Will any of the remaining candidates in the Republican race for the presidency drop out between now and the August GOP convention? Don’t bet on it!
This will be one of the most hotly contested and drawn out races in political history, mostly because of the great dysfunction within the Republican ranks. The race is still incredibly knotted, but why? Why do the remaining 4 men seem hunkered down and not ready to succumb to the perceived nominee? Here’s why:
Mitt Romney is just hanging on and counting down the clock to the convention, hoping he can ride his presumed front runner status all the way to the nomination.
Newt Gingrich is not going anywhere, because he recognizes there is a large contingency of conservative Republicans who simply don’t like or trust Romney (or his Mormon faith). So Newt is counting on them coming over to his side in the 11th hour as a last ditch “Anybody But Romney” move. He could also take a large legion of delegates to the convention with him, which he could then wield to his advantage.
Rick Santorum is sort of the Gingrich “understudy.” Gingrich has a very sordid past, both personally and professionally. Some juicy tidbit from Gingrich’s past could come along any day and completely destroy his chances for the presidency. So it pays for Santorum to hang around, ready to step into the “Anybody But Romney” slot should some Gingrich scandal force him out. Sources say Santorum is also not opposed to becoming the vice-presidential nominee behind Romney or Gingrich, so there’s no need for him to flee.
Ron Paul knows he will never be president and it’s possible he doesn’t really want to be. So expect him to hang around to soak up the attention and trumpet his pet platform ideas. He’s also angling for a prime time speaking slot at the convention.
So there appears to be no real reason for any of the 4 remaining candidates to drop out and make it a 3 man race. They each have a vested interest in staying on, so buckle your seat belts because it looks like we’re in for an extended ride!
"This will be one of the most hotly contested and drawn out races in political history, mostly because of the great dysfunction within the Republican ranks. "Uh-huh. And contrary to the GOP's spin that a protracted drawn out nomination contest will, in the end, be a "good thing" for the eventual winner (meaning Romney), make him "a better candidate to go up against Obama" …..NOTHING could be further from the truth. This whole contest thus far has been nothing short of a disaster for the GOP in general and Mitt Romney in particular. Other losers include evangelical christianists and the so-called "Tea-Party Movement" which has shown itself to be moreso a manufactured bit of political drama than an actual conservative/libertarian grass-roots movement. Btw: As regular readers know, I'm not into polls. But if predictions hold up, it could be a good day for Santorum(?) PPP: "Big Day for Santorum?"Rick Santorum could be headed for a big day in today's contests in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. Missouri looks like a probable win for Santorum. […]Read: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/02/b…A related story…TheDailyBeast: "Tea Party ‘Is Dead’: How the Movement Fizzled in 2012’s GOP Primaries"A giant killer in 2010, it never came off the sidelines in the 2012 primaries—and may end up with the nominee it loves least. Now a Tea Party leader tells Patricia Murphy the movement is “dead” and “gone.” […]Read: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/…
Lol. Well, looks like one Coo-Coo…Ooops I mean EX-contestant wants BACK ON the island.HuffPost: "Michele Bachmann: 'I Was The Perfect Candidate'Former GOP presidential candidate and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) weighed in on the state of the Republican primary race in a recent interview, declaring that she "was the perfect candidate," even after her departure from the race.Asked by Bloomberg TV's Al Hunt who of the remaining four candidates was the "most conservative," Bachmann responded by including herself in the mix."I was. I was the perfect candidate," Bachmann said in the interview, which aired on Friday. "America had their chance with the perfect candidate. But any of our candidates are going to be acceptable to the American people, and more than acceptable, because right now, if you look at the Gallup map that came out this week, President Obama is in big trouble all across the country." [….]Video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/michele-…Quoting a HuffPost Commenter: "Does this loon's balloon ever land???"Seriously. Anyone who voted for this woman to serve in ANY capacity should have their voting rights revoked.
Good analysis DJ. I agree with you nobody has any reason to drop out. Anything can happen between now and their convention and if Santorum wins today that just shakes things up more.
So of *The Five Stages of Grief* I'm not at all certain WHICH stage Erick Erikson (right-wing blogger) is currently experiencing(?) But suffice it to say that he and other right-wingers are really beginning to SEE the handwriting on the wall and it AIN'T looking good for them right now. RedState: "The Sweet Meteor of Death 2012" Excerpt:The Republican Party is putting itself in the hands of the economy. With Mitt Romney as the nominee, we will be forced to hope for a deteriorating economy because, while I will vote for him and think he is vastly better than Barack Obama, the fact is he has made no case for himself against Barack Obama except that he can do a better job on the economy. And let’s be clear — no Republican should hope or appear to be hoping for a deteriorating economy. It’s just that with no other justification for his election other than electability based on the ability to fix the economy, if the economy fixes itself, suddenly there is no justification for Mitt Romney’s electability.My sincere and honest hope is that both Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich stay in the race as long as possible to deny MItt Romney enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination. I do not think either Santorum or Gingrich have much of a better shot against Barack Obama, but I do think they are at least running on bigger ideas than Mitt Romney — ideas that still translate and survive an improving economy.For months I have said I am for “Not Romney.” It is not because I think either Gingrich or Santorum have a better shot at winning than Romney, but because I still hold out hope for a broker convention to save us from ourselves. [….]Read: http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/02/06/the-swee…