Providing yet further proof that the Republican presidential race is in turmoil, Mitt Romney is decamping to Nevada after giving up on the South Carolina primary barely a day after a big win in Michigan propelled him into frontrunner status.
Romney, who is polling a strong third in South Carolina, explained that he expected John McCain to take the Saturday primary, so why the heck should he stick around?
Jonathan Martin and Lisa Lerer write at The Politico that:
”Romney’s South Carolina strategy amounts to being politically half-pregnant. He doesn’t want to raise expectations in a state he likely can’t win, so he’s dashing off to Nevada midday Thursday to compete in the lightly contested caucuses there Saturday. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to offend his supporters in South Carolina.
“This tricky expectations game has left his top advisers here in an awkward position. They need to defend their candidate’s decision without downplaying the importance of their own state, a fiercely proud place where locals frequently tout their first-in-the-South primary status and tradition of deciding the GOP nominee.”
More here.