the next contests. we will compete everywhere. we will compete everywhere. the time is now for conservatives to pull together. the time is now to make sure to make sure that we have the best chance to win this election and the best chance to win this election is to nominate a conservative to go up against barack obama who can take him on on every issue. all right. let s take a closer look at the numbers in both states. you can see how tight this race was. it took awhile at cnn to make these calls. it was running as a three-man race for most of the evening. alabama, rick santorum 35% lead there. and more votes are coming in. but 98% reporting. mississippi calling later for rick santorum with 33% of the vote. there is no mistaking it. it is rick santorum s night. the candidate who began as a virtual unknown for many americans now can say his appeal stretches from middle america all the way down to the deep south. a big part of what we heard from his communications directo
states. he says he s staying in. now the questions are can santorum find a path to challenge romney? it would be easier if gingrich gets out. the math, the rules, the history. everything tells you it s still romney over the long hall into may and june. but you know what? our politics have been outside the rules. we elected our first african-american president. the tea party movement came out of nowhere. so let s watch. santorum s going to puerto rico. then we have a big primary in illinois. back to the midwest where if you look at the demographics, should be a romney state. puerto rico is this coming sunday. huge. and then illinois is a week from now on tuesday. i think i need to go to cover it. in fairness to mitt romney, he s still away head in the delegate count. he s got more than all of the other candidates combined so far. and this isn t the way they wanted it to be right now. if they do go across the finish line, they re going to crawl across the finish lin
alabama and hopefully the folks in mississippi did we did? i guess. how happy is he? how happy is his family? back with us right now, our expert cnn team. john, this is a very significant night for rick santorum. just when so many of the so-called experts were saying romney had it all but done, not is fast. could romney lock it up or another revival for newt gingrich. he loses in the two south states. he says he s staying in. now the questions are can santorum find a path to challenge romney? it would be easier if gingrich gets out. the math, the rules, the history. everything tells you it s still romney over the long hall into may and june. but you know what? our politics have been outside the rules. we elected our first african-american president. the tea party movement came out of nowhere. so let s watch. santorum s going to puerto rico. then we have a big primary in illinois. back to the midwest where if you look at the demographics, should be a romney state. puer