Primary Results For Michigan, Arizona: Winners & Losers (PHOTOS)

Republican presidential hopefuls competed in two primaries in Arizona and Michigan Tuesday, just a week ahead of what could be a decisive Super Tuesday.

With former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holding a commanding lead in the Arizona polls going into Tuesday, all eyes were on the hotly contested race in Michigan, where Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum entered primary day in a dead heat.

With former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul relegated to the background, Santorum and Romney mostly attacked one another, culminating in Romney accusing the former Pennsylvania senator of playing a "dirty trick" by telling Democrats to vote for him.

Romney eventually proved victorious in the Wolverine State, as well as in Arizona.

However, the actual importance of the Michigan primary is debatable. When state officials made the decision to move up the primary to February, against party rules, the state was penalized and left with just 30 delegates to award, as opposed to its usual 59, leading some to bemoan the media's hype of the contest.

Others argue, however, that Tuesday's real prize is not Michigan or Arizona's delegates, but momentum. With 10 states up for grabs on Super Tuesday, the next week of campaigning could be crucial for the candidates.

Below is a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Michigan and Arizona primaries.

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Comments

[BannedInBoston]

01:40 PM on 02/29/2012

I'm not a _Romney supporter or even a Republican but I have to say the media "narrative" on _Romney's victory profoundly _sucks. The. Guy. Won. The. Michigan. Primary. Can you please just _freaking SAY THAT and give the precentage instead of all this negative spin? The way the media are treating his victory, you'd think _Romney _lost....

[doublerainbow]

02:25 PM on 02/29/2012

It's all about the delegates.

[BannedInBoston]

09:22 PM on 02/29/2012

I guarantee you that if _Santorum had won it would have been The Upset of the Century in the media even though the two of them would STILL have received the same number of delegates....

[John Jones Starsnick]

12:42 PM on 02/29/2012

Listen, I'm a 80/20 (80% agnostic and 20% atheist) and I don't care what religion a candidate is as long as they are sane and not to far "beyond the reef" if you know what I mean.

[kmswriter]

11:56 AM on 02/29/2012

AZ is a mecca for Mormons voting...second behind Utah.....if Romney couldn't win AZ he was in deep doo doo - the temples are within a few miles of each other....they should not have non-profit status considering their involvement in politics....prop 8 in CA comes to mind....Romney was a Bishop with the Mormon church - now, don't get me wrong..I have no problem with any faith..just don't meddle in politics...

Right now the numbers state wide don't look good for Romney....Obama 40% v Romney 45% -

AZ pop 311,500,000 and romney got 213,000 votes....to sanctimoneous 117,000 - and 23 candidates on the ticket...too funny!

Obama 2012

[kmswriter]

12:30 PM on 02/29/2012

I should add, there are 1,117,000 (+-. a few) registered rep. voters - 458,600 voted....of which romney got 213,000 - as of 2009 - mormon population in AZ 374,830 -

[demotom]

11:52 AM on 02/29/2012

The final scores are in from the contested continuing republican games: Mitt Romney - 2, Republican Party - 0. So, now it is on to the quarter finals on Super(?) Tuesday. The republican spin doctors are working overtime to repair the massive injuries incurred in the bloody Michigan game. The republican establishment is frantically looking for needle and thread so that they can sew Rick Santorum's mouth shut before he runs off more fans. The tea baggers are gathering for a tailgate party at the polls next Tuesday.

[rflctammt]

10:51 AM on 02/29/2012

As a parent of 6 adults - all in their 20s and 30s - I can tell you a few things about the younger generation(s):

A) most are too busy working/ surviving / raising families to follow this preliminary political circus - but they won't be too busy to pay attention in September and October.

B) almost all were born into a world where birth control and family planning were a given, part of the fabric of life, like boxed cereal and television. They won't take kindly to the idea of it suddenly be questioned or threatened.

C) They were born in (or purposefully emigrated to) a country where "separation of church and state" and "freedom of religion" were two of the cornerstones of the ideal of democracy that they were taught to love and value from the day they were born. It's already been indoctrinated into most of them - just as it was into most of us - from the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, history class, etc.

D) They, like their parents, have been encouraged and dreamed of improving their lot in life through education from...you guessed it...the day they were born. If not for themselves, for their kids.

Good luck selling your bill of goods to my kids and their peers, Mr. Santorum. Ha.

[JessWonderin]

11:17 AM on 02/29/2012

Gad to say, my kids and their friends accept diversity as a given and reject every GOP goal proposed . . and they VOTE . . . .

[rflctammt]

11:41 AM on 02/29/2012

Oh, absolutely! I forgot that one!

My kids, white as the day is long, have had multi-colored friends from the day they first had friends...(and several have dark-skinned kids of their own.)

These generations, unlike their parents, have grown up with black, brown, special needs, gay, silly and smart people living in their neighborhoods, going to their schools, hanging out in the same malls, playing on the same teams, swimming in the same pools, etc. They are NOT afraid of diversity.

The GOP/TP is pandering to a shrinking - though shrieking - base.

[phoebe54]

01:06 PM on 02/29/2012

Well said. My boys are in that age range also, and they are even more progressive than I am (if that were possible). And their friends are pretty much the same.

[VietVet67]

10:31 AM on 02/29/2012

Brewer??

