US election 2012: behind the Deep South exit polls

Where did it go wrong for Romney?

Romney suffered in Alabama where 33 per cent of voters expressed reservations
about him and 50 per cent questioned whether he was a “true conservative”.
The sentiment was reflected in Mississippi to some extent, with 32 per cent
expressing reservations and 52 per cent saying the former Massachusetts
governor wasn’t conservative enough.

However, around 50 per cent said Romney was the candidate who could beat Obama
compared to only 23 per cent who believed Rick Santorum was able to seize
victory for the Republicans in November.

Why hasn’t Gingrich dropped out of the race?

Gingrich had called Mississippi and Alabama “sure wins”, so if his failure to
secure victory in either could perhaps be viewed as a catastrophic night for
him. However, the break down shows continued support for the former House
Speaker, with him finishing ahead of Mitt Romney in both Mississippi and
Alabama.

What does this mean for the Republican party?

Santorum’s double victory in the Republican heartland shows some serious
doubts about confidence in Romney, further fracturing the contest. The
latest figures show 36 per cent of Mississippi voters still have
reservations about the GOP candidates, compared to 29 per cent in Alabama.

However, Gingrich’s refusal to bow out of the race is diluting Santorum’s
ability to surge ahead, only acting to prolong the contest and create
further indecision among Republicans as to who should win the final
nomination.

The split is great news for the Obama campaign, which simply need to sit back
and wait for the candidates to exhaust their resources fighting each other.

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