Santorum Leading in Ohio?

Delegate Count!

Mitt: 105/1144
Newt: 29/1144
Ron: 18/1144
Ricky: 71/1144

Source: NY Times
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So in an unrelated search, I came across this article about a recent poll of Ohio Republicans.  The upshot is that among the 4 candidates, Ricky is at the front of the pack by 7% points in the new Quinnipiac poll.  This isn't a huge shock to me.

Ohio is a rather conservative state, outside the city.  In Columbus, we celebrate gay culture (if that's even a valid term), but in the state at large we write second-class status for homosexuals into the state Constitution.  We vote people into office who think a valid use of government time is to make laws closing down porn shops and strip clubs.  You can't travel between two major cities without seeing billboards about hell and damnation, or the ten commandments (link is to a story about an identical billboard in Kentucky tho).  Suffice to say, there's a significant number of people in this state who love Jesus in many of his intolerant forms.

So does it surprise me that Santorum is striking a nerve with the devout in Ohio?  Nope.  Not one tiny bit.  Is it upsetting?  Only a little.  We are talking about a tiny percentage of the state, the ones likely to vote in the March 6th primary.  And we all know primaries do little besides bring the wingnuts out of the woodwork, so I gotta take this with a grain of salt.