Democratic Responses to Feb. 7 Contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri

PRESS RELEASE from DNC
February 7, 2012
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Statement on Results of Republican Primary and Caucuses Tonight

Washington, D.C. – Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement tonight on the results of the GOP primary in Missouri, as well as the Republican caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota:

“Tonight was a bad night for Mitt Romney, plain and simple.  What should have been a night where he began to consolidate Republican support instead has shown that Republicans are reluctant to get behind him.   Republicans are giving the field of candidates another look, demonstrating that the more people get to know Mitt Romney, the less they like him.  They know he'll say anything to get elected, and they don't want a candidate they can't trust.

"Also alarming for Republicans is the lack of enthusiasm and low turnout we're seeing in these contests. In state after state, turnout among Republican voters is lower than it was in 2008, and they are increasingly dissatisfied with their choice of candidates.

“No candidate embodies that dissatisfaction more than Mitt Romney, who hasn't managed to lock this nomination up. The presumed front runner of the GOP field lost two of tonight’s contests so far – that math speaks for itself.  He is losing support from independent voters nationally, and tonight we saw he's not gaining the favor of Republican primary voters either. They clearly don't appreciate being ignored as Mitt Romney did to Minnesota and they know his failed record as Governor of Massachusetts on the key issue of jobs, his background as a corporate raider, and his economic proposals would leave the middle class behind."

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PRESS RELEASE from Michigan Republican Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2012
Contact: John Tramontana
 
Romney “Limping Into Michigan” Having Been Shut-Out in Midwest
 
LANSING - With the Michigan Republican primary just three weeks away, Mitt Romney has now lost more nominating contests than he has won, and what was once supposed to be a coronation has now become a must-win situation for the Romney campaign.
 
“After losing all three contests on Tuesday, Mitt Romney will be limping into Michigan having won fewer states than Rick Santorum and being completely shut out in the Midwest. Once again, Republican turnout was way down, enthusiasm was nonexistent, and it was clear that the more voters learned about Romney, they more they disliked him,” said MDP Chair Mark Brewer. “Mitt Romney was counting on Michigan to seal his nomination, but with more than two-thirds of Michigan Republican voters preferring someone else, Romney will now be looking to keep his campaign alive.”
 
To date, Mitt Romney has lost five out of the first eight nominating contests – winning only Florida, New Hampshire, and Nevada – and he has not yet won a state in the Midwest. Rick Santorum has won in four states: Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri.
 
An Epic-MRA poll in late January showed that Romney’s support in Michigan had dropped sharply, and a new poll from MIRS released on Tuesday shows that 69% of Republican Primary voters in Michigan are not supporting Romney.
 
Republican enthusiasm has also suffered throughout the primary process. Turnout in the three contests on Tuesday was down significantly from 2008 levels. A national poll released today from Public Policy Polling shows that Democrats are more excited about the upcoming general election than Republicans – with 58% of Democrats reporting that they are ‘very excited’ to vote in the November election compared to 54% of Republicans.
 
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