Romney has now taken a Proverbial Pop to the Chops

Remember the scene in the first Rocky movie when Rocky Balboa finally entered the ring against reigning champion, Apollo Creed? The outcome was a foregone conclusion. Creed's overconfidence against Balboa's serious doubts that he could even go the distance. The first round went the way most expected; Creed toyed with Rocky and the challenger looked small, until....

....sorry, this is the best version I could find....



Romney may have encountered a similar surprise with Rick Santorum's victories in Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota. In this metaphor, however, while Romney and the Republican establishment is represented by Creed, Santorum isn't the one represented by Balboa (neither is Ron Paul); the American people are because the four-man field is making things difficult for Romney in a way almost opposite from the way it was supposed to help him.

Via John Fund at NRO:

Mitt Romney’s campaign will have lots of explanations for their man’s poor showing tonight. Yes, Colorado and Minnesota were caucus states — the turnout is skewed in such contests toward a more conservative electorate. Yes, Missouri’s primary was a “beauty contest” and didn’t award any delegates. 

But what Romney won’t be able to explain away is just how much more poorly he did tonight in those three states than in his 2008 showing — when he lost the GOP nomination for president. 

In 2008, Romney crushed John McCain in the Minnesota caucuses by nearly two to one. Tonight, he was sent into a humiliating third-place finish, trailing both Rick Santroum and Ron Paul. In Missouri, McCain held John McCain and Mike Huckabee to something close to a three-way tie, winning 29 percent of the vote. This year, with fewer opponents, he won only 25 percent. In Colorado, Romney outperformed John McCain by three to one in 2008. This year, albeit with only early returns in, he is trailing Santorum. Results from Denver caucus sites will likely boost Romney’s overall showing, but it’s tough to see him winning the state with Santorum performing as well as he is in Colorado Springs and the rural areas.

We're seeing a trend develop that has the establishment quaking in its boots. The 'flyover country' so frequently mocked by the elites is a real threat now.

Here is Santorum's victory speech in Minnesota:

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