Which Candidate Handles Hecklers Best?

Even though Santorum didn't bow out until April 10

(NEWSER) - No one's been nominated yet—but the media crowned Mitt Romney the winner of the GOP primaries after he took Michigan on Feb. 28, a Pew report finds. Of course, Romney didn't essentially seal the deal until Rick Santorum dropped out. That happened on April 10, weeks after the media had effectively called the race for Romney, finds the report, which tracked 11,000 news outlets from Jan. 2 to April 15. After Feb. 28, we saw "a suddenly intense discussion of 'delegate math' and the conclusion that no other candidate could win," explains the report's co-author. More»

Santorum's Pennsylvania lead vanishes

(NEWSER) - Most Republicans believe there are two too many candidates still seeking their party's nomination, according to the latest CNN poll . The poll found that roughly 60% of the GOP want Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul to call it a day, while a similar proportion want Rick Santorum to stick around. But neither Gingrich nor Paul appear likely to drop out: Gingrich has big plans for the Republican National Convention and when Piers Morgan asked Ron Paul about dropping out, the Texan told him not to "pester me with silly questions." More»

Howard Kurtz sees thinning coverage amid poor ratings

(NEWSER) - Even as voters hit the polls in Illinois Tuesday , Fox and MSNBC hosts focused on other matters. The next day, neither Today nor Good Morning America included the 2012 election in their top three stories. There's a reason for that, writes Howard Kurtz at the Daily Beast : Cable news knows that the presidential race is bad for ratings. "Television, in short, has pretty much decided the race is over, Mitt Romney has won, the thing is boring everyone to death, and it’s time, at least for now, to move on," he writes. Newspapers and political websites are also giving the campaign short shrift. More»

Some cite lackluster performance in state he could have dominated

(NEWSER) - A new poll puts Mitt Romney 15 percentage points ahead of his closest rival, Rick Santorum, in Illinois' primary tomorrow—but perhaps he shouldn't start celebrating yet. Public Policy Polling has Romney winning 45% of the vote to Santorum's 30% (it puts Newt Gingrich at 12% and Ron Paul at 10%), noting the former Massachusetts governor is dominating the electorate's "swing" group—those who call themselves "somewhat conservative." But read this morning's papers, and you'll find a much gloomier take on the situation, with many saying Romney's effort in the state hasn't been convincing. More»

Ala., Miss. results give Santorum a clear shot at Romney

(NEWSER) - Only a few percentage points separated the top three candidates in Alabama and Mississippi's GOP primaries, but the results left Rick Santorum looking like a big winner, and Newt Gingrich looking like a goner, say pundits, who predict tough times ahead for Mitt Romney.

• Santorum's wins in Gingrich's "political back yard" will "symbolically—if not literally—end the former speaker’s hopes in the race," writes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post . The wins give Santorum "what he always wanted: a clear shot at Romney."