What a roller coaster ride the contest for the Republican nomination for president has become!
A recap: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire and Florida primaries and the Nevada caucuses. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary.
And now, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who had only a narrow Iowa caucus win under his belt, has rocketed to big, unexpected wins in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.
Many observers had thought after Romney’s Florida win that he was on a sure path to the nomination. That certainty evaporated Tuesday.
Santorum beat Romney by 40 percent to 35 percent in Colorado, where Romney had won by overwhelming margins in 2008. Santorum also defeated Romney convincingly in Minnesota, 45 percent to 17 percent — with Texas Congressman Ron Paul coming in second at 27 percent. But Santorum’s biggest margin of victory was in Missouri. He beat Romney by 55 percent to 25 percent.