Next states favor Romney, posing problems for Gingrich

After Florida, the importance of gaining national attention and buzz begins to yield ground to the state-by-state hunt for delegates. That often involves painstaking strategies that are less sexy than TV debates and witty one-liners. Tactics will vary from place to place, since some states hold caucuses rather than primaries, and some allot their delegates on a proportional, not winner-take-all, basis.

President Barack Obama proved the importance of a smart delegate strategy in 2008. He won the Democratic nomination partly because his campaign outmaneuvered Hillary Rodham Clinton's operation with its early targeting of small caucus states.

The libertarian-leaning Paul has virtually no chance of winning the Republican nomination. But he's targeting states that allocate delegates proportionately, hoping to win enough to assure him a prominent voice at the August national convention.

If Gingrich can make it to Super Tuesday, he might enjoy yet another resurgence. States voting that day include Georgia, which Gingrich represented in Congress for 20 years, and neighboring Tennessee.

But Gingrich failed to qualify for the ballot in Virginia, which also votes that day, as does Romney's home state of Massachusetts. Neighboring Vermont and Mormon-friendly Idaho also are Super Tuesday states. The others are Alaska, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.