Mitt Romney has gotten a sorely needed boost in the rocky race for the Republican presidential nomination, winning a non-binding contest in Maine and a straw poll among conservatives after a trio of unnerving losses.
In the United States we believe competition strengthens us
The former Massachusetts governor edged out Texas congressman Ron Paul by fewer than 200 votes in the Maine caucuses on Saturday, and outpolled former senator Rick Santorum in the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
Though largely symbolic, those wins spelled relief for a candidate whose frontrunner status was again put in question when Mr Santorum scored upset victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.
The results were a blow to Mr Paul, who had hoped to get his first victory of the 2012 campaign, but he told supporters gathered in Portland that he considered the result a near-win.
“It’s almost like we could call it a tie,” Mr Paul said. “I would bet that we will control the Maine caucus when we go to Tampa,” where the Republican National Convention will be held, he said.
“It would have been great to win outright the straw vote,” he said, “but it will even be greater to win the delegate vote, and that’s going to happen. The momentum is going to continue and we’re not going away.”
Despite Mr Romney’s nomination wins, however, the Republican race to pick a standard bearer to run against Mr Obama in November remained unsettled.
Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and conservative firebrand, told conservatives meeting in Washington not to settle too quickly on a candidate, but to let them fight on.
“We have all heard from these experts that we have to name our nominee right now. Wrap it up. No debate for you. Cut it off. As if the competition weakens our nominee.
“In the United States, we believe competition strengthens us. Competition elevates our game,” she said. “Competition will lead us to victory in 2012. I believe that the competition has to keep going.”
A prolonged Republican nominating fight would be more likely to hurt Mr Romney and help come-from-behind contenders like Mr Santorum or former House speaker Newt Gingrich.