Looks Like Santorum Won Mississippi and Alabama

The effect of former PA Sen. Rick Santorum and Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich definitely made itself clear tonight as the numbers came in, putting Santorum on top in AL and MS, and Romney third in these contests. It still looks like Gingrich is unlikely to leave the field, even though he needed a win in at least one of these states to be anything like competitive, but I've long supposed that his game really wasn't for snagging the nomination anyway.

What's amazing to me is that Santorum has shaped up to be a real contender. This time last year, while I'd have definitely conceded that my former Senator was angling for 2012, but I'd never have put him this close to contesting Romney for it--my gut had Romney winning it all in a short walk. On one hand, I'm humbled, I must have underestimated the social conservative religious right votes--on the other hand I'm kind of scared: OMG! The Social Conservative Religious Right Votes!!!!!

Anyhow, I've been a Santorumologist for eons at this point, and am not exactly worried for the republic. He's got authenticity, but he's also got a content-filter issue that would definitely damage him in the long-run with moderates and independents in the general: he says all kinds of stuff. But the odd thing to me is trying to understand how many Baptists pulled a lever for a disciple of the Whore of Babylon--seriously? Things would have been totally different if Newt had kept his original affiliation, my bet. Mormon and wealthy lost the cause for Romney, and if you think no amount of cheesy grits would have made him acceptable to hard-working folks--you might still have enough redneck cred to wonder why anyone would try to profit off of cheap southern stereotypes. Huh?

Anyway, it looks like I will be continuing my close watch of Sh*t My Former Senator Says.  Wheeeeeee---to the extent that that can be said sarcastically.

As a postscript--I don't suppose race is primary in these primaries, but tribal identification and signifying might be. Romney never stood a chance here. Santorum is the signifier of signifiers.

Ergo--he won.