GOP Voters Waterboard Romney

Has the Republican Party gone on strike?

Tonight’s message: Outside the Federalist heartland and the peculiar Virginia ballot, Republicans won’t accept Mitt Romney. Against such a weak field, for Romney to be battling to carry Ohio is deeply, deeply ominous.

The donors all made up their minds months ago. The rank-and-file are refusing.

UPDATE:  As some commenters have noted below, it looks like Romney will eke out a victory. Still, I believe Frum is right. For Mitt Romney to have to be so beaten up by Rick Santorum — Rick Santorum! — this far into the primary season is pretty stunning. If Gingrich weren’t so vain, and had dropped after Michigan, is there any doubt that Santorum would have won Ohio comfortably?

UPDATE.2: I mean, think of it — Romney massively, massively outspent Santorum in Ohio, and if he wins, it’ll only be by a few thousand votes. The only other active GOP candidate on the ballot in Virginia was Ron Paul, and he got 41 percent of the vote to Romney’s 59. Really. Unless Obama is found in bed with a live boy or a dead girl (h/t: EWE), this election is his to lose.