The GOP is already split. About 23% (or less) are for Romney, or can even tolerate him. About 77% are rabidly anti-Romney, and anti- whatever RINO they might put up to replace him.
This fight is long overdue. The nation will not survive another RINO.
I concur that the fight IS long overdue. However, there are a number of big fish to fry here. Not only will we NOT survive another RINO, we also will NOT survive another 4 years of Obama.
So, we appear to be trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea. This would be an easy choice if Reagan were still alive and could serve another term. And all choices would be easy if we could pick them like leaves from a tree.
What we have to evaluate is how much we, as a party, can tolerate and STILL keep America off life support. The left has driven a deep wedge in the country that is fracturing us along political lines and conservatives are equally fractured between "moderate" establishment Republicans and Tea Party conservatives. A brokered convention that shoves Jeb Bush down our throats is a win for Obama. The same may also be true if Palin ends up the winner of a brokered convention. Personally, I like her and would vote for her in a heartbeat, but too many other conservatives (or Republicans) DON'T.
We have been maneuvered by the left into a poor position with the only two realistic contenders being Newt first and Santorum second. I don't know enough about Santorum to say absolutely, but he could potentially guarantee another Obama term. Newt also has his detractors, especially among women, and that also raises the spectre of another Obama term.
Whoever our candidate ends up being, we know that Obama intends to lob volley after volley of nuclear missiles at him or her. And, with his "Truth Team" (propaganda brownshirts) willing to do all of his dirty work on the ground, we are going to have a major uphill battle, especially if our candidate follows along with other Republicans and refuses to get into the mud with the Dems and REALLY talk about Obama's record. S, at the emd of the day, our candidate, whether one of the remaining candidates or a walk-on brokered candidate, needs to be able to pull ALL factions of the party together as a cohesive unit.
I just don't see that person in any of the names being tossed around.