SUPER TUESDAY UPDATES LIVE AS THEY HAPPEN - RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

ALL TIMES CENTRAL

11:38 PM: FOXNews just now calls Ohio for Romney. A call that is not a surprise.

11:37: It is now Wednesday on the Atlantic Seaboard, and in the final hour of Tuesday in the Central Time Zone, and two states are still yet to be decided, but we do have several takeaways from tonight:

-This race continues on with all four candidates still soldering on.

-Regardless of the outcome in Ohio, Romney continues to appear weak, and that could certainly

hurt him in the upcoming primaries and caucuses where particularly Santorum and to a lesser

extent Gingrich appeal to many.

-Regardless of his huge victory in Georgia, Gingrich had a particularly tough night. He fell to 3rd

in Tennessee and Oklahoma, states in which he thought he had a strong shot. He also barely

registered support in Mass., N.D., Idaho and Vt. In Ohio, his support rests only in the upper

teens of percent. Super Tuesday was a critical opportunity at a turning point for him, and it

did not materialize. He would seem to have a final shot next Tuesday with Ala., Miss. and Kan.,

but Santorum also looks good in those states. The Gingrich campaign is probably at life support

right now.

11:05 PM: ‎91% of precincts in at Ohio, and Romney is on top with a slim lead of approx. 6,000 votes or a single percent.

9:25 PM: Now 71% of precincts in Ohio, and it is still 38% for Santorum, Romney with 36%. Santorum wins three states on the night, Romney also three, and Gingrich takes Ga. Gingrich has really suffered a tough night though with a distant 3rd in Tennessee, a crucial state for him, and potentially 3rd in Oklahoma, another state he was counting on. He is also drawing low single-digit numbers in the caucus states of North Dakota and Idaho and not even 20% in Ohio. Paul also will probably end the night missing his likely last shot to have any state wins. Romney up strong in Idaho right now and will probably claim the state has his 4th win of the night.

9:10 PM: BREAKING: CNN calls North Dakota for Santorum!

9:04 PM: Romney projected to win 2nd in Tennessee...Gingrich will fall in 3rd here and could fall in 3rd in Oklahoma. This marks a tough night for the one-time frontrunner although he wins huge in Georgia.

9:00 PM: With 58% of precincts in on the state of Ohio, Santorum still leads Romney by a count of 38% to 36%. Tight as a tick in the bellwether Buckeye State!

8:58 PM: Now 62% of precincts in on North Dakota and still the same numbers between Santorum and Paul (39%-27%). We are getting closer to a decided result there.

8:55 PM: Tweet from political analyst Nate Silver: "Pretty sure Santorum is a slight favorite in Ohio. He's maybe ~60%-70% likely to win."

8:50 PM: With 54% of precincts in for North Dakota, Santorum holds 39% of the vote to Paul's 27%. Looking like a two-person race for the conservative state in the northern part of the Great Plains!

8:47 PM: Watching North Dakota particularly close along with Ohio. Rick leads N.D. with 40% of the vote and Romney and Paul closely battling for 2nd, both with approx. 25% of the vote each. It will likely get closer through the night.

8:30 PM: With 33% of precincts in, Santorum leads Ohio with 39% of the vote to Romney's 36%. I predict when all is said and done, Rick wins by 2% of the vote in the Buckeye State. I make that call based on everything I am seeing and hearing there.

8:24 PM: This night is going to be bigger for the Santorum camp than the media have been predicting as of late, and it will be a tough night for Newt. Looks like this goes on officially now as a two-person race.

8:22 PM: A jubilant Santorum rally in Steubenville, Ohio after huge wins in Tennessee and Oklahoma, and things looking very promising in the Buckeye State of Ohio according to some analysts. North Dakota also looks good early on with Rick currently sitting at half the vote with 6% of precincts in. Side Note: Steubenville is the native city of legendary and all-time great singer Dean Martin!

8:19 PM: LIVE ON ALL NEWS NETWORKS: Rick Santorum in a victory speech from Santorum HQ in Steubenville, Ohio.

8:18 PM: Just coming in after work and listened to the ABCNews special report on WWTN-FM 99.7 Nashville, and was greeted with some awesome news! That is where I heard the call for our own Volunteer State and Oklahoma for Rick Santorum! Trey Harden, analyst on ABC, said he would be surprised if Rick Santorum does not win Ohio. Romney wins Virginia, Mass. and Vt. Gingrich wins Ga.

Alaska Governor Shows Statesman-Like Quality In Announcement

Written by Jordan M. Iwanyszyn

The announcement today that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin not only will not seek re-election in 2010, but that she will also resign effective July 26th, stunned the nation and sent shockwaves through the American political world Friday. My take on it is that the nation has witnessed the best evidence yet that Palin is a true modern statesman, or woman if you prefer.

While leftist opponents and critics are already positioning their firepower against her, which is nothing new, by stating that she "continues a pattern of bizarre behavior", I say that she decided to put others first, rather than herself.

