By Sara Murray and Danny Yadron

It’s shaping up to be a lonely night in Georgia next month.

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul (R., Texas) look toward moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN as they participate in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul dropped out of the GOP candidates’ debate March 1 in Atlanta, robbing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of his chance to dominate the stage in his former stomping grounds days ahead of Super Tuesday.

CNN, which is hosting the debate, said it will be canceled. “Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate,” the cable network said in a statement.

The mass dropout strips Mr. Gingrich of his preferred mode of campaigning: Slamming his opponents – and the media – on the debate stage…