Here's how it works in the GOP: When Mitt Romney leads unofficial tally by 8, he "wins."
When Rick Santorum leads final results by 34, he "tied."
Guess what happened to Mr. Inevitability? The unprecedented winner of three straight Republican primaries, Mitt Romney, apparently didn't win the first one. From today's
Des Moines Register:
THE RESULTS: Santorum finished ahead by 34 votes
MISSING DATA: 8 precincts’ numbers will never be certified
PARTY VERDICT: GOP official says, ‘It’s a split decision’
Rick Santorum – Final total: 29,839 Change: -168
Mitt Romney – Final total: 29,805 Change: -210
It’s a tie for the ages.
There are too many holes in the certified totals from the Iowa caucuses to know for certain who won, but Rick Santorum wound up with a 34-vote advantage.
He did win in his backyard over in New Hampshire, but he's losing momentum and crawling to the finish in South Carolina (see Newtmentum!).
So what happened in Iowa? Who really won?
All 99 counties turned in their documented results — Howard County was the last and arrived by fax Wednesday — but party officials had to hunt down dozens of missing precincts.
As far as party leaders could tell, no Form Es ever existed for the eight missing precincts, Olsen said. There’s no chance those eight will certified, he said.
Gee, just enough to avoid saying Romney lost.
But what's most interesting is the reluctance of party officials to puncture Mitt's balloon by awarding the win to the fading Rick Santorum. He's trailing badly in South Carolina and after this weekend, we might just see the last of him (and of Rick Perry).
And what happens to Romney if he loses Iowa AND South Carolina? Poor guy. He'll just have to figure out which of his homes to lick his wounds at.
Oh, well, he'll run strong in Florida and then wrap it up. Because, after all, it's over after New Hampshire South Carolina Florida.
Just don't tell the voters.
