From Dayton, Ohio
When Rick Santorum still had an over 10,000 vote lead with over 80% of the vote counted in the Ohio Primary, I started wondering whether Mitt Romney's world was about to come unraveled.
But as the clock ticked towards midnight, a large cushion of votes from the Cincinnati and Cleveland areas allowed Romney to snuff out any hopes of a Rick Santorum upset and ignited talk about Romney moving towards the GOP nomination.
"You know he's still the frontunner," said Rep. Steve Austria (R-OH). "He's still winning the majority of the delegates in these states, which is critical to winning the nomination."
And that was the story, as Romney started off the night with wins in Vermont, Massachusetts and Virginia, while Santorum won Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota, overshadowing Newt Gingrich's home state win in Georgia.
But Romney, who wrapped things up with a final win in Alaska, had more than just those wins, as he also finished second in Oklahoma, Georgia and Tennessee, avoiding the "nightmare scenario" where Santorum and Gingrich elbowed him out of delegates in those southern states.
Instead, Romney gave his backers hope that he can compete even more effectively in coming days when the GOP race shifts to Alabama and Mississippi.
"Absolutely he still does have a challenge ahead of him," Congressman Austria added.
But the road to the Republican nomination also got a bit clearer in recent days as both the GOP Establishment and rank and file voters seemed to coalesce more around Romney.
For Santorum, the loss in Ohio was a bitter pill, especially as he was outspent badly for a second straight week, as Romney took tough wins in Michigan and now the Buckeye State.
Santorum staffer Alice Stewart snapped this picture of Santorum watching late election returns from Ohio; at Santorum's side in the glasses and light blue tie is Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
"We went up against enormous odds," Santorum told his supporters in Steubenville, Ohio.
"Not only here in the state of Ohio where who knows how much we were outspent, but in every state," Santorum added with a bit of frustration in his voice, as he watched a repeat of his defeat in Michigan, where he was beaten up on radio and television by huge amounts.
Santorum goes on today to Kansas and Mississippi, then to Alabama on Thursday, as he and Gingrich will hit those states in coming days.
But as much as they talk about fighting Romney all the way to the convention in Tampa, the sound you hear in the background is that of the GOP establishment - and many voters - moving to back the former Massachusetts Governor.
If he had lost in Michigan, it would have been a crushing blow.
But he won.
If he had lost in Ohio, it could have been disastrous.
But Romney won.
If he had only won three states on Super Tuesday, it would have been big trouble.
But Romney won more than that.
It wasn't pretty in Ohio or Michigan, and it raises questions among his supporters.
But a win is a win is a win is a win.
And the Super Tuesday Scoreboard tilts in favor of Mitt Romney both in terms of states and delegates.
It's a score you can't ignore especially when momentum is so important in a race for the nomination.
And that momentum is in the corner of Mitt Romney.
