It's going to be Romney in the end...

[MrScorpio]

In spite of the all the crazies running amok in the GOP, Mr. Establishment is going to rise to the top of the Republican field like so much pond scum.

The nut jobs will be very restless.

[DesertFlower]

1. i agree. nt

[the other one]

2. The other candidates serve to shield Romney

To shield him from criticism at least until he starts actually winning primaries.

I think Huckabee will be his running mate. By not running, Huckster has not been recorded saying negative things about their chosen one, things that could be used later to embarass both of them. Also Huckleberry is a pit-bull darling of the nut-jobs, "balancing" the ticket (if you could call it that)

[JohnnyRingo]

5. They need a Southerner.

Traditionally the South expects representation on the ballot. I don't know if it's about fear of abolitionism or just pride, but the entire 20th century up to 2008 maintained a Southern imprint in presidential races. Certainly The Huckster would satisfy that bible belt endorsement.

[Whats_Happening]

3. I think you're right, but also, Romney is a kind of place holder --

No one on their side will be enthusiastic about him, HOWEVER, if a year from now, unemployment is still at 9% and Obama's "Gallup Daily Tracking" continues to hover around 40%, Romney will win.

No-one can win at 9% unemployment and 40% approval.

[YellowCosmicSun]

4. Sorry, Mr. "Corporations are People, too" has no chance.

[Bucky]

8. Are you talking about Reagan or one of the Bush dynasty mooks?

That's right, I said "mooks"

[YellowCosmicSun]

11. Mitt "Who let the dogs out?" Romney

[Kolesar]

6. Like McCain, he will have scant enthusiasm from the right wing

Working for him is that Romney does not have age related cognitive dysfunction.

[Bucky]

7. Ironically, if Romney gets elected, we're all gonna *feel* Romney in the end too.

If you get my meaning.

[dembotoz]

12. if any republican wins it will be time to grab your ankles

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. I have said from the beginning that Romney

will not be the nominee. The evangelicals are the core that the candidates cater to. They are also the foot soldiers and the most enthusiastic. I speak from first hand experience because I live in SC and have been around them for years.

Romney has the added burden because of his record as Governor of MA. They do not forget or forgive.

They have always regarded Mormonism as a cult or worse. They aren't fond of Catholics either. If Romney does somehow get the nomination, watch out! They will rebel and go their own way because their Gawd tells them to. Huckabee, Palin, and others could slip in to a 3rd party. Their religious ideology guides them, and it is rigid. Casting a vote for Romney would be tantamount to betraying their faith.

[customerserviceguy]

10. How does he get past his ceiling?

In any given state, he doesn't seem to be able to rise above 25 to 35 percent. The snake handlers and tea partiers that make up so very much of the base really want nothing to do with the guy, and only the tea partiers will vote for him in a general election. The fundies really would rather have four more years of Obama over giving the LDS missionaries another talking point in people's doorways.

He's long been known as someone who will say whatever he has to, to get elected. Even if you do believe that at his core, he will be pro-big business, you know that he's going to compromise and flip-flop his way to whatever legislation finally emerges.

My bet is that nobody comes into the convention with a first-ballot victory, and the convention chooses a candidate on the umpteenth ballot. Nobody's able to unite the factions of the GOP before then.

[spanone]

13. and a rabid teafucker for veep to satisfy the nuts