Rick Santorum finally recognized the fate of his campaign and suspended it (April 10, 2012). Mitt Romney’s immediate challenge will be to unify the Republican Party, which has been fractured by the long and bitter primary.
As Santorum quit, national polls showed he had a quarter of the Republican rank and file.
Romney has struggled through a volatile season. Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Santorum had the lead sometime since August. And, in early 2011, the party flirted with Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump.
Romney’s 41 percent support as his last major challenger quits is low for a candidate securing his nomination. He beats George McGovern in 1972 (30%), but was behind the next lowest performer – Carter in 1980 (48%).
National polls show President Obama and Romney running within three points, with nearly equal percentages of their respective partisan loyal (47% to 44%, RealClearPolitics.com). The latest Gallup tracking poll has Romney up 2 points.
Both candidates have to be concerned about enthusiasm and turnout. Republicans had a reported advantage, but it mostly dissipated in the long primary battle.
See Gallup polls:
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