[Cincinatus' Wife]

And Rick Perry can skewer the moderators and say, "Anyone on this stage would be better than Barack Obama."

BTW, I find it interesting that the writer correctly states that Gov. Rick Perry is the only southerner in the "contest."

Ron Paul is from Pittsburgh (moved to coastal Texas town to open a medical practice).

Newt Gingrich was an army brat and has lived in D.C. since 1979.

[Scooter100]

Mitt Romney's "Moment" will be when he realizes that all the "anti-Romney" votes are going to add up to more than the "Romney" votes. I hope there will be lots of cameras on him when that "Moment" dawns on him.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Is there something stronger than "MEGA-BARF" we can use?

Maybe the view is different in IA and NH but from here I don't see Mittens SAYING OR doing anything noteworthy. Yet, seemingly out of nowhere, comes free promotion from the MSM "news" declaring him the front runner.

IT IS SICKENING

[VanDeKoik]

Let loon Paul go after Santorum. Just make way for Newt to go after Romney

[nhwingut]

Perry is our only hope. I don’t care what anyone says.

He has the record as a 10 year governor of a large state. He has the money. Unlike Gimgrich who is a DC insider with loads of baggage. Or Santorum who is underfunded and a recent (landslide) loser to little Bob Casey.

It’s Perry... or we are stuck with Romneycare.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

SANTORUM 2012.

Mitt Romney wears womens army boots.

[Linda Frances]

Why is it, abc, Carl rove, almost all of fox news, mccain and Laura ingram, all think romney is the best candidate? Has fox news talked about the twenty votes in Iowa that should have given sanatorium the win? I had to hear this on msnbc!!! But i have not watched tv much lately, The kingmakers say it does not matter if santorum did win. (EXCEPT FOR MOMENTUM!!!.) Don’t these people watch sports?!!! How is there cheating any different than dead people voting on the left? Conservatives have principals which is more important than party. I’m smart enough to study a candidate and decide for myself. Now they’re smearing newt because he’s picking on there golden boy. If romney wins I pray a conservative goes independent. How long does it take to start The Conservative Party (C)? I am starting to think the kingmakers want obama to win. Maybe it is only about money for some people.

[fightinJAG]

It’s remarkable what an 8-vote victory over an underfunded and unknown candidate in Iowa can do to momentum.

Here's my take on how that affected Romney:

Seems to me, based on all I've read, listened to, talked about with people, that the Santorum surge "allowed" people to feel more comfortable with Romney. Easiest way to explain it.

They're not yet sure (and may never become sure) that they want Santorum to be President at this time (he's young and just becoming more well-known nationally), but they like the fact that he is challenging Romney and, at the minimum, is now the likeliest VP candidate if his momentum continues.

With Santorum in the picture, as a sort of check on Romney and a potential balance to the ticket (as Palin was to McCain), it looks like voters are more willing to support Romney, especially as he looks to many as inevitable anyway.

So, in my view, the better Santorum does, the more voters are also going to support Romney. It's sort of like saying, "okay, I'll go with Romney now that there's a true conservative who we can make the case for as VP."

Of course, some could make the argument that the Romney surge is a reaction against the Santorum surge, but that's just not the sense I'm getting.

[HChampagne]

I think that the key is to make sure the remaining 4 or 5 candidates stay in the race for the next two months. That would enable Mitt to be vetted and revealed before he can sew it up.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

When three out of four participants in a caucus vote against you, it is not a sign of strength.

[Diogenesis]

American FLIP FLOPPER, the Chameleon-Teflon Milt:
"I bet you $10,000 that I will be as conservative as Kennedy or McCain."

"Vote Count Error? Did Rick Santorum Really Win the Iowa Caucuses?
DES MOINES, Iowa - Edward True, 28, of Moulton, said he helped count the votes
and jotted the results down on a piece of paper to post to his Facebook page.
He said when he checked to make sure the Republican Party of Iowa
got the count right, he said he was shocked to find they hadn’t.
“When Mitt Romney won Iowa by eight votes and I’ve got a
20-vote discrepancy here, that right there says Rick Santorum won Iowa,” True said. “Not Mitt Romney.”

"Several UNREPORTED news reports have it that Romney
did not win the Iowa Caucuses.
Barring any objective, verifiable proof that shows more than 12 votes mistakenly
being credited to Santorum, Romney lost."

"Could Typo Rewrite Caucus History? (Santorum may regain win)"