Even if Mitt loses Louisiana, Mitt wins in Louisiana

If you're a Republican voting in today's primary (God bless you) it looks like you're likely to check the little electronic box next to Rick Santorum's name on the ballot. (Again, vaya con Dios, my friend. Nicely done.) Santorum holds a big big lead according to this PPP poll released the other day.

Rick Santorum is headed for a commanding win in Louisiana on Saturday. We find him with 42% to 28% for Mitt Romney, 18% for Newt Gingrich, 8% for Ron Paul, and 2% for Buddy Roemer.

That poll is worth your time to read, by the way. PPP also provides us with approval ratings for Les Miles and Sean Payton... whose positions, I've long argued should be elective offices anyway... and Saints' quarterback Drew Brees who has apparently broken yet another record.

Drew Brees broke the all the time PPP record on this poll for the most popular figure we've ever polled, with 94% of likely primary voters rating him favorably to only 1% with an unfavorable opinion. We found Abraham Lincoln at a 91/2 rating nationally on a poll we did in November and that was the previous record.

Brees has surpassed down Marino and now Lincoln in the same year yet remains unsigned. Looks like his price went up yet again.

Anyway back to Santorum and his impending "commanding win." Thanks to the screwy way Louisiana Republicans apportion their delegates, here's what that margin will gain for him.

While a strong showing would be a momentum booster for any of the candidates, even a clear winner of the primary might not get all of the state's delegates when the national convention rolls around.

Louisiana's GOP will have 46 delegates at the national convention. Twenty at-large delegates will be allocated proportionally among candidates who get more than 25 percent of the vote in Saturday's primary. If no candidate gets 25 percent, the party says, the 20 delegates remain uncommitted.

According to a party news release, of the other 26 delegates, there will be five at-large delegates elected at an upcoming state convention. Eighteen will be elected during congressional district meetings; three others are Republican National Committee delegates. None are bound by the primary results.

So, of the 20 delegates at stake today, a number of those will certainly go to Mitt. I don't know exactly how the math is supposed to work here. If this poll is any barometer, I'm guessing he picks up at least 5 of the 20. Then after the caucus and the conclave and the Etching and the Sketching or whatever the hell else happens, what are the odds Mitt picks up most if not all of the remaining 26 too? Pretty damn good, I'd say.

Mitt is (finally) starting to pick up the endorsements of angsty twitchy Republicans ready to get the primary fail-a-thon wrapped up. Even especially angsty and twitchy South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint appears to be climbing on board. And even though Louisiana is famous for its political contrarianism, the fact that the bulk of the delegates will be awarded by party insiders like Jay Dardenne and Mike Strain who endorsed Mitt earlier this week, is likely to negate this impulse. But hey, if you're a GOP primary voter, don't let any of that ruin it for you. By all means have fun mashing the meaningless buttons on your ballot today. Really.

And while you're there, please feel free to vote against as many of these Council-At-Large candidates as you can. Lord knows they could use the discouragement.