CNN Poll: Arizona GOP Race Practically Tied Up

The upcoming GOP primary elections in Michigan and Arizona one week from today are going to be fun.

Santorum has a small lead in Michigan (basically a tie) and now Romney has a small lead in Arizona (basically a tie).

Drama.

On the eve of the final Republican presidential debate before primaries in Arizona and Michigan, as well as the 10 Super Tuesday states, a new survey indicates that Rick Santorum may be closing the gap with Mitt Romney in the Grand Canyon State.

According to a CNN/Time/ORC International poll released Tuesday, 36% of people likely to vote in Arizona’s February 28th GOP presidential primary say they’re backing Romney as their party’s nominee, with 32% supporting Santorum. The former Massachusetts governor’s four point margin over the former senator from Pennsylvania is within the survey’s sampling error, meaning they are basically tied for the top spot.

Every other candidate is just a footnote.

This probably boils down to three possible things. Romney wins both and begins to wind up the nomination (again), Santorum wins both and looks good moving forward, or they split the two and Super Tuesday on  March 6th gets even more interesting than it already was going to be.

Or, I’m completely wrong and something else happens.

And/but: Arizona is winner-take-all, while Michigan is proportional in terms of delegates, meaning Arizona is the much bigger prize (29 delegates) than winning a third or so of Michigan’s 30 delegates. That’s the big, less interesting picture.

Like I said: fun.