Santorum: Primary Race Not Over

(NewsCore) - Following his last place finish in the Nevada caucuses, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said Sunday that the primary race is a "long, long way from being over" and predicted stronger results in the three contests scheduled for Tuesday.

Santorum, who edged out frontrunner Mitt Romney to win the Iowa caucuses last month, has not repeated that performance in any of the four primary contests held since. Early results for Saturday night's Nevada caucuses show him finishing in fourth and last place.

Appearing on "FOX News Sunday," Santorum argued that a better test of his strength will come Tuesday, when Colorado and Minnesota hold caucuses and Missouri holds a "beauty contest" primary that will award no delegates.

"The first five states were sort of cast in stone," he said, arguing that Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul had an advantage in states where they campaigned in 2008.

"Now, we're getting to the states where people don't have the natural advantage, don't have the time commitment, the staff commitment to really build out an organization like they did in these first five," he said.

Santorum predicted he would do "very well" in both Minnesota and Colorado, and "exceptionally well" in Missouri, where former House Speaker Newt Gingrich failed to qualify for the ballot.

"I think we're going to show that this race is moving again in a very different direction," he added.

When asked by host Chris Wallace if Tuesday's contests are "make-or-break," Santorum said he has no plans to drop out.

"Oh, no, not at all. I think we're going to show improvement. This race is a long, long way from being over."

"I think this race as people start seeing Mitt Romney doing well and Newt Gingrich really not up to the task with the money and the resources and the organization that he had in -- particularly in Florida, they are looking for somebody else who can take on Mitt Romney, more importantly, and this is important, take on Barack Obama," Santorum said.

He went on to criticize Gingrich for proposals including a "moon colony," which he argues, "are not connected to fiscal responsibility and limited government."

He also called Romney a "uni-dimensional candidate" whose positions on issues like health care and cap and trade have been too similar to those of President Barack Obama.

During a campaign rally in Loveland, Colo., on Saturday, Santorum took his argument even further, saying he is the Republican Party's only chance to take back the White House in November.

"We are not going to win this election if either of these two guys is nominated," Santorum said, according to FOX News Channel. "Let me assure you. We will not win."