* From the Tribune’s latest poll we see that Mitt Romney is leading Rick Santorum 35-31 statewide and everywhere but Downstate…

* Trib…

In Illinois, 42 percent of voters described themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians. Of that group, 42 percent are backing Santorum compared with 26 percent for Romney. Of the 54 percent of voters who do not consider themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, Romney leads Santorum, 43 percent to 22 percent.

Further marginalizing the rest of the field, Illinois Republican primary voters view Romney and Santorum very favorably, while voters are almost evenly divided in their feelings toward former House Speaker Gingrich and more have an unfavorable view of Paul than not.

Romney was viewed favorably by six in 10 GOP primary voters, while 19 percent looked at him unfavorably. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, was considered favorably by 54 percent of primary voters, while 17 percent had an unfavorable view. […]

Fully 61 percent of those preferring Romney say their minds are made up, compared with only 51 percent of Santorum voters. In addition, 52 percent of Downstate voters say they could change their minds.

* LA Times…

In Mississippi, Gingrich leads with 33% to Romney’s 31% and Santorum’s 27%, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm based in Raleigh, N.C. The firm’s Alabama survey found the race there to be even closer: Romney has 31%, Gingrich has 30% and Santorum has 29%.

The southern primaries had been viewed as a battle between Gingrich and Santorum for the party’s more conservative wing, but conservatives’ inability to choose between the two has created an opening for Romney.

* Sun-Times…

Get ready to see a lot more of those television commercials slamming Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

The Restore Our Future Superpac — which supports former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president — has purchased nearly $1 million in airtime in Illinois.

Romney’s national staff begins arriving in Illinois this weekend, said State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who chairs Romney’s campaign here. […]

The new ads blast Santorum, who runs to Romney’s right on most issues, as a big-spender who voted for pork while Romney was cutting taxes in Massachusetts and presiding over the Winter Olympics in Utah.

* The Question: If you could use just one word to describe Illinois’ role in the Republican presidential nomination race, what word would that be?

One word only, please. Thanks.

       

55 Comments - 47th Ward - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:28 pm: Rutherfordic - 47th Ward - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:28 pm: Zahmtastic? - JoeVerdeal - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:29 pm: Insignifobamatic - mark walker - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:31 pm: Whack-A-Mole - Lakefront Liberal - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:32 pm: Hiccup. - Adam Smith - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:34 pm: Scrumtrulecent. - Lakeview - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:39 pm: Spoiler. Heheheh. - reformer - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:40 pm: SALVIFICANT - train111 - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:42 pm: Mitteriffic - Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:42 pm: confusing, Mitt-licious, Sant-da-monium, Gin-Grinch-ous, unexpected(?), num-magical…. - MrJM - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:43 pm: Fratricidal – MrJM - Gentlemen, behold! - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:48 pm: Stategery - Siriusly - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:48 pm: Agnostic - Northsider - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:55 pm: Mishegoss. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 12:57 pm: Obama-fied! - Ghost of John Brown - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:01 pm: Using a golf term: Mulligan - reformer - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:02 pm: Roeserdebacle - Urban dictionary - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:04 pm: Blumpkins - Anonymour - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:09 pm: Afterthought. - Boone Logan Square - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:09 pm: Accumulative. - Jimbo - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:22 pm: Abject - circular firing squad - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:27 pm: Sanatorium - anonymice - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:29 pm: Oakland. - Just Me - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:29 pm: Seriously? - amalia - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:31 pm: Meh. - Wumpus - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:32 pm: matters - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:37 pm: Bellweather. The Santorum-Romney split mirrors the national split between the two candidates, and is not unlike the split between Brady and GOP moderates in 2010. Santorum may not be up on the air like Romney, but you can bet he’ll be hammering Romney’s social flip-flopping on conservative/christian radio and by telephone. - Got the t-shirt... - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:40 pm: Kakistocratic. - Stooges - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:45 pm: embalmed - OneMan - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:46 pm: surprising - AC - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:52 pm: Inconsequential - Bluefish - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:59 pm: Crossovers - JN - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 1:59 pm: Lol - Irish - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:01 pm: Lookakitty! - Geneseo Goldwaterite - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:01 pm: Embarrassing! - RichardtheLionHearted - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:03 pm: Notcorruptenoughtoparticipateinillinoispolitics - Wensicia - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:11 pm: Insufferable! - Old Dad - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:13 pm: Telling. - Cheryl44 - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:15 pm: Pointless - Anonymour - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:25 pm: Enbalmed. - Springfield Skeptic - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 2:45 pm: We’re relevant??? Sorry. Two words. - Publius - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:04 pm: NoncoMITTed - Super - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:09 pm: Patsy - ZC - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:26 pm: Santo-tizing. - Sunshine - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:29 pm: meaningless - Lefty Lefty - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:53 pm: redolent - Lefty Lefty - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 3:54 pm: also, cromulent - zatoichi - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 4:10 pm: Romtorum - Cal Skinner - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 4:24 pm: Fun. - anon sequitor - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 4:26 pm: narcoleptic - Shock and Awww(e) - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 5:04 pm: circularfiringsquad h/t to the actual commenter - Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 5:12 pm: Cannoli-tastic! - Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Mar 12, 12 @ 5:45 pm: Pivotal… - wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 13, 12 @ 6:56 am: Prophyltactic. - titan - Tuesday, Mar 13, 12 @ 7:35 am: Irrelevant Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.