[phoebe54]

01:07 PM on 02/29/2012

I was wondering that myself...

[rflctammt]

10:21 AM on 02/29/2012

The president continues to "win" every time any of these guys open their mouth.

The Obama campaign need only pick from the clips of their own words and play them on a loop as the general election approaches. I can tell you, ESPECIALLY if Santorum were to win the primary, there are a few entire generations of voters whose majority are younger and:

A) are too busy working/ surviving / raising families to follow this preliminary political circus - but they won't be too busy to pay attention in September and October.

B) were born into a world where birth control and family planning were a given, part of the fabric of life, like boxed cereal and television. They won't take kindly to the idea of it suddenly be questioned or threatened.

C) were born in a country where "separation of church and state" and "freedom of religion" were two of the cornerstones of the ideal of democracy that they were taught to love and value from the day they were born. It's already been indoctrinated into most of them - just as it was into most of us - from the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, history class, etc.

D) have been encouraged and dreamed of improving their lot in life through education from...you guessed it...the day they were born. If not for themselves, for their kids.

Just wait until Gen X, Y, and their kids hear that those are all ideals that suddenly are "wrong".

[elle359zee]

09:59 AM on 02/29/2012

counting Brewer as a winner for her last minute support of Romney is a joke. She did absolutely nothing for his win...once again he was the least offensive choice out of a pathetic group

[JessWonderin]

11:18 AM on 02/29/2012

Like picking which tooth to pull out with a pair of pliers . . .

[doublerainbow]

02:36 PM on 02/29/2012

Key phrase: "last minute" ... I'd add: opportunistic

[John Jones Starsnick]

09:46 AM on 02/29/2012

Rick just can't get off the roof of Mitt's car and into the drivers seat.

[Canliberalwoman]

08:48 AM on 02/29/2012

I have never followed a primary season like this one and the previous one with President Obama and Hilary. I find this one awfully boring and mean spirited.

[legitane]

08:47 AM on 02/29/2012

Romeny wins in NH and Santorum claims it was his backyard
Romney wins in MI and Santorum calims it was his home state
Romney wins in AZ and Santorum claims he did not campaign there
Santorum has an answer every time he loses..what a guy...

[bob haschat]

09:49 AM on 02/29/2012

He already has an excuse for Obamas re-election....acorn did it!

[barkingcat]

08:42 AM on 02/29/2012

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is extremely handsome.

[Phillip Hyper]

09:19 AM on 02/29/2012

Like a good 'ol pair of cowboy boots . . .

[jimh2o]

08:34 AM on 02/29/2012

Reading through thesw posts I see this: Compartmentalization, bias, negativity, blind allegance.......just to name a few. When are the American people going to wake up??? This isn't about who looks better or talks better,,,,and ESPECIALLY not who the media says is better. This is about US folks. This is about what is best for EVERY individual in this country. Not specific groups. In every area people seem to like a guy because of what he says about the particular group they are interested in. The group I'm interested in......EVERYONE. Let's all take a step back, look at everyone and see who truely has everyone's interests at heart. Do your own research. You know what you'll find? Most of what you are hearing today that you love so much from these guys you have been hearing tho opposite from as little as 5 years ago. Someone telling me what he thinks I want to hear at this particular time insults me. And should infuriate everyone. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I would rather have someone who sticks to what they believe, even if I don't agree with everything. You know, sometimes the right thing is just plain and simply the right thing.....even if you don't agree with it.

[Rutaguer]

09:56 AM on 02/29/2012

However, I think politicians are too easily accused of flip flopping when changes of opinion can be made for good reason. However, changing an opinion just to pander to votes is unacceptable. Hard to prove why the decision to change is made but actions after the fact would be a good indicator.

[jimh2o]

08:26 AM on 03/01/2012

The sad thing is that there are those that have had these positions everyone now loves so much for decades. But no one seems to want to acknowledge that. Could it be embarassment about not listening? And now we just pretend that it is all so new, and how wonderful it is that someone has finally figured it out??

[everything news]

09:58 AM on 02/29/2012

I am afraid that Fox does not subscribe to that idea and that is who is dictating what they percieve as truth to the people who are buying it..

[peg2584]

08:28 AM on 02/29/2012

"Rick Santorum spent the past week adamantly sticking up for the Roman Catholic church in its showdown with the Obama administration over contraception insurance coverage. ..Which makes the fact that he lost the Catholic vote in Michigan and Arizona to Mitt Romney all the more surprising."

Not really. Because everyone knows, that what is being preached from the Vatican is not all that close to reality in the every day life. And the everyday Catholics don't want the Vatican rules put into US law anymore than the non-Catholics do.

[beowulf42]

09:50 AM on 02/29/2012

Santorum's losing the Catholic vote couldn't be too much of a surprise after he trashed JFK. Stupid is as stupid does.

[Don1Carter]

08:25 AM on 02/29/2012

Please Lord, give the Catholic church a break. First the boy sex scandals and now Rick Santorum! What's a sincerely religious Catholic to do?

[tmpjunior]

08:31 AM on 02/29/2012

Speak up.

[AJ in ATL]

08:41 AM on 02/29/2012

Break off and form the Church of England...oh wait, Henry the VIII did that already. Guess you have no chance then.