All you have to do is to examine the vast array of polls post-Huckabee (not the Rasmussen poll today which did not include Palin).
Here are the results of 10 polls since the June 2 PPP poll that show Palin entrenched in second spot:
ROMNEY PALIN DIFF NEXT DIFF FROM PALIN
ABC/WAPO-—21————17—— -4———8-———— -9
QUINNPIAC—25————15-—— -10——9-———— -6
REUTERS/IP-18————19-—— +1-——8———— -11
FOX————23————12-—— -11——13-————+1
FDU————26————11-—— -15——9————— -2
USA/GALL-—24————16-—— -8-——9————— -7
CNN————24————20-—— -4——12————— -8
ECON/YG——14————20-—— +6——11-———— -9
NBC/WSJ——30————14-—— -16-—12-———— -2
PPP————22————15-—— -7——17-———— +2
AVG————22.7-——15.9
No one else is averaging double digits who was included on the ballot in each poll.
Yes, if Sarah Palin does not win, Mitt Romney will be the nominee of the GOP next year. In addition with Palin not in the mix, polls show that he actually widens his lead on the field.
But even with Palin in the field Romney’s gap on the rest of the field by 13-15 points is really insurmountable for them.
The only person with a reasonable chance of catching Mitt Romney is Sarah Palin. The numbers speak for themselves.
It is so foolish to focus on Romney vs. Palin and NOT on GOP nominee vs. Obama (Osama). Your analysis does not account for the General Election. Why won’t you post the same stats and poll numbers for that one with Palin as the candidate and then make your case for Palin?