While Mitt Romney’s victories in Michigan and Arizona might have restored him to front-runner status, the path ahead still poses challenges as attention shifts to the 10 states up for grabs on Super Tuesday.
Beaming in his victory speech Tuesday night, Romney cracked a light-hearted, but real-headed, joke about the task now before him.
“The great thing about having so many in our family, we can cover almost every race,” he said, alluding to his five sons. “Super Tuesday, we’ll be stretched, but we’re going to find a way.”
The good news for Romney is that he carries momentum heading into the multistate showdown, which should ease his path.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, noted that Romney’s wins in Michigan and Arizona on Tuesday have righted the campaign ship for now.
“The double win is just what the doctor ordered for Romney. It’s a tonic — not just for Romney but for his donors and supporters.”
But the pressure will remain on Romney to avoid repeating past missteps.
“Of course, among Romney’s problems is that the tonic always wears off quickly, then he loses and needs another tonic,” Sabato said.
Romney’s biggest challenge on Super Tuesday will be in Ohio, which offers the truest test of his Midwestern viability yet.
Michigan, of course, was Romney’s home state and will probably be an easy win for President Obama in the fall. But Ohio is neutral ground for the GOP candidates, and one of the most important swing states in the general election. And Romney starts from behind there.
In the Buckeye State’s most recent survey, released Tuesday, Romney trails Santorum by 11 percent, and the Real Clear Politics average of Ohio polls shows him currently down by 8 points.
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