Although Mitt Romney squeaked out a victory in the Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus, second placer Rick Santorum had the “best news” in the Tuesday contest. That’s according to Marquette University Professor Charles Franklin who notes Santorum until recently was polling in single digits.
Romney finished just eight votes over Santorum: 30,015 to 30,007. “It’s certainly historically the closest ever in an Iowa caucus,” said Franklin.
Ron Paul finished third, doing well as predicted. The Texas Congressman had been a repeat Presidential candidate on the fringes but is recently polling among front runners.
“It’s been a flavor of the week with Republicans looking for an alternative to Romney,” UW-Madison political scientist Barry Burden said of fluctuating support for candidates.
Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, and Jon Huntsman trailed behind in the Iowa contest. Bachmann announced today she is dropping out of the Presidential race.
