The MSM keeps pushing RINOS, like Romney and Gingrich, for a reason. The MSM is trying their best to pick the ‘12 GOP POTUS candidates for us, and they are, also, trying to help Obama win re-election, by choosing RINO GOP candidates with problems.
Maybe (ruminating here) it's just the old Republican "it's Mitt's turn" mentality at work. They've got all these prexy candidates lined up like airliners on a taxiway, and they ignore the flames and columns of black smoke off the end of the runway and just wave the next one forward. "It's Rudy's turn, it's Mitt's turn, it's McCain's turn, it's Lamar Alexander's turn ......" Burn, crash, burn, crash ...... ad nauseam.
It isn't that you lost the race. At least you showed up with a yacht.