Editorial: New York matters in GOP race
Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in a debate in Arizona (Feb. 22, 2012) Credit: AP
Mitt Romney wants to paint the presidential primaries as over, but he doesn't decide that. Nor do members of the Republican establishment, such as Rep. Paul Ryan, former President George H.W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who've endorsed Romney and called for the party to coalesce behind him.
Republican voters decide who represents the party, and those in New York go next, on April 24, along with those in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island. For New Yorkers, this is still a race worth watching, and voting in.
The knee-jerk analysis says that because New York is reliably liberal, Romney will dominate. And that may be so. But it ignores recent history showing that while Democrats carry the state, many Republican voters here are deeply conservative. That's why Carl Paladino was the party's nominee for governor in 2010.
It's also notable that of the 95 New York delegates, 58 will be allocated by congressional district. Candidates other than Romney could pick off his total by building areas of local strength.
Romney has a commanding delegate lead, but almost 60 percent of all votes cast in the primaries so far have been against him. Considering his massive spending advantage, that suggests discontent with him among the Republican core -- serious conservatives, values voters and tea party types -- is stubborn.
New York's media spotlight is visible nationally. So campaigning here, Romney can work to erase distrust on the right by touting his conservative bona fides, or he can start appealing to the moderate voters he'll need in November. But he can't do both.
With the April 24 primaries next, and only Rick Santorum's home state of Pennsylvania an obvious chance for him, the ex-senator's situation looks bleak. But soon after come contests where his opportunities to win delegates (and those of Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul) are more favorable: North Carolina, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas among them.
The candidates are coming. Voters may get to meet them, and measure their mettle. This primary is worth paying attention to as attention turns to New York.
