76 GOP Delegates At Stake Today

The Republican presidential nomination race goes to two new states today. Those states are Colorado and Minnesota, and together they represent about 76 available delegates -- 36 for Colorado and 40 for Minnesota. Both are caucus states, so what they will actually be doing is picking delegates to larger party conventions in the respective states. But since the states are required by the national party, due to their caucuses being held before April, to give proportional representation, we will have a pretty good idea at the end of the night just how many delegates each candidate will wind up with from both states.

There is also a primary being held in Missouri today, but it is just a beauty contest. It will have no effect at all on delegate selection in the state. But that does not mean it has no importance. It will give an idea of how popular each of the candidates is in Missouri, and that could alter perceptions by many people, even in other states, on the viability of each candidates chances of becoming the eventual nominee.

I will try to post the outcomes of the vote in all three states on Wednesday -- assuming none of them display the same kind of amazing incompetence shown by Nevada party officials (where results were not posted until after midnight of the following day -- a delay of over 24 hours). Polls are currently showing that Colorado and Minnesota offer Rick Santorum the best chance to demonstrate the viability of his candidacy since Iowa, and that the popularity of Gingrich is falling. We'll see.