
- What motivates Ron Paul’s campaign? (11:53).
- How have Super PACs affected this election? (10:06, again at 15:05).
The conversation closes with words of advice for the Republican campaigners (22:16).
Click here to listen to the podcast. (25:52)
