(Image Source: vicnews03)  

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

Super Tuesday is right around the corner for the GOP presidential candidates. Media pundits and analysts wondering if a front runner will emerge any time soon. An anchor for KMSP in Minnesota explains why Michigan is a must-win for Mitt Romney before Super Tuesday.

“Romney, obviously that’s his hometown. And about five million dollars has gone into ads between Santorum, Ron Paul, Gingrich, and they’re really fighting for Michigan.”

Millions of dollars on ads like these.

(Santorum supporter ad) “How can Mitt Romney beat Barack Obama when on the vital decisions, they’re not much different?”   
(Ron Paul Campaign ad) “Rick Santorum a fiscal conservative? Fake.”
(Santorum Campaign ad) “Mitt Romney’s negative attack machine is back on full-throttle.”

A writer for the Washington Post says ads like those are eating up the campaigns’ money and preventing voters from uniting around one candidate.  Taking money the candidates should save for whomever faces Obama in the general election.

“...Republicans had hoped to train their resources on beating President Obama -- candidates typically save their harshest attacks for the general election, largely sparing their fellow party members. But a wildly unpredictable GOP primary race has upended that plan and dissolved the truce...this race has a different dynamic, a front-runner who lacks a prohibitive lead.”

Going into Wednesday’s CNN GOP debate in Arizona, national polls show MItt Romney’s attempts at winning victory in his home-state might not be successful. Sacramento’s KCRA explains how new polls show Romney and Santorum neck-and-neck in two states and in a dead heat nationally.

“New polls show that Rick Santorum is quickly gaining ground on Romney there...There’s a new Rasmussen poll from Michigan that shows Rick Santorum is leading Romney by four points. Then there’s a new CNN/Time poll from Arizona that has Romney up by four points.”

A senior contributor to Politic365 tells CNN, Rick Santorum still has work to do, but if he plays his cards right, in the end, he could come out on top.

“If Santorum wins Michigan, and can somehow win Pennsylvania later on in this process, you probably will see Rick Santorum ahead of the pack moving into Tampa.”

But an analyst on MSNBC warns Santorum’s inability to capture independent voters could prove problematic for the GOP come November.

“Rick Santorum has zero chance of beating Barck Obama in a general election...The irony that he is going after Mitt Romeny for not being electable is quite interesting.”

Voters head to the polls in ten states on Tuesday March 6th. The day, dubbed Super Tuesday refers to the day in which the greatest number of states hold their primary elections.