lot of the democratic base loved barack obama. mitt romney s making a math argument when the best overwhelming number of the base does not want him. and they are rebelling against that argument. they re like, don t tell us it s over, don t tell us math is on your side. this is about conviction and ideology, and you re not going to deny us the chance to register our lack of affection for you, mitt romney, just because you say algebra is on your side. last night was significant, especially given newt gingrich s showing in this. let s look at the exit polling. white evangelicals made up 80% of mississippi voters. rick santorum won this demographic with 35% support in both states. newt gingrich followed with 32%. in mississippi, 39% said the candidate s ability to defeat president obama was most important. mitt romney won this group with 46% followed by newt gingrich with 30%. 22% of mississippi republicans said rick santorum had the best chance of winning in november.
campaign have to be very happy about what they re seeing. the tea party tail is wagging the republican party dog right now. and that dog, it seems, is in a cage above a station wagon being drove by mitt romney. and they re prepared to drive that station wagon right off a cliff. they have taken radical policies and braced the arizona immigration law, for example, and braced people who have been confrontational on this issue for many years, rejected the dream act. on the economic policies, they promised to return to the bush economic policies, which practically bankrupted this country, led it into enormous deficits and cratered our economy. the right wing is forces them into a position which is indefensible in terms of the legislation. and it seems that romney is not even connecting. look at the exit polling in alabama last night. it showed romney only won with one group of voters last night, high-income voters.
is that gingrich not win either one of these things so he can have a clean shot at romney in illinois. richard, what would be the best play for newt gingrich if he did not win either one of these states and possibly finish third in both of them? there is many options left. best play is to be the king maker and possibly, possibly just have a shot at being a vp nominee, because in the end, he can actually vouch for some conservative credentials. he can add gravitasse to a rick santorum figure. more likely if there is a slim chance of a convention where mitt romney doesn t quite make it to the magic number that is where the leave age comes in, that will work if he bows out with dignity. if he loses both tonight that will be his challenge. e.j., what about the vote, very white, very conservative, also exit polling show they want to beat president obama to the tune of some 40% of the voters that were polled down there.
but the math and money and more people doubting that that may be enough as we move on your early start. good morning everyone welcome to early start i m ashleigh banfield. i m zoraida sambolin. we re bringing you news from a to z, 5:00 a.m. in the east. alabama, mississippi, rick santorum a southern sweep. a heartbreaking tragedy in switzerland, 22 children killed when a bus crashed in the wall of a tunnel. that bus carrying 46 children, and six adults was returning to belgium after a school ski trip. a total of 28 people died, police are investigating now. prosecutors in alabama plan to seek the death penalty against this woman, accused of literally running her 9-year-old granddaughter to death. the girl was forced to run around the family house for hours as punishment for lying about eating chocolate. president obama and david cameron holding formal talks at the white house with the war in afghanistan, iran s nuclear program, syrian crisis and the global eco
they are muslim. muslim. sorry. there is a mistake. their an tip think is so strong, the distance so strong, they want the guy that can beat him, seems to me. exit polling showing 39% of folks in alabama, is the thing, 42% saying beating obama is the number one thing. luke you said, chris, a practical concern there and is their guy. it is surprising given the role that white evangelical voters playing in the republican primary this year around broadly speaking in this race a testimony if not an tipthy but anger toward president obama and they just want this guy out. could that be the best card from somebody from mormonism or lds, great irony, one opportunity to be elected president is running against a guy they see remote from them in terms of experience and altitude?