Takeaway from Michigan and Arizona

Here are four quick takeaways from Michigan and Arizona.

Newt Gingrich is banking on Georgia.

The Florida primary feels like it was eons ago but that was the last time Newt Gingrich was really a factor in this race. Gingrich has garnered more than 15% of the vote only once since Nevada. After a disappointing finish in the Silver State he focused the bulk of his energy on Super Tuesday and largely ignored the states voting today.

Georgia, his home state, is where Gingrich has spent most of his time campaigning and it appears that he may be making a "last stand" there. Gingrich has to make himself relevant again next Tuesday or it may be over for him. With no debates remaining a Gingrich comeback may be impossible.

We will know more about Rick Santorum's strength with Midwestern voters on Tuesday
Michigan is the first state in the Midwest that Rick Santorum did not win. With wins in Minnesota, Missouri, and Iowa he has proven that he has what it takes to connect with voters in the Rust Belt but his biggest test will be on Super Tuesday in the delegate rich and crucial swing state of Ohio.

Not many caucuses left for Ron Paul
Washington state's 40 RNC delegates are up for grabs this weekend in one of the few remaining caucuses of this campaign. Ron Paul did campaign in Michigan but he did not commit significant resources to the state running. Paul's strategy revolves around caucuses and scoring delegates at party conventions not statewide primaries. Only Kansas and Nebraska host caucuses with a significant chunk of delegates at state.

Mitt Romney is barely beating a guy with next to no organization
Journalists at Santorum events have observed that his campaign does not have staff gathering emails and other contact information from people at his events, a very basic campaign function. Santorum's inability to perform even basic organization building activity says volumes about his shoestring operation but it says even more about Romney's inability to knock him our of the race.

If Romney can barely beat a guy with a rag-tag operation in his home state how will he do in a general election against a sitting president with an imposing war chest and massive organization?

The long slog to Tampa continues.