What’ll that do in the rest of the primaries?

Newt Gingrich spokesman Mr. R.C. Hammond has told the Wall Street Journal that Alabama and Mississippi, which vote next Tuesday, “are must-wins if Gingrich is to remain credible as a presidential candidate”.

When he was pressed if Newt “had to win” those states, Hammond responded, “Yes.”

I agree with Andrew Sullivan who says: “There doesn’t seem much wriggle room in the quote. So if Santorum wins those states, as he well might, we’re into a three-man race. And it could be an even worse month for Romney than he imagined.“

Although Newt won his home state of Georgia on Super Tuesday he didn’t manage a second place in any of the other nine states. Even in Tennessee and Oklahoma he was pushed into third place and in half the elections he failed to get into double figures.

This is good news for Rick Santorum for what’s clear is that if it’s down to a three man race then a Romney nomination becomes less inevitable.

Hat-tip: Taegan Goddard

@MikeSmithsonOGH