2012 Decoded

As the Republican presidential race continues its unexpected twists and turns, Arizona has suddenly emerged as a critical state in the fight for the GOP nomination. The Grand Canyon State, along with Michigan, will host presidential primary elections on Feb. 28, and represent a final opportunity for the Republican contenders to pick up delegates -- and perhaps more importantly, momentum -- heading into the March 6 Super Tuesday contests.

With so much at stake, the Arizona primary contest has suddenly been pinned under the media microscope, with observers obsessively opining over whether Rick Santorum can parlay his new-found momentum into another upset victory over Mitt Romney. There's only one problem: Santorum, and the rest of the Republican field, seem content to concede the state to Romney.