Live Blog: Caucus Results…Will Man on Dog Prevail?

Oh Boy!

What a day…one minute we are getting news that Karen Handel is now Quiterella II, Prop 8 gets voted down, Obama may cave to the Catholic Religious Right and Santorum may actually carry the three states having Primary Elections/Caucuses tonight.

Ben Garvin/Getty ImagesA protestor “glitter bombed” Rick Santorum at a campaign rally in Blaine, Minn., on Tuesday.

Mitt Romney’s campaign sought to downplay the importance of three non-binding presidential contests Tuesday evening, as one of the former Massachusetts governor’s underdog challengers aimed to revive his flagging campaign through strong performances in several low-profile contests.

Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator and Iowa caucus winner who has struggled to break through in national polls, hoped that by upsetting Romney and conservative challenger Newt Gingrich in one or more of the evening’s votes, he could emerge as Romney’s most formidable opponent on the right.

Republicans in Minnesota and Colorado were set to head to caucus sites, while voters in Missouri have been casting ballots in a presidential preference poll (an actual caucus vote will be held on March 17). Delegates are not technically awarded in the three contests tonight, but will be bestowed later in state party meetings.

Still, campaigning in Blaine Tuesday afternoon, Santorum spun the day as a potential turning point in the Republican presidential primary.

“I feel great that Minnesota is going to change the direction of this race tonight,” Santorum said.

Romney is not looking to win big: Romney Camp Sets Expectations To Zero For Tuesday Contests | TPM2012

Tuesday night sees GOP caucus contests in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota. And it would seem the Romney campaign’s internal polling suggests things aren’t looking too great for the GOP frontrunner in any of them. His team is scrambling to submerge expectations to ocean-floor depths, sending out a memo downplaying the contests’ importance and stressing that the March 6 Super Tuesday states should be the real test of Romney’s momentum.

The polls in Missouri close at 8pm…Minnesota caucuses begin at that time so let’s just get down to the results.

Here are some sites where you can find the results…

H/T Boston Boomer for this link:

Here Come The Results GOP Candidates Tested In Three More States Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis | TPM

The remaining GOP presidential candidates face tests in three states tonight: Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota. Follow every twist and turn at TPMLiveWire.

Live blog of Tuesday’s GOP contests – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs

Seventy delegates are at stake in Tuesday’s Republican presidential contests, the largest haul to date in the race for the White House. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are vying for the delegates up for grabs in the Colorado and Minnesota caucuses. No delegates are at stake in the non-binding Missouri primary.

You can follow election results on Twitter with hashtag: #cnnelections

This should get you caught up until now:

7:24 p.m. ET – Bachmann said the Minnesota caucuses “literally could go to any of the four candidates.”

And although she said she doesn’t regret dropping her White House bid, she did say, “I miss the debates most of all.”

7:21 p.m. ET – Former presidential candidate and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann said she did not participate in her state’s caucuses because she was doing her job in the House. She told @wolfblitzercnn she “would be if I could.”

7:17 p.m. ET – @stevebruskCNN: Where next? Romney campaigns (and raises $$) in Atlanta tomorrow. Gingrich tours Cleveland plant. Santorum holds events in Dallas area.

For the State of Colorado Republican Party Caucus Results

For the State Of Missouri | Election Night Reporting

Minnesota caucuses: results, visits and political geography – 2012 Campaign Republican Primary Tracker – The Washington Post – The Washington Post

Politics and Government – 2012 Presidential Watch – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com

We will keep things updated in the comments below, see you there.