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SALT LAKE CITY — The Republican presidential primaries continue Tuesday with three states casting their ballots for the eventual nominee. The tone of the race has already shifted to a general election approach, however, with the Party getting behind the former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Late Monday night, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum endorsed Romney, but without any of the pomp and circumstance normally associated with an endorsement. Santorum sent an email to his supporters, informing them of his support of Romney buried in the email — the 13th paragraph.
Although an email to supporters is not an unusual endorsement approach, many analysts criticized the approach, saying the lack of outright public support shows strife between the former rivals. John Brabender, a senior Santorum strategist, however, told CNN there is not a problem. Brabender said the email was intended to methodically lay out the reasoning of support for Romney.
John McCain bets Charles Barkley
The presidential race merged with the NBA playoffs Sunday when Charles Barkley said Mitt Romney was going to lose in Novemeber. Romney was in the crowd at the Boston Celtics game when they beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-79. A TNT photographer captured Romney in the crowd, with Barkley heard saying: "We're going to beat you like a drum in November. Don't take it personally. I like you. You seem like a nice guy, but you're going down, bro."
As a result, Sen. John McCain, now a supporter of Romney's presidential bid, tweeted out to Barkley to join him in a friendly bet.
"Dear Charles, ‘don't take it personally, you seem like a nice guy,' but you're clueless — @MittRomney wins. Wanna bet?"
Pres. Obama lessens bin Laden rhetoric
With the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death, many criticized President Obama's campaign rhetoric where he and his advisors said he was responsible for bin Laden's death. Obama took credit for the decision to go after bin Laden, saying to reporters," I said that I'd go after bin Laden if we had a clear shot at him, and I did."
The first-person rhetoric, however, has changed, with the Obama campaign shifting to more of a collective position about bin Laden's death. In a newly released campaign ad, bin Laden's death was referred to as the heroes who took him down. Even President Obama's campaign advisor David Axelrod has made an adjustment in his rhetoric, saying he is proud of the service people for their accomplishments.
The unsuspecting Gary Johnson
While most of the attention in the presidential race has been focused on President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is speaking freely as the Libertarian candidate for president, without being bogged down by the ever-present debate between Democrats and Republicans.
Third party candidates have been blamed in the past for interrupting the November election by hurting an "establishment" candidate — think Ross Perot. Johnson could have a similar influence in the upcoming election, with recent poll numbers ranging from 6 to 9 percent nationally.
With so many voters still unsure of who to vote for in November, Johnson is looking to "steal" some votes from either Obama or Romney. His influence in the race could be the deciding factor for either Obama or Romney.