In a time where most politicians try hard to hold on to political office as long as they can until they can take the next step for more power (think Senators Byrd and Kennedy and former Senator Stevens, who also hails from Alaska), Palin took the step of not only declining reelection, but also resigning. She has not yet brought forth the reason why, but I would speculate that the reason is because she wanted to get her family out of the mainstream media for the time being, where the leftists have made it their mission to destroy them. I also believe that she wanted to spare her state, and her family, the continuing costs of the pointless ethics accusations and investigations. I believe these are the top reasons, and should that be the case, that is why I say that this announcement today is the latest and greatest confirmation that Palin is truly a modern-day statesman. She is someone who has attained a position of great influence. Her decision to resign shows, I believe, a strong priority focus from the Alaska Governor. She is putting her family, her principles, and her state first. Why can't we have more of that from our leaders and office holders today?

It also would not surprise me that she made this move to prepare for a White House run in 2012. Race 4 2008 puts it well in this blogpost where it states that she would have had a hard time of it should she have stayed on as governor in 2010, while still making the rounds and supporting candidates in the races of the upcoming year.

If it is true that she is intending to seek the Presidency, her move to resign is also a very thoughtful one for the reason that her Lieutenant Governor, Sean Parnell, is now in position to govern Alaskans in a similar way that this Palin-Parnell team has been doing so since taking office in 2007. Parnell has already stated that he intends to run for a full term in 2010. Because she chose not to serve out her full term, Parnell will be able to get a jump start on the race next year, and become the early front-runner to keep the office. From a conservative's perspective, that is called looking out for your state.

On a sidenote, Parnell also confirmed my view that Palin's decision is a statesman-like one. "Rare, indeed, are such selfless acts seen in the public arena," said Parnell regarding Palin's decision in his statement after Palin's announcement today.

I will repeat myself. I believe this kind of selfless decision is what is needed more in our government today. I sure hope we can get more of this kind of character soon.

God bless you Governor Palin, and please keep up your fight for America's founding principles!

LOOKING FORWARD - To 2010, And 2012

It is not too early to start thinking about a conservative Republican renaissance in 2010, and another one in 2012. Therefore, I figured I'd put up a post to quickly handicap the field.

First of all, 2010 is just two short years away. There will be 36 Gubernatorial races, 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election, and all 435 seats in the U.S. House. Also, there will be numerous races in the states. This is a crucial first election for conservatives to start regaining power.

GOVERNORS - VIEW THE RACE AT WIKIPEDIA
There will be 10 Democratic governors retiring in 2010, and if the GOP recruits the right candidates, they can all be winnable, except for probably Oregon and Maine. Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wyoming could all be good shots at a pickup. Michigan could be won if rumored candidate Ted Nugent, the popular conservative rocker, makes a run. Likewise, Pennsylvania could have a chance at a GOP governor if state Attorney General Tom Corbett makes a run. In Tennessee, there are signs pointing to a run by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who would be the early frontrunner for the seat.

U.S. SENATE - VIEW THE RACE AT WIKIPEDIA
Only one GOP senator is planning to retire, and that is Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who might make a run at the Governor's Mansion in that state. We have to defend 19 seats, while the Dems have to defend 16. Therefore, it is highly unlikely we will get the majority back in the Senate, but we can cut into it. So far, it is hard to find any pickup opportunities in the Senate, but no Dems have announced plans to retire, and we don't know how favorable the public's view of Obama will be in two years, so seats might start coming open. On the down side, the reverse could be true, as well. For a more in-depth look, visit the Wikipedia link posted here.

U.S. HOUSE - VIEW THE RACE AT WIKIPEDIA
A more likely shot at a re-gain of power would probably be the House, as all seats will be open in two years. Although a change in power right now doesn't look likely, two years is an eternity in politics. I believe the Dems' run at picking up GOP seats has finally come to an end, and a reversal in fortunes is about to begin.

In 2012, the House seats will again be up for election, as will 33 Senate seats. Of course, the big election for the Presidency is also in that year.

It is almost impossible to handicap the House races for '12 until the '10 races are sorted out. However, we have an idea of what seats are up in the Senate. The field shines bright for Republicans at this time. Why? Because the Dems have to defend 23 seats, while the GOP only needs to hold onto nine. Talk about a good opportunity to go on offense!
WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE ON THE SENATE RACE IN 2012 HERE

Of course, the big race in 2012 will be for the Presidency. After four years of governing, Barack Hussein Obama will almost certainly be looking for a second term. Meanwhile, a likely rejuvenated Republican Party will be seeking to gain the White House again.

Currently, there are four major names often spoken about being GOP candidates for the Presidency in 2012:
-Former Arkansas Governor and 2008 candidate Mike Huckabee
-Lousiana Governor Bobby Jindal
-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
-Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 candidate Mitt Romney

However, other names are also being spoken of. Not surprisingly, most of them are leaders in the modern day conservative movement. It would be a shocker if the GOP decides to go with another moderate like McCain in 2012. Here are some other names:
-Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
-Florida Governor Charlie Crist
-Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels
-South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint
-Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
-Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
-CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus
-South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford
-South Dakota Senator John Thune

In short, opportunities are coming for what I am sure will be a renewed and revived Republican Party in the next four years, especially come 2012.