Results focus on weaknesses of rivals
Mitt Romney just can't shake his difficulty attracting conservatives
Denver: Mitt Romney just can't shake his difficulty attracting conservatives. And that reality is undercutting his effort to cast himself as the inevitable Republican presidential nominee and prolonging a race that each day exposes deep divisions within the party.
Newt Gingrich also now faces a fresh challenge to his claim that he is the chief conservative alternative to Romney, the GOP front-runner.
Those were the big takeaways from Rick Santorum's surprise victories Tuesday night in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri — which, for now at least, keep his struggling candidacy alive.
"Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota," the former Pennsylvania senator told cheering supporters before the Colorado results were known. "I don't stand here to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama."
Losing streak
Santorum broke a four-state losing streak by successfully pitching himself as the only true conservative in Tuesday's races.
The results focus attention on Romney's and Gingrich's weaknesses, while underscoring the degree to which the GOP primary battle is likely to stretch well into the spring and perhaps even the summer. The outcomes also are likely to detract from Republicans' efforts to lambast President Barack Obama.
While Santorum may get a short-term boost of momentum, it's unclear whether the cash-strapped candidate has the resources to capitalise quickly on the wins and compete against Romney's national political machine.
