MOBILE, Ala. — Rick Santorum on Friday brushed off suggestions that he can’t mathematically secure the 1,144 delegates necessary to win the GOP presidential nomination, arguing that many of the delegates whom Mitt Romney claims are still “up for grabs.”
Citing Romney’s victories in Florida and Arizona, Santorum told reporters, “The idea that Mitt Romney is going to get 50 delegates out of Florida, that’s just simply false.”
“The rules are very clear at the RNC. Arizona and Florida are not all going to go to Romney,” he said following a speech at the Battleship USS Alabama pavilion. “We are going to have a proportional allocation in both those states. Why? Because that’s what the RNC rules said, and the RNC is going to be forced to play by the rules whether or not Arizona and Florida want to.”
Florida has 50 delegates and Arizona 29; currently those totals are being counted for Romney. Delegate totals show Romney with 421 to Santorum’s 181.
The Romney campaign angrily took issue with Santorum's assertions.
"Rick Santorum may be used to making up his own 'facts,' but he can't make up his own math," spokeswoman Andrea Saul said. "Mitt Romney has won over 50 percent of the delegates up for grabs thus far and has a clear path to the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination.
"On the other hand, Sen. Santorum has only won 22 percent of the delegates, so has to win 65 percent of the remaining ones. With delegates being proportionally allocated in almost all of the upcoming states, there's just not a chance for him to catch up."
In addition, the Republican National Committee has made clear that it will not change Florida and Arizona’s decisions to award delegates winner-take-all.
In 2010, the RNC ruled that states holding early primaries and caucuses before April 1, 2012 had to allot them proportionally according to the outcome of the vote. Exceptions were made for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. But Florida and South Carolina decided to forge ahead with early primaries and winner-take-all allotment of delegates.
While greeting supporters on the rope line after his rally, Santorum responded to a suggestion that Romney’s political record resembles the changing colors of a chameleon. Santorum laughed and replied, “Well, we have a Newt and a chameleon, right?”
Sarah B. Boxer contributed
Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.
Leave A Comment