GOP primary in state of disarray

Rick Santorum's sweep of Colorado, Minnesota and the non-binding Missouri caucuses show that Republicans are still very much unsure about who to pick for the November general election.  While Santorum seems to have the momentum now, there is nothing yet that shows that Newt Gingrich might not again become the conservative favorite.

The situation is extremely favorable for the Obama campaign as, the way it looks now, the nomination might only become settled during the Republican convention.  This means that the candidates and their super PACs will need to spend money fighting for each state.

That would mean less money left over to contest President Barack Obama in the general election.  Additionally, the longer the candidates fight it out, the more negative ads served to the public.  The campaign has become intensely negative to the point that it's depressing turnout.  In Florida, for example, where Romney spent a small fortune on negative advertising, turnout was poor.

In comparison, while the 2008 Democratic primary was long and contentious, there was less negative campaigning overall and turnout was generally excellent in most states.