"It isn't over 'til it's over," this column has been saying for weeks, attributed to Yogi Berra. But now, Yogi to the contrary, I think it is over. I can probably convince you by simply quoting some numbers from Tuesday's vote. Romney won Maryland with 48.8%, DC with 70.2, Wisconsin with 42.5. That's three out of three. Santorum had 29.2% in Maryland, 37% in Wisconsin. That's 0 for 2; he wasn't on the DC ballot.
That doesn't, of course, give Romney the 1,144 votes he needs to officially become the nominee but it does kind of signal "Hey, it's over" to the other players. They will deny that, of course. Santorum was saying he would campaign on.
The schedule now has something of a lull. There's no real primary action for three weeks until April 24th when a number of states, including Santorum's Pennsylvania, go to the polls.
So Romney has done it again. Three out of three. The other candidates – Santorum is really the only one left – will be saying, "Yes, but things can change…things can change…" Increasingly there is evidence that things won't. Republicans, even less than Democrats, are not fond of intra-Party fights. There will be incresing desire, I think, for the Party to unite, for the various leaders to come out and say, "Okay, we had our fight. It's over now and it's Romney."
Is he a strong candidate? I don't particularly think so. He always reminded me a little of a cast iron lawn dog in terms of animation. But what the heck? Probably, probably, probably it's over.
I hope you're glad, readers. We'll try to write about something else – assuming it really, maybe, probably is over.
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