Skipping Florida? Whuh?

Delegate Count!

Mitt: 71/1144
Newt: 23/1144
Ron: 3/1144
Ricky: 13/1144

Source: NY Times
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So Ron and Ricky skipped Florida all together.  This makes a good amount of sense...it's a winner-takes-all state as far as delegates are concerned.  In NH, Paul gained a goodly number of delegates with his 2nd place finish, and even a few for his 4th place in SC.  Same story with Ricky.  But when there are no delegates up for grabs unless they win, why should they invest limited time and money in the race?

By focusing on Nevada and other Western states where they can pick up delegates even if they don't win, Paul and Ricky are keeping their races alive and improving their positions.

Positions for what?  Is a good question.

I recently watched "Borgia" Season 1, and loved the scene where Rodrigo Borgia is threatening, pleading, bribing, and haggling his way to the Pope's hat.  Specifically, there's still a deadlock, with Cardinal Sforza holding enough votes to prevent Borgia's accension...but not enough to win himself.  Sforza is finally won over by the piece of wisdom: "You cannot be Pope by this Conclave, but you can be something just as good--the Pope-maker!"

Who knows what bargains will be struck when the time comes for these two to bow out?  The eventual nominee will need to placate them somehow in order to avoid a protracted battle at the convention.  Just another element to watch...