Let’s hope that with Santorum out of the question, it’ll be a much cleaner three-way between the remaining candidates. Romney will come out on top of course, but it remains to be seen if anything will stick to him.
Romney came in a very distant 3rd in a terrible primary cycle in 2008 and it was almost universally considered his turn in 2012. It’s likely someone appealing who sat out this year will run in 2016 but it’s far from assured. I mean clearly in 2012 the Republicans were desperate for someone they actually liked the run against Romney, but nobody did. I think in 2008, plenty of Republicans would have speculated/hoped that after 4 years Obama would be in a very weak position but he’s clearly not. It’s hard to say who’ll those reluctant Republicans will be running against in 2016. I think it’s definitely possible that only a guy like Santorum will want to take the run.
Which illustrates the fact that the “turn” people tend to make things up as they go along. 
Assuming Romney doesn’t win, it’s pretty well assured. Christie didn’t run this year, Rubio didn’t run, the list goes on. If Obama wins, there’s no incumbent on either side in 2016. That’s much more appealing than running against in incumbent in a divided party.
Good riddance. Of course The Daily Show writers are in full rewrite mode at this minute. Thank og Dubyah made a public appearance. Lots of material there.
This could be the break the Tirebiter campaign has been looking for!
I’ll see your right-wing think tank, and raise you a broadcasting spot on Fox, a la Palin. With all the crazy coming out his mouth, he was never really serious about being president, only about securing a lucrative spot on TV as a “conservative” commentator.
Really, a Romney loss would get us a GOP Base committed to the notion that next time around they need the most really really conservative Real Conservative[sup]TM[/sup] they can possibly find…* and* a GOP Establishment with the time and desire for grooming someone who will *not *go rogue and scare the country-clubbers but who they *can *present to the base as this really really conservative Real Conservative[sup]TM[/sup].
In the best case for the GOP the thirst for a win after 8 years would be enough for the RW to say: *yknowhat, forget about candidates who run “to make a point”, get me someone who may not score absolute orthodoxy on every single line item but comes close enough and who means it. * That may allow the potential candidates who sat out 2012 to take a chance on running with less risk of being teapartied into unelectability.
“Romney Licks Santorum”
This is only an issue if Mitt wins, which looking here, does not appear to be something I am overly worried about. Now that we are down to the single combat phase, campaigner Obama will go to work.
Of course. And I realize that speculation is not coming from anybody connected to the Romney campaign. Still, it’s a legitimately horrifying prospect. In the real world - despite what I was saying earlier - I guess it’s true that Santorum did his share in forcing Romney to the right and pushing the GOP primary race in the anti-Latino and anti-woman direction it’s gone.
Its a little hard to say who the “runner up” is in a primary process, since the number of delegates you have is partly a function of when you decide to bail. Romney was a “distant third” in '08 because he dropped out as soon as it became obvious he wasn’t going to win while Huckabee hung around to run up his delegate count even though it was obvious he wasn’t goging to get the nomination.
But in anycase, I think its pretty clear the GOP tends to chose someone who won a decent number of delegates in the previous previous primary.
I doubt that will be true next cycle though, neither Santorum or Newt are plausible enough candidates even if it is there “turn”.
You [del]forgot about[/del] suppressed as part of a conspiracy Ron Paul, who’ll be a mere 80 years old. I’ll have you know he has about half as many delegates has Gingrich, who swears he is not going to quit.
Just a few moments ago, I saw Santorum’s communications director Hogan Gidley (who looks a little like Buckwheat) indirectly admit that they expect Romney to lose in the general this year, as he said they’re already discussing Santorum running in 2016,
Does anyone know if you can keep Santorum fresh for 4 years?
No, you can’t. The six-years-stale version just lost to a guy nobody likes.
Good bye Santorum, and please don’t ever come back. What did he run on anyway? Porn, birth control, and the right of people to control their own bodies. We don’t need that nonsense in this day and age.
So, the “champion” will now be Romney and he will lose. He is already being described as a flip flopper, the Richy Rich no one likes, the guy who is out of touch, and the man who doesn’t stand for anything. He can’t even attack “Obamacare” because back in Massachusetts he invented it.
He’s already lost.
I’m just trying to picture this year’s Republican convention --possibly the most depressed and unenthusiastic crowd of people ever assembled under one roof.
Santorum expelled, Gingrich now number two. Santorum dribbles to a halt. Romney no longer needs to smear Santorum.
What? It’s quite likely the last chance we’ll have to make these puns.
I heard Newt say on the radio yesterday that he knows he won’t be the nominee this year, he’s only keeping his campaign active to “influence the platform.”
So now it’s down the Romney vs. Paul. Bets?
Nah, even stale Santorum is still good for jokes.
My only disappointment is that Google Chrome spell checker will probably never stop flagging “santorum” as a misspelling